Type: Road/Trail, Loop
Difficulty: 5 / 10
Altitude: 5,636 ft
Elev. Gain/Loss: 1,156 ft / 1,156 ft
Dog Friendly: No
Jog-Stroller Friendly: No
Filed Under: Hiking, Running
This loop starts on the Dowdy Draw Trail and runs up the valley (thru one gate and one stream crossing) for approximately 1.3 miles to a trail junction.
Take the right trail past a "no dogs" sign and continue up the valley for another .3 miles when you will start to climb a hill (southwest). At the top of the hill and through a bit of ponderosa pines you will come out on a gravel road beside a canal. Follow the canal road for approximately .5 miles.
At a fork in the gravel road, veer right (northwest) onto another gravel road. Follow this road first north then turning west towards Eldorado Canyon for about 1.3 miles. Just before the road goes uphill, look for a slightly overgrown doubletrack that splits off to the right, and turn here. You are now on the Fowler Trail.
Follow the Fowler Trail into Eldorado Canyon State Park, past the Bastille rock formation, to the Rattlesnake Gulch Trailhead.
Turn right here onto the main (gravel) road through the canyon. Follow the road past the park entrance gate, past Eldorado Springs pool, and thru the town of Eldorado Springs. Upone leaving the town (heading east) the road will turn into asphalt. Continue on this road for another 1 mile until you complete the loop and end up back at the Dowdy Draw Trailhead.
The Dowdy Draw trailhead is on Eldorado Springs Drive (State Road 170) directly accross from the Mesa South Trailhead.
Comments
sean said ...
For a slightly shorter run (.75 miles shorter), there will be a small single track trail the forks off to the right about 50 yards before you get to the "Welcome to Eldorado Canyon State Park/Fowler Trail sign. This narrow trail goes downhill behind some of the houses in Eldorado Springs and will dump you out on Eldorado Springs Drive right at the stone entrance to town. From here take the paved road for a mile back to your car.
biggest_toes said ...
This stretch is now a bit overgrown and slow going - takes a long time to get to the hill climb. You will cross the stream, come to a pond, cross again, then start the rude climb up the hill. If you like science projects, check out the giant siphon at the top.
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