Hike, Climb, or Bike Red Rock Open Space

Red Rock Canyon Open Space was made public in the early 00's after years of use as a quarry and landfill. Some of the stone quarried from the area have even been used in some of the downtown buildings.

Getting there is straightforward, heading West on 24 there is an obvious turn off left between 31st street and Manitou Springs. From the entrance of the park, you can turn right to a small parking lot, or go left to two more lots. The large lot in the middle is closest to the dog parks and the lot on the far end is the closest to the climbing. There are also many parking areas surrounding the trails if you are looking to explore the farther reaches of the park without walking too far.

There are open trails with dog parks on the north side of the park and wooded trails on the more southwestern portion of the park. On the east side, you can explore the old quarry with steps cut throughout the soft, red rock. There are trails wide enough for a truck as well as single track so you can really choose your own difficulty based off of the available maps at the trailheads.

For biking, one can use most of the same trails as the hikers. There is also a bike park to the east of the main parking lot.

Climbing is also an option, but it is restricted to only the predeveloped areas on the eastern portion of the park. These climbs are mostly sport climbs, but you can find a few top ropes and mixed routes throughout. There are close to 100 routes in the area.