Douglas County calls Sandstone Ranch Open Space the crown jewel of its open space properties. It's a working ranch with wildlife, red rock formations and 7.7 miles of hiking trails.
There are three loops to choose from: Gambel Oak Loop (0.8 miles), Juniper Valley Loop (3.2 miles) and Sandstone Meadow Trail Loop (3.7 miles). We decided to do the Meadow Loop Trail counterclockwise.
As you hike, you may see cattle grazing. A sign explains that up to 330 cows may graze between May and September, but only for about two weeks in each section. The goal is to help restore the rangelands.
The trail is only wide enough for one to two people as it winds through the prairie grasses. You'll pass through red rock formations and near some barns.
Imagine arriving here in the 1800s. A sign explains people were "welcome to rest and have a meal at Elizabeth Robinson's place up the road."
You may notice a small reservoir down the hill that was created in the 1860s to irrigate crops.
About 1.5 miles along the loop, you'll come to the turnoff for the ranch overlook. If someone in your group doesn't want to hike to the overlook, they can continue on the main trail for about a tenth of a mile and wait on a nice bench.
For those hiking to the overlook, you'll walk through ranchland before coming to more red rock formations and the overlook of the ranch buildings. There are several barns below and if you look closely around the overlook area, you may spot a grave with one name on the sign — Shane. There are two signs at the overlook, but both were blank.
Back at the main trail, it's a half mile to the turn off for Sunset Ridge. I recommend taking the cutoff. It shaves off about 0.6 miles in an area of the loop that is not as scenic as the beginning of the trail.
When the cutoff returns to the main trail, it's about 0.8 miles back to the trailhead.
DISTANCE: The entire loop with the ranch overlook is about 4.7 miles with just 250 feet of elevation gain. It's shorter if you take the cutoff and even shorter if you skip the ranch overlook, but I thought the overlook was worth the distance.
Learn more about the park and get directions on Douglas County's website.
If you have any questions, or hike suggestions, email me at HikingDebbie@gmail.com and find more great hikes by following me on Facebook at Facebook.com/DenverHikingExaminer.
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