JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — South Table Mountain in Golden is getting a new multi-use trail that will create a three-mile loop on the mesa.
Jefferson County Parks and Open Space said the 1.5 miles of new, soft trail will connect Fossil Trail, Old Quarry Trail and Basalt Cap Loop.
The new route will be called T-Rex Tooth Trail.
It will pass by 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 trail will be open to all visitors, including hikers, cyclists and equestrians.
Construction is set to start this fall and it is expected to open in the spring of 2026, Jefferson County Parks and Open Space said.
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.
The name of the trail is likely a nod the Tyrannosaurus rex tooth discovered on the southwest side of South Table Mountain in 1874.
Anybody with questions about this project is invited to email STM@jeffco.us.
