Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop is a 6.7-mile loop trail located near Morrison, Colorado that offers the chance to see wildlife, castle ruins, lookout towers, abandoned plans for a summer white house, and great views of Denver. The trail offers a number of activity options and is open all year (weather permitting). The trailhead is nestled in the small community called Morrison in the foothills just about 30 minutes from Denver.
Map of the Area
Mount Falcon features several trails. By combining a few, you can create a 2-3 miles loop and take in several historic sites as well as breathtaking views of Denver, Red Rocks, and the Front Range. This makes it one of the best hikes close to Denver. The trailhead is located in Morrison, about 30 miles from Denver.
Hike Trail
Because it is a relatively easy hike and has a flat and wide trail, this trail is perfect for hikers of any skill level, even beginners. If hiking with kids, be sure to access it via the West Trailhead as it has fewer inclines and more easily traversed. A typical hike will take approximately 1.5 – 2 hours.
The easiest is the Turkey Trot (1.7 miles), while the Castle Trail (3.0 miles round trip) gains an elevation of 2,000 feet and is the toughest. We opted for Castle Trail and of course, we detoured off to see Walker’s Dream, as well. Together, these treks provided panoramic views of snowy peaks, the Denver cityscape, the vibrant Red Rocks Park, the Colorado Front Range and all the way out to Mount Evans. Be sure to download the trail map before you go as the signal can be spotty while on the trail.
History
We traversed switchbacks that wound around the mountain, which kept things interesting in terms of scenery and ambiance, changing quite a few times. While I wouldn’t call the trail easy, it’s certainly doable for anyone in reasonable shape. One of the best parts of the trail is the history, and the ruins along the trail. These are what’s left of the early 1900s craftsman-style chalet of family and businessman, John Brisben Walker.
The story of Mount Falcon is largely the story of John Brisben Walker, who once owned 4,000 acres surrounding his castle. The acreage is now an open space area that the public can use for hiking and biking. Mr. Walker was a self-made millionaire (owned Stanley Steamer Co, Cosmopolitan Magazine, etc). Walker built an elaborate stone house (Walker Castle) with eight fireplaces and a 3 story towering turret. It burned in a lightning strike in 1918. Huge and rambling ruins remain still.
The castle itself sits in a beautiful setting with views to both the east, overlooking Denver and the foothills and to the west, looking out at Mt. Evans. Mt. Evans is the nearest 14,000 ft. peak to Denver.
In 1918, Walker started a new venture to build a summer home for the presidents or a Summer White House. He wanted the presidents to stand and feel the great reaches of the earth. Only a wall and cornerstone were laid on this project. If you hike to the very top of the castle trail, you can see the cornerstone and get a feel for the amazing views that Walker envisioned for our country’s leaders.
The Views
If you venture all the way to the top of the trail, you will also be rewarded with a perfect viewing spot and the perfect frame for taking pictures. We happen to reach the summit as the clouds were rolling in, which made for some stunning “above the clouds” photos.
The canyon starts to get really cold as the sun goes down, so definitely plan enough time to get back down the trail before the sun goes behind the mountain. Hope you enjoyed this picturesque and historic hike. Have you gone on a beautiful Colorado hike lately? Please comment and share your adventures below!
It has been a few years since we have gone on a hike in CO. Our next one should be Mount Falcon because it looks beautiful.
Yes, hiking is so good for the soul. Hope you visit Colorado soon.
Hiking is so fun! Great information!
Thanks Lisa. Agreed!
Hiking is amazing in Colorado. Everywhere you look there are areas for hiking. With the kids in tow, we tend to stick to the shorter ones, but this looks like a great hike if we can go sans kids.
Thanks, Kristi. We actually did this hike twice, once with kids, and one sans kids. Our kids are 11 and 13 and they really enjoyed it. I think it was nice to have castle ruins, and other sites along the way to stop and take breaks.
Can’t wait to visit the area in the future!
I hope you can visit soon Shannon. These hikes are good for the soul!
Looks amazing. We’ve been hoping to head to Colorado sometime esp. since some of our friends have moved there. We love hiking and I’ve heard there are many worth doing there. Thanks for posting.
Sure, Diane. I hope you visit again. There are so many beautiful sites in Colorado.
This looks great. My boys would like this. Thanks for sharing. Your photos are great.
Thanks, Heather. Yes, we took the kids on this hike too. They loved it!
My family loves day hikes…adding this one to our list!
So glad KMF. Hope to see you on the trails one day!
It looks like elves could live there. 🙂
Ha ha Jen. Yes, it does. I wish there were elves. That would have made for even more mystical hike.
This looks amazing! I’ve only climbed Mt. Elbert, the highpoint of Colorado, but I would love to add this trail to my wish list for 2019. Thanks!
Thanks, Shirley. I have only recently moved here to Colorado so I haven’t done too many, but I would love to climb Mt. Elbert. I feel like I need to do some more hikes and work my way up to that one.
This looks like a hike I need to go on.
Yes, Marianne. I agree!
Wow, these photos are breathtaking. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Amanda. We had some clouds roll in after we had climbed to the top which made for stunning photos!
Wow. That looks amazing. There’s almost nothing better than hiking into the clouds!
Thanks Clara. There was frost on the ground that day, but not too cold. The clouds rolled in after we were at the top and that was a very special treat.
Beautiful photos! I love hiking, although I do mine in the summer. This gives me a new appreciation for winter hiking!
Thanks Lori. This was probably early February. It was cold that day and there was frost on the ground but no snow. The clouds rolling in were just the bonus.
We’re always looking for new hikes in Colorado. We’ll have to try this one. Is it typically crowded?
Mt Falcon can get crowded on the weekends in the summer. This is one of the reason we decided to just bundle up and go in February. 🙂
This looks so pretty! I don’t see much snow here in Cali, next time I visit my family in Colorado I will have to see if I can stop here too!
Yes Taci, I hope you do get a chance to hike when you visit. It fills the soul!
This looks like the perfect hike for me! And I loved the views!
Thanks Tricia, this was definitely a fun hike. I really enjoyed having a few waypoints along the way for this hike.
I totally want to do this when we head to Colorado in a couple weeks , can’t wait!
Great Hera. I hope you get to hike while you are here. It really does fill the soul and take your breath away at the same time!
I had no idea there were castle ruins in Colorado!! That makes the hike even better!!
Exactly Julie. I search out anything castle-related, so I was thrilled to find this hike.
With thanks! Valuable information!