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DIRECTIONS: From I-25 in Castle Rock, take Exit 181 for Plum Creek Parkway and head west for 3/4 of a mile to the park entrance on the left.
Philip S. Miller park has a lot to offer. If you have kids, this park will be your best friend. If you are looking for miles and miles of hiking trails in the vicinity of Castle Rock, then you'll also be pleasantly surprised. The main attraction is the incline, a miniature version of the Manitou Incline with 200 steps rising about 200 ft to the top of a hill with great views of the Front Range mountains and the surrounding terrain. The incline is labeled as an "extreme obstacle" on the trailhead sign, but it's not too difficult. It get's steeper as you go but must people walk/run up and down it multiple times for their workout. That being said, you are gaining 200 ft of elevation in .1 mi, steeper than your typical hiking trail.
At the top of the incline, a natural surface hiking trail (the Blue Loop) continues along the ridge and begins to gently descend the south and west slopes of Challenger Hill. The hike down is easy, well graded, and has great views south to Pike's Peak. Once you reach the bottom, the trail splits leading back to the base of the incline, or south to access the other hiking loops in the park. The park has an additional 10 miles of trails making up the Red, Green, Gold, and Purple Loops. For the kids, the ropes course, the awesome playground, and the zip-lines will add to their experience making the hiking part...tolerable... All-in-in, this is a great community park and I look forward to exploring the longer trail loops...as the kids get older... |
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