Return to THE TRAILS OF ROXBOROUGH
This moderate to strenuous hike begins a little more than ½ mile from the Visitor Center and climbs nearly 1000 feet over approximately 3.25 miles to the top of Carpenter Peak with 50 mile views. About a 6.5 mile RDTP. Be Prepared!
(Carpenter Peak and Elk Valley Trails are UNMARKED to preserve their original conditions)
CP1: Begin the trail. The dirt road at this point is Douglas County Road 5 and is primarily a fire evacuation route for the Roxborough Park neighborhood. It has been a thoroughfare in the area for over 100 years with some of the early homesteaders of the area using the road to reach their homes. One of the early landowners to the north had land on both sides of the road and at times would try to charge those landowners to the south $0.25 as a toll. Follow the sign and your coordinate of 150o to begin the trail.
CP2: The Thinking Bench. A great place for a final breather before you start up the mountain. You’re looking down on the Sundance Ranch at 85o the original home of Henry Persse’s son Horace. More on this ranch as you finish your hike.
CP3: The Third switchback. You should be at the third switchback in the trail. Why do trail builders build switchbacks into trails that climb or descend slopes? Switchbacks make it easier to climb up a slope by lessening the angle and avoiding having to go straight up the slope. In addition, switchbacks in trails help minimize erosion and stabilize the trail. Imagine trying to go straight up the slope above you. You would get tired in a hurry.
In the warm months of the year, you may encounter rattlesnakes which can hide in the dense vegetation on either side of the trail. Often, you may not know they are there until they give their famous rattle of their tail. Rattlesnakes can typically sense your presence when you are a good distance away through the vibrations you cause as you hike. However, at times, they may not be able to or want to move out of the way. Hence, their warning for you to let you know they are there. They typically won’t strike unless further provoked, but will strike if they feel threatened. Always remember to poke an area of grass or dense vegetation with a stick or hiking pole before reaching down where a snake could be present. Keep your distance- a 4 foot long Prairie Rattler can strike nearly 2 feet out!
CP4/EV1: The Junction of the Carpenter Peak and Elk Valley Trails. This is a Douglas Fir/Ponderosa Pine mixed community of a Montane Forest ecosystem. Notice the tall, dense stand of evergreen trees that grow here. This is a mixed community dominated primarily by the Douglas Fir trees. Typically found within Roxborough on the steep north and east-facing slopes which are cooler, more moist, and favored by the Douglas Firs. The dense forested areas of the parks are favored by owls, cooper’s hawks, pine siskins, and in the summertime; the elusive oven bird which has a big voice, but small stature.
CP5: The Bench beyond the junction. This is a good point to rest and get your bearings. Carpenter Peak lies to your North northwest at a bearing of 320o You are on land that was once owned by Joseph Benn, a hardworking homesteader who came to the Roxborough area in the early 1920’s. He farmed the land here, while also working at the brick factory that stood just outside the park entrance. Joseph was known to have a secret place in the red rocks below you, where he would find depressions filled with water and take his baths. His son, Marshall, freely roamed these hills, peaks and prairies as he hunted and explored.
CP6: Carpenter Peak Summit. Enjoy the view here. You are standing on Carpenter Peak which is 7,160 feet in elevation. It is made up of primarily Pikes Peak granite and a bit of Idaho Springs gneiss. Granite is an igneous rock while gneiss is metamorphic. This is a good point to practice your compass bearing finding skills. Find the following landmarks clearly visible from Carpenter Peak’s summit, from the west end of the top of the rocks:
Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park is at 330o
Downtown Denver at 22o
Chatfield Reservoir at 16o
Turks Head above the west end of Waterton Canyon at 282o
Cathedral Spires in the Pike National Forest at 262o
Wildcat Mountain at 116o
It is not clear for whom the 7,160 foot tall Carpenter Peak was named. There was a William Carpenter on the 1872 Hayden Expedition, which was here completing the public survey of the area. There was also Julius Carpenter who homesteaded at the base of this peak in 1889. Past research has not been able to resolve this issue, but research is on-going. It may just remain a mystery. Enjoy!
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