EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — Judging by the traffic, Front Rangers like their weekend mountain getaways.
But, they're missing out if they never head east.
This week's 9Adventure is on the Eastern Plains.
The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is southeast of Calhan in eastern El Paso County, less than a two-hour drive from Denver, or an hour from Colorado Springs.
“It’s something you just don’t expect to see,” Colorado Springs resident Laura Furlong said. “A unique find in the middle of where you would think is nowhere.”
Prized for its colorful clays and rare rock formations, the Paint Mines have attracted artists for centuries.
“Yeah, it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere,” East District Maintenance Supervisor for El Paso County Parks Adam Baker said. “I was born and raised in Colorado Springs – and lived here for 34 years now – and couldn’t believe that something so amazing out here and I had no clue that it even existed for so many years of my life.”
It's a place where today's photographers look for colors that Native Americans used to collect to decorate pottery.
“Archeological studies suggest that the human race has been around – lived near or around – the Paint Mines for about 9,000 years,” Baker said. “Native Americans used to use the Paint Mines – the colors in the clays and the soils to make paints for their pottery. And, they also believe that the Native Americans used it for hunting – chasing game into the draws and feeding the tribe.”
The Paint Mines are also among only a handful of sites across the U.S. where hoodoos are found.
“Hoodoos are very rare,” Baker said. “I think that there are only three or four other places in the United State that you can see this particular rock formation.”
Hoodoos have a tower or spire of softer rock and clay below a large boulder of harder sandstone that sits on top.
The Paint Mines are the only place in Colorado where hoodoos are found.
Perhaps because Colorado has such a wealth of natural beauty, the Paint Mines are relatively unknown along the Front Range.
The Paint Mines are considered significant in the prehistory of the area, and the park is listed as an Archaeological District in the National Register of Historic Places.
“So, you are not allowed to remove any soil, plants, vegetation, animals – anything of that nature,” Baker said. “It is against the law due to its archaeological designation.”
Dogs, horses, and bicycles are prohibited in the park and along its nearly five miles of trails.
“Just because of the increased erosion it’ll cause,” Baker said. “If we have horses in here, their hooves are a little harder. Dogs tend to scratch when they start climbing around … and we really don’t want bicycles in here. It’s tough for mountain bikers to stay on a solid trail. We don’t want anybody jumping off the rocks or anything along those lines.”
The park is becoming more popular, especially among people looking for locations for special occasions, from wedding and engagement photo shoots to senior pictures.
“People see that on social media and want to know where that’s at,” Baker said. “We have several regulars that come out – two, three times a week – just to come take pictures at Paint Mines.”
The colors are a major draw.
Primarily, there are three main colors: a purplish-red, an orangish-yellow, and white – with different shades in different areas.
Sunrise and sunset are often ideal times to visit the park.
“If you want to get the full view of the colors and the different shades, I’d say early in the morning’s are a great time to come and late in the evening’s are a great time to come,” Baker said. “And if you don’t mind the cold weather, come on out after a fresh snow – it’s absolutely gorgeous.”
And there's more to see.
El Paso County has plans to open Paint Mines West within five years.
They'll need to build more trails.
Where should we go next?To suggest a 9Adventure, email Desk@9News.com.
Or, use the hashtag #9Adventures.
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