Multi-Hued Hoodoos

January 26, 2020

The Paint Mines

Austin recently found this unique hike southeast of Denver called The Paint Mines. About an hour and a half car ride will put you in a very unassuming mini-canyon in the middle of farmland, where these colorful hoodoos shoot up from the ground in shades of pink, yellow, orange, and tan. The "hiking trail" is more of a wandering, mostly flat path that snakes in-between, around, through, and on top of these rock formations. It makes for a very interesting environment as the area is wetlands, badlands, and prairie lands simultaneously.

Caverns at the Mines

Path into the Hoodoos

View through the Canyon

We spent about two hours here, though we didn't go through it all. I would recommend leaving a little bit more time to enjoy it all, and walk the path that goes towards the windmills (we didn't get over there). We also think that the light would be fantastic in the morning, with sunrise bathing it in warm light and casting drastic shadows. Near sunset is when we went and it was pretty good, but a lot of it was already in the shade. You would also have it more to yourself if you went early enough; there were a larger number of people here than we expected, though it was a nice day for January. There were some patches of ice, but it was easy to avoid; we could see that it could get icy recently after a storm so plan your trip wisely if you head over there. Overall it was a sweet hike and we would totally go again and recommend it to anyone!

Textures in the Clay