Red Rocks Park

Name: Red Rocks Park
Rating: 9.6

Panorama from the Red Rocks Park hike in Denver, Colorado

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Hike around, over and through the beautiful sandstone red rocks that make up the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater and if you’re lucky, stay for a concert in one of the most amazing venues in Colorado! We can’t think of a better way to finish a day of walking Denver’s many trails.

Route Description for Red Rocks Park

Red Rocks Park has amazing views and excellent hiking trails. It is also home to one of the best music venues in the world, the Red Rocks Amphitheater. To get a quick dose of this park, hike the Trading Post Trail and then go explore inside the amphitheater when it’s not in use.

This 2.4 km hike is a loop around the park and can be done in either direction. For the sake of this description, travel clockwise.

Start just to the south of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame building. You’ll see the trailhead signs and start down a small flight of stairs. As you begin, you’ll see out over Bear Creek State park and the Soda Lakes. There are a ton of sandstone red rock formations boarding the whole hike.

You’ll descend for the first 0.4 km, often times hiking on the rock itself before it turns into a dirt trail. The trail is well marked and it winds and curves around the big red rocks, encircling the largest of the rocks. You’ll cross over the street two times, but the trail is easy to see on the other side. As you make your way back to the trailhead, you’ll ascend in elevation, toward the amphitheater and ending at the north side of the building you started at. Take the time to enjoy the views, flowers, birds and sometimes the occasional lizard.

Check out some other great hikes around Denver:

Insider Hints for Red Rocks Park

Check the red rocks concert schedule. If you get a chance, see a show while you’re in the area – it’s worth it!
If there is not an event going on, you can walk into the amphitheater. Locals often take their workouts here, literally using risers and stairs.
On your way out of town, stop for a bite to eat at one of the many diners or restaurants in Morrison.

Getting to the Red Rocks Park Trailhead

From Denver, take I-70 west. Take exit 259/Morrison (County Road 93). Make a left, head south under the highway for 8.0 km. Take a right on Red Rock Park Rd (The street sign is hard to see, but this is Entrance #2) and follow it past the box office. Make a right at the stop sign, on Trading Post Road. You can park at the Colorado Music Hall of Fame (aka the Trading Post) or along the road. The trail entrance is just to the south of the building.