Hiking in Colorado: Eleven Mile Canyon’s Overlook Trail

I love Colorado Springs, but I won’t lie…sometimes I get bored of the same’ ol hiking areas that I’ve hiked a thousand times before. (*gasp*) I’m glad I got that off my chest!

Don’t get me wrong, Colorado Springs has some really nice hiking areas! I mean come on, Garden of the Gods? North Cheyenne Canon?? Red Rock Open Space??? All classics in the Colorado Springs area. Even though they offer nice trails that are close to town, sometimes a girl’s just gotta get herself up into the mountains and find some adventure!  One of the things I have recently gotten to cross off of my “Colorado Spring’s Adventure List” was Eleven Mile Canyon.

I’d heard of Eleven Mile Canyon/Eleven Mile State Park, but I had only ever driven by the Reservoir in all my time here!  My husband and I finally made our way through Eleven Mile Canyon not too long ago, and it was such a treat! The road through the Canyon follows the River the entire way and ultimately dead ends into the Eleven Mile Reservoir Dam/Eleven Mile State Park!  It’s a truly beautiful drive and you get to pass through three tunnels, which I find to be one of the highlights of the Canyon!

I wasn’t expecting for there to be hiking trails through the Canyon, especially since most of the visitors seemed to be there for fishing! You can imagine my delight when I saw the sign pictured below towards the end of the road through Eleven Mile Canyon!

Half a mile? That’s it?? Child’s Play! Fortunately, I always leave the house packing my sweet baby carrier and a jacket for my little Colorado Magpie, so there was nothing holding me back from hiking the Overlook Trail – which happens to be the only hiking trail in Eleven Mile Canyon!

Directions: (from Colorado Springs) Take HWY-24 heading west into the mountains.  You will follow this past Woodland Park, Divide, and Florissant all the way into Lake George.  Take a left at Co Rd 96, which will be clearly marked with signs for Eleven Mile Canyon.  The road forks to the right a couple of miles from the main road with signs for Eleven Mile Canyon, so make sure you are watching to stay right on CO 96.  From there just follow the road through the Canyon.

Restrooms: Yes

Distance: 1-mile round trip

Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult due to the steady, steep incline

Pets OK: Yes, on a leash (even in the campgrounds)

Crowds: Moderate to heavy depending on the time of year

Fees/Permits: $7 per vehicle for a day pass, $12 for bus/van day pass. (Check out the official website for up to date prices as they are subject to change)

Tips:

• Bring supplies and food for a picnic while you are in the area!! There are multiple camping sites and picnic areas throughout the canyon.
• Eleven Mile Canyon is usually accessible year round, but inclement weather can cause closures, so check before you go if it’s during the winter or early spring.
• There is parking across from the trailhead, but during summer months this lot is usually filled with people who are fishing.  If you don’t mind adding length to your hike you could park close to the Dam.
• Follow the rock cairns to keep you on the correct path.  There are some questionable areas without cairns.
• This is a steep and rugged trail.  You really need to be wearing proper footwear and watch your footing in the winter months.  There was still snow and ice on the trail when I went in March.
• We hiked to the top with our 16-month-old in a carrier, and it was pretty doable for us.  I think older kids would be OK on this trail, but toddlers who are not in a carrier would concern me.
• As always in Colorado, be aware of your surroundings for wildlife!!!
• Bring lots of water if you aren’t used to the altitude.  The hike is short but if you’re not from here it will be difficult.
• Make sure you have sunscreen and a hat during the summer.  The sun is very direct at this altitude.

The trail starts and ends and everything in between with a steady incline! Luckily it’s only a 0.5 mile to the top, so take your time and catch your breath when you need to! Also, be thankful you don’t have a 20 pound 1-year-old strapped to your chest!

It’s hard to see my husband in the above picture because he conveniently blends into the surroundings. I liked this picture because 1) it shows you how the trail sometimes blends into the surrounding rocks and 2) it shows you how steep it is!

Loved finding this stone stairway through the arch created by a fallen rock! The above picture is actually where the worst of the incline ends, in my opinion.

Soon after the above picture, the views begin to open up and you are close to the top!

Of course, (story of my life alert) I wish I could have seen this trail and the Canyon when everything was in full Fall Colors Mode last September! Maybe this next fall. This hike was passable when we visited in March, but the shady areas did still have a fair amount of snow and some ice so be wary you crazy winter hikers!

As always in Colorado, layers are a good idea – even in March! With my hat on the jacket was a little much.

End of the trail.

The boulders at the end of the trail are easy to ascend for great 360 views!

For those of you who didn’t grow up in a place where it snows (ahem, me…) the snow in the above picture is actually Eleven Mile Reservoir/State Park.  You can also see the dam in the above pic, which is where the road through Eleven Mile Canyon ends.

For being only half a mile long, the payoff was pretty good!

I gotta say, I loved finding my beanie that had a hole for my ponytail! It came in handy more than once this winter.

The last couple of pictures are from our descent.  Again, if you are hiking while there is still snow on the ground be careful with your footing!

Eleven Mile Canyon is truly a gem in the Colorado Spring’s area, and the Overlook trail is the icing on the cake! I hope y’all make time for the trail if you find yourselves in Eleven Mile Canyon!

As always, don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Until next time!