Directions:

From Hwy 24 in Woodland Park, CO, head north on South Baldwin Street which quickly becomes County Road 22 or Rampart Range Road. Just past the Woodland Park Ranger Station is the Lovell Gulch Trailhead on the left with a large parking area.

Hike Description:

Lovell Gulch is a classic Southern Front Range hike and has a lot to offer from views of Pikes Peak to aspen groves for fall colors. If you hike the Lovell Gulch loop clockwise, then the hike will have two distinct parts, first the high road, then the low road.  

For the first ¾ of a mile, the trail winds through sparse pine forest with aspen trees and groves mixed in. The trail gains about 200 ft in elevation before you reach the actual loop. If you turn left at the loop and follow it clockwise, then you gain about another 300 ft in a bit more than half a mile up to a saddle with good views of Pikes Peak. From the saddle, the trail stays up high in the pine and aspen forest for the next 1 ½ miles and 500 feet of elevation gain.  This segment of the trail has some wide open areas with nice views, follows some power lines for a little while, and eventually reaches the upper trailhead.  

From the upper trailhead, the hike shifts into a descent down through a narrow, rocky gulch, teeming with aspen groves. There is some easy scrambling on large boulders and running water from the small creek that weaves through the forest. This part of the hike is a lot of fun and more intimate than the high road. In the fall, this segment should be spectacular!  The gulch opens up a bit as you approach the end of the loop and the short trail back to the trailhead. 

This trail is really meant to be hiked in the fall, but it’s got a little something for all seasons. It’s easy to see why this trail is so popular and generally considered one of the best hikes in the Woodland Park area.