Staunton State Park southwest of the Denver metro area is a place with a wide range of trails, offering adventures for hikers, cyclists, climbers, anglers, history buffs and even people with disabilities who use the park’s track chairs.
The older trails in the park take visitors to Davis Ponds, overlooks, Elk Creek Pond, Elk Creek Falls, the Lion’s Head formation, and even historic cabins and an old mill.
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The newest trails in the park — North Elk Creek and Rusty Buckle — take visitors into the nearby Pike National Forest.
The shortest way to reach the newer trails is by parking at the upper parking lot: the Lazy V.
There’s one trail from the parking lot and it takes you into the heart of the park.
From here, take the Staunton Ranch Trail to the North Elk Creek Trail. While the Staunton Ranch Trail can get lots of traffic, North Elk Creek is a quiet trail in the forest. You may occasionally see cyclists, but the trail has always been peaceful and quiet when I’ve hiked here. However, it’s not easy. There is about 800 feet of gain in this first section.
About 2.8 miles from the trailhead, you’ll come to a trail split at a nice rock formation. Here, cyclists can continue into the Pike National Forest. However, hikers should turn on the Rusty Buckle Trail.
You might think you have done all the climbing, but you are not done yet. While 300 feet of gain over the next three miles may not sound like much, our group was surprised at how much uphill was in this next section.
The Rusty Buckle Trail is similar to the North Elk Trail. The trail winds through a thick forest. There are occasional views, but this is really a hike about enjoying the trees.
At the end of the Rusty Buckle Trail, you’ll come to the Border Line Trail. Turn right to get back to the Staunton Ranch Trail to finish the loop and hike back to the parking lot. Or turn left to hike up to the old mill remnants.
The Staunton Ranch Trail has fewer trees and more views. Look for climbers on the rock walls. Watch for deer along the trail.
The loop of Staunton Ranch-North Elk-Rusty Buckle-Border Line-Staunton Ranch is about 7.8 miles with 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
NOTE: The North Elk Trail is closed March 1 to June 15 each year for wildlife and to reduce impacts during the spring season.
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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