Having lived in Colorado for over 40 years, I was surprised to recently have learned of the Paint Mines Interpretive Park outside Calhan, Colorado. My wife, a native Coloradan, was just as ignorant of the place as I.
My peculiar mind envisioned a site hosted by Valspar or Sherwin-Williams, where, you know, they mined paint… The image of poor, downtrodden workers ladling various shades of paint from holes filled with bubbling, multihued liquids into cans, which are then labeled and shipped to home improvement outlets across the country, percolated through my brain.
Let me assure you, the site has nothing to do with the giant paint industrial complex, though Native Americans (not my wife) visited to gather pigments for their pottery and artwork in their day. This geological marvel was created by thousands of years of erosion, exposing layers of shale and clay, heavily stained by iron oxide, supporting white caprocks.
There are four miles of trails meandering across the 750 acres of open prairie, so wear your walking shoes. The main lot is just short of a mile walk to the ravine that holds the geographic marvels that are the paint mines. You can park in the south lot further down the gravel road for closer access.
There are four miles of trails meandering across the 750 acres of open prairie, so wear your walking shoes. The main lot is just short of a mile walk to the ravine that holds the geographic marvels that are the paint mines. You can park in the south lot further down the gravel road for closer access.
There are four miles of trails meandering across the 750 acres of open prairie, so wear your walking shoes. The main lot is just short of a mile walk to the ravine that holds the geographic marvels that are the paint mines. You can park in the south lot further down the gravel road for closer access.
It is best to make the trek to the bottom of the ravine to immerse yourself in the visual splendor of the park but if you can’t make the hike you can get a decent view from your vehicle along the road south of the ravine.
If you choose the former, you will find yourself amidst hoodoos towering over you on all sides. Don’t be alarmed, a hoodoo is not a prehistoric bird ready to pluck you up for its supper, it is a strangely magical pillar of rock created by natural erosion.
It is also fun to say.
As you make your way through the labyrinthine rock formations, you are surrounded by hues of fuchsia and rose, amber and saffron, alabaster and ivory, creating the feeling of visiting another planet. Personally, I would not have been surprised to spy Jawas skulking in the myriad crevices.
Colorado, being filled with so many well known and wonderous sites, I’m not astonished that there are wonders that exist outside of common knowledge, but The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is definitely a hidden majesty in a state full of wonderous vistas. It makes for a great day trip from the Denver metro area.