Paint Mines Interpretive Park Ultimate Hiker's Guide

One of the most unique places we have visited in Colorado is the Paint Mines Interpretive Park.

This geological wonder of sandstone hoodoos makes for a truly surreal experience. The “mines” are named for the colorful clays that eroded over millions of years to form tower-like hoodoos.

Emily hiking through the colorful sandstone-capped spires in the Paint Mines.

At just under 2 hours from Denver and 45 minutes from Colorado Springs, it makes a perfect day trip.

If you have the whole day, you can spend hours hiking the entire loop throughout the park’s rock formations and surrounding prairie ecosystem. Or if you only have a few hours, just head straight to the rock formations to explore.

Always remember to practice Leave No Trace Principles when visiting a delicate and precious natural resource like the Paint Mines. That includes packing out all trash, and not climbing on rock formations. This ensures that this fragile environment is preserved for future generations.

How to Get To Paint Mines Interpretive Park

The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is located in the town of Calhan, Colorado in El Paso County. The park is just off Highway 24 in the state’s eastern plains region.

Take Hwy 24 east from Colorado Springs to Calhan, turn south on Yoder Road/Calhan Highway, turn east on Paint Mine Road, and look for the designated parking area.

Sandstone colored layers of Pink and Orange.

There are three parking lots in the park.

The largest par k ing lot is located at 29950 Paint Mine Rd, Calhan, CO. This is the only place with a bathroom in the entire park.

However, there are two other parking lots that are a little bit closer to the rock formations.

If you don’t have much time, you can park at either of the upper parking lots: Upper Parking 1, or Upper Parking 2. These lots are a little bit closer to the most interesting part of the park. And they bring you to the rim with lookouts over the entire natural amphitheater.

The road turns to a well-maintained dirt road between the 1st and 2nd upper parking lots.

What Is the Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Colorful hoodoos in Paint Mines Interpretive Park.

Hidden in an unsuspecting prairie landscape, the Paint Mines emerge as an enchanting maze of sandstone-capped spires.

The geological formations are colored by oxidized iron compounds. These compounds are responsible for the varying colors throughout the many different layers of clay.

The highly saturated orange, yellow, pink, and purple colors create a stark contrast with the bright white rock. It’s cool to see how the colors vary in the different areas of the park.

Several trails snake through the stunning landscape, allowing visitors to experience the unique geology.

Trails At Paint Mines Interpretive Park

The trails are accessible to all ability levels and you don’t need to do the full 3.4 mile loop to experience the park.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park Trail Map Colorado

The several miles of trails in the park form a pretty interconnected network. So you are able to combine or exclude portions of trails to fit you.

There are several interpretive signs throughout the park to help explain the history, geology, and ecology of the area.

The most impressive area is definitely the southernmost portion of the hike, and that’s where we spent the majority of our time. You can get right down amongst the hoodoos to experience their size.

Emily standing on the rim of the Paint Mines amphitheater.

Or you can visit a couple of the rim overlooks to see the entire natural amphitheater.

Paint Mines Interpretive Trail (Rock Formations Only)

Type: Out-and-Back
Distance: 2.2 miles
Elevation: 80 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Permit: No
Bathroom: Only at main parking lot
Dogs: No
Drones: No

This trail is the best to showcase the most impressive colorful formations in the park.

Paint Mines Trail (Full Park Loop)

Type: Figure-8 Loop
Distance: 3.4 miles
Elevation: 334 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Permit: No
Bathroom: Only at main parking lot
Dogs: No
Drones: No

The grassy prairie, gives way to the Paint Mines badlands.

This trail is the longest in the park. It visits the colorful rock formations but also includes a loop through the prairie grasslands of the park.

Paint Mine Overlook

Type: Out-and-back
Distance: 0.2 miles
Elevation: 16 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Permit: No
Bathroom: Only at main parking lot
Dogs: No
Drones: No

This trail is just an easy walk to the best overlook in the park. You park at the Upper parking lot #1 and from the overlook you can see the entire amphitheater of rock formations.

The Paint Mines Interpretive Park Ecosystem

The park has a mix of prairie, wetlands, and badlands that are home to a diverse ecosystem of plants and animals.

In fact, the park was originally established as a wildlife preserve.

A pink flower in the Paint Mines Interpretive Park.

You can see coyotes, falcons, mountain lions, rabbits, horned lizards, mule deer, weasels, snakes, and many species of birds. Although my guess is that the volume of visitors tends to push the wildlife to the more remote areas of the park.

A rabbit tucked into the rock formations.

But we did see a rabbit right amongst the hoodoos!

Geology and Archeology At Paint Mines

Paint Mines Interpretive Park is home to a variety of geological specimens. Archeologists have found selenite (a glass-like crystalline rock), petrified wood, and more.

Also found among the Paint Mines is evidence of human life from nearly 10,000 years ago! Historical artifacts are very common within the park. Native Americans used petrified wood to make arrowheads and colored clay for paint and pottery.

Hiking through the colorful rock formations in Paint Mines Interpretive Park Colorado.

While you explore, just PLEASE be respectful of this natural wonder. All rocks, minerals, artifacts, plants, and wildlife are protected by law, so don’t take anything home except for photos.

And while it may be tempting to climb around the formations, climbing or scrambling is prohibited. The clay formations are rather delicate and you don’t want to destroy anything. And trails can get muddy and slick when wet, so use caution, especially around gullies.

Don’t forget your camera, because the opportunity for unique photos amongst the colorful rock formations is endless.

And if it’s a hot, sunny day you will want plenty of water and sun protection because the park has almost no shade. And also bring sunglasses because the white clay can be extremely bright, like standing in a field of snow.

Or better yet, find a sunny winter day and you might get to experience the park with a fresh dusting of snow, and likely have the park almost to yourself!

Takeaway

Paint Mine Interpretive Park is such a stunning place to visit.

There’s nothing quite like it, especially east of the Rocky Mountains. It offers a chance to experience spectacular hoodoos and other rock formations. Plus it’s easily accessible to people of all skill levels.