Summer Solstice Hike at the Paint Mines

Learning about a place often leads to a greater appreciation and a deeper connection to that place, which is why we reached out to El Paso County Parks to organize a guided hike of the marvelous Paint Mines Interpretative Park, a property protected by Palmer Land Conservancy since 2001.

The Paint Mines Interpretive Park near Calhan is a landscape shaped by time and the elements, where the land reveals its ancient secrets in layers of colored earth. Stepping into this geological wonder, one is struck by the surreal beauty of the hoodoos and spires that rise like abstract sculptures from the surrounding short grass prairie, their vibrant hues of yellow, red, and purple stark against the sky. These formations, sculpted by erosion over millions of years, evoke a sense of timelessness, whispering the stories of ancient peoples who gathered pigments from these very rocks.

Two expert interpretative park staff greeted the eager Palmer group at the trailhead as the end of a passing storm whipped the prairie grasses in rhythmic waves, and sporadic winds scattered light rain over the vast grasslands. Luckily, as the introductions began, the storm dissipated as everyone congregated at the beginning of the trail. 

As the park staff led the group to the icon geologic wonders, they helped identify various native and non-native plants and provided intriguing details about the historical and ecological significance of various plants growing within feet of the trail.  

As the group approached the entrance to the mudstone formations, the interpreters led the participants back in time along an imagined timeline. With each few steps, they painted a picture of how the Indigenous tribes lived, visited, and hunted around the rock formations. Displays of arrowheads, petrified wood, and fossils were circulated among the hikers while we meandered along the main trail through the center of the ravine with sculpted mudstone formations on both sides. The land here seems alive, each twist and turn revealing new vistas, from the sweeping prairie above to the intimate, sheltered alcoves below.

The colors of the earth shift with the light, transforming from the soft pastels in the shadows to the fiery brilliance of sun on the longest day of the year. It is a place that invites contemplation and awe, a reminder of the enduring beauty and mystery of the natural world.

Would you like to join us on a future guided hike and other special events? Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of upcoming Palmer events.