Great fall colors, a surprise wildlife encounter and plenty of nature to go around, we were successful at getting our bodies and minds to take a day off.
Staunton State Park is a great place to explore just an hour west of Denver. With plenty of trails for all, one could easily find themselves alone for much of the day. Rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, trail running…choose your activity and enjoy a wonderful park in Denver’s backyard. Amazing that in very little time, one can be out of the city and on a trail enjoying one of the best benefits of living in Colorado, the outdoors.
Not every hike needs to be a heart-pounding expedition to the top of a mountain summit, though we are not against that. Taking time out to just meander is crucial to allowing ourselves to relax, unwind and decompress. Taking on an alpine trail well above treeline can be brutal, though enjoyable all the same, on this outing we chose a much lower terrain, keeping ourselves amidst forests and meadows. A quick glance at the park map and we made up our minds on making a custom 6.6 mile “lollypop” loop.
Our track, Davis Ponds Trail – Chase Meadow Trail – Staunton Ranch Trail – Scout Line Trail – Marmot Passage Trail – Staunton Ranch Trail – Chase Meadow Trail – Davis Ponds Trail back to the parking area.
Great fall colors, a surprise wildlife encounter and plenty of nature to go around, we were successful at getting our bodies and minds to take a day off. There’s something to be said about taking oneself out of chaotic environment and putting yourself into something much more soothing. In our case, nature. The sounds, smells, sights and energy of being in the wilderness just seem to detoxify us. Cool breezes, running streams, birds singing and at times pure silence are the main ingredients to a relaxing day on the trail.
Peace,
MAD
MAD Hippies Life 