Directions: 

From Denver take I-70 West to Hwy 58 West.  At the traffic light at the junction of 58 and 93 stay straight and head west on Hwy 6 into Clear Creek Canyon.  Very quickly you will see the Clear Creek Canyon Park sign and the Gateway Trailhead parking area on the left. Alternatively, you can park in Golden and take the Clear Creek Trail under Hwy 6 to Grant Terry Park.

Hike Description:

The Welch Ditch Trail is newly revamped and a must-do hike on the edge of the Denver Metro Area. This hike combines a historical landmark and the natural wonder of Clear Creek Canyon to pack a whole lot of scenery into a short hike. The newly built Peaks to Plains Trail will eventually run all through Clear Creek Canyon and this segment makes for a nice loop hike.

From the Gateway Trailhead, head down the staircase to pick up the Clear Creek Trail or the Grant Terry Trail. Either trail heads west into the mouth of the canyon to the footbridge that crosses Clear Creek. This section is lined with Cottonwood Trail and makes for a wonderful fall colors hiking spot in October. The footbridge takes you to the Welch Ditch Trail which climbs up the southern canyon wall for just a few minutes before flattening out and clinging to the side of the canyon.  With steep canyon walls on the left and canyon views on the right, this is a really fun part of the trail. 

This next part of the trail is relatively flat and follows the canyon for more than half a mile. From time to time, the trail follows the historic wooden water flume, which used to supply Golden and Denver with drinking water. Interpretive signs along the way tell you a little bit of the history. Although reconstructed, the old wood timbers are fun to hike on. The views up the canyon are wonderful and the views back towards Golden and South Table Mountain's Castle Rock are also terrific, especially in late October when Clear Creek is lined with fall colors.  

At 0.6 miles Steps can take you down to a bridge and a connection to the Peak to Plains Trail. However, continue on the Welch Ditch Trail as it enters the oxbow curve in Clear Creek for another half mile until you reach a footbridge crossing the creek. The oxbow area is one of the nicest segments of this trail and should not be skipped. The footbridge takes you to the paved Peaks to Plains Trail, turn right and start heading back to the trailhead.  For the return, I recommend following the Peaks the Plains trail. It quickly crosses Clear Creek again and continues all the way back to the first footbridge and up to the Gateway Trailhead. 

If you are looking for a quick hike, close to Denver or Golden, and packed with canyon scenery and rushing water, then don’t sleep on the Welch Ditch Trail.