A great place to start your visit is the Roxborough Park Visitor Center. Whether you’re looking for a quick overview of the Park, a compass or GPS unit to use, literature on the area, a cold drink, a last trip to the restrooms or a new walking stick- you’ve come to the right place!
VC1- ROXBOROUGH STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER: Welcome, you’ve entered Roxborough State Park where over 500 million years in geographical time from the Precambrian to the Cretaceous Periods is represented in the sedimentary rock formations within the park boundaries. There are very few places where the geologic uplift of ancient rock formations is so visible in one location.
On May 15, 1987 Roxborough State Park was opened to the public. The park encompasses more than 3,300 acres and elevation ranges from 5,900 feet to 7,200 feet at the top of Carpenter Peak. The park has been designated as a Colorado State Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark, a National Archaeological District, and as an Important Birding Area.
Over 1 billion years of geology are revealed in dramatic, exposed spires and hogbacks. Look west and see the red sandstone formation in front of you. This is the Fountain Formation, the eroded remains of the ancestral Rocky Mountains that towered above here 542 million years ago.
The Roxborough State Park Visitor center was completed in 1987 upon the opening of the park. It is known as the George O’Malley Visitor Center in honor of the man who was director of the Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation at the time. Mr. O’Malley worked hard to make Roxborough State Park a reality.
In front of the Visitor Center Patio notice the ‘Trash Garden’. This spot begins your opportunity to learn about the Leave No Trace philosophy.
Leave No Trace Principle
Principle: Trash Your Trash and Use Restroom Facilities
Pack it in, pack it out including other people’s trash. Trash is not only unsightly but is dangerous to wildlife which may try to eat it or can get themselves entangled in it. Looking at the trash garden, many types of trash take years to break down and when they do, some leave behind toxic chemicals. Pick up trash left by others if safe to do so. When a bear becomes habituated to human food or trash, for example, they can get too close or even harm humans which often means they will have to be killed by wildlife officers. Use restroom facilities before your start.
Roxborough has dangerous flora and fauna. Bears, mountain lions and rattlesnakes are three very dangerous animals, and you should know what to do if you happen to see one or encounter one on the trail. Check out the signs that describe what to do. Roxborough also has poison ivy, which can cause serious allergic reactions on many people, and poison hemlock that can cause extreme sickness or even death from contact or ingestion. Do you know what those plants look like?
To the north from the Visitor Center is the Fountain Valley Loop Trail. This is an easy to moderate loop of 2.3 miles. The trail winds through several different habitats for plants and animals and ecosystems. Hiking time is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Before hiking the Fountain Valley Trail, notice the main trailhead signs across from the Visitor Center. Notice the stones at the base of the signs and the footprints in those stones. Keep an eye out for these as you hike, and you will know what animals might be around you.
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