5 Hikes that are Perfect for Colorado History Buffs
Many reminders of Colorado s historical past still exist. From former forts and mining cabins to log homesteads and cliff dwellings, traces of earlier times are all around. Sometimes they are easy to spot, and other times, you just have to search a little deeper to find them.
These five hikes are perfect for anyone interested in Colorado history. Although they are all different, the trails all lead to a piece of the Centennial State s past.
1.) 100+-Year-Old Estes Park Ghost Town (former homesteads)
Kelsey Nistel/TSM
Accessed via Hermit Park, the Homestead Meadows hike in Estes Park gives a glimpse as to how people used to live in northern Colorado. The area includes 8 well-preserved homesteads, several of which still have century-old items inside. The cabins were established between 1889 and 1923, and built by a group of men and women who agreed to help improve the land by living there. Read more about the hike here.
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The Best Day Trips to Take From Denver This Summer
There are 27 weekend days this summer. Here s what to do during each one of them. Nicholas Hunt •
If you’re like us, there’s only one thing on your mind after the winter we’ve had: Get. Me. Out. Of. This. House. Which is why we’ve rounded up 27 of the Front Range foothills’ best escapes, one for every weekend day this summer plus a few experts to help guide you through new adventures.
1. Kent Mountain Adventure Center’s Via Ferrata | Estes Park
Rock climbing can be as scary as it is thrilling unless you’re tackling Kent Mountain Adventure Center’s (KMAC) two-year-old via ferrata in Estes Park. Italian for “iron path,” this style of mountaineering allows almost anyone to ascend sheer cliffs along metal ladders sunk into the stone while clipped onto safety wires.
>Jim Naron demonstrates how to handle Zero the goat before a therapeutic hike with a tribe of Nigerian Dwarf goats at Mount Falcon on Feb. 3, 2021. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
Mary grew up as an orphan. The rest of her family was eaten by a mountain lion when she was young, so she was prone to antisocial behavior when she moved into her new home.
Mary is a Nigerian dwarf goat, but goats have feelings, too. And her family history gives her something in common with human trauma victims hoping to find healing through animal therapy, which is her job now.