JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A new multi-use trail carrying "prehistoric and historic significance" opened on South Table Mountain in Jefferson County this week, Jeffco Parks & Open Space (JCPOS) announced.
The 1.5-mile T. Rex Tooth Trail now links Fossil Trail, Old Quarry Trail and Basalt Cap Loop, the county said.
The soft surface trail connects the trails to complete a three-mile scenic loop that is "packed with prehistoric and historic significance," JCPOS said.
It will bring hikers, runners, bicyclists and equestrians past the Colorado Amphitheater, which is made of natural stone and was constructed in 1935 to serve Camp George West of the Colorado National Guard. The amphitheater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 90s, and you can read about its history and see photos of its use in the 1930s here.
The name of the trail is a nod to the Tyrannosaurus rex tooth discovered on the southwest side of South Table Mountain in 1874. It was the first one found in North America, JCPOS said.
Construction of this trail began in the fall of 2025.
Denver7 covered this announcement back in September, when JCPOS announced that it would build this new trail. That report is below.
The project was initially shared with the public in 2021 and, following a public hearing and comment period, was approved by the Planning Commission in June 2024.
T. Rex Tooth Trail's eastern section is owned by the state. The rest of it flows through property owned by the U.S. Department of Energy, as it passes near the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the State of Colorado, which owns the Colorado State Patrol Training Track on top of South Table Mountain. Both of these are private facilities. Jefferson County has easements for the two sections owned by the state and Department of Energy so the public can use the trail.
Jefferson County Commissioners Lesley Dahlkemper, Andy Kerr, and Rachel Zenzinger attended the ribbon-cutting celebration on Tuesday.
