Caribou Ranch
Activity: HikeDifficulty: Easy/Moderate
Distance: about 3 miles
Location: Nederland, CO
Description:
On a random Facebook recomendation of where to take kids to see the fall colors, we stumbled across Caribou Ranch. The trail is an easy lollypop route that begins in a forest and traverses on an old railroad bed. The trail is easy to navigate and fairly wide. Maps are available at the information sign near the parking area. There are also restrooms near the parking lot.
When you get the the clearing to view the homestead and barn you can choose to hike down to the barn or continue on and hike up to the old mine. We hiked to the barn and found a spot for our picnic. The only picnic table was occupied so we found a rock to sit on. This is about halfway, 1.2 miles, and you could turn back to go the parking lot or continue on the loop to hike just a little further total distance back, 1.8 miles. This route will take you past the old mine and through the forest. It does offer views from the ridge down into the barn's meadow. Pay attention to the trail, as this was the only place we wished we had grabbed a map at the begining of the hike.
You will end up back on the railroad bed and then intersect with the trail the heads towards the barn again. Now it was just a short hike back to the car on the trail we started out on. Our 3 year old hiked most of this 3 mile trail by himself. There were a few occassions when he rode in the carrier, mostly on the rocky, uphill, forest trail. And the fall foliage; excellent!
We drove in to Nederland to eat some ice cream and donuts at The Train Cars. Yummy, but slightly overpriced.
