Paint Mines

After visiting Pikes Peak, it was time for a change in scenery. From Colorado Springs we drove about 40 minutes out to see the Paint Mines Interpretive Park. The park protects an area of colorful rock and clay formations, containing spires and hoodoos.  

We parked at one of the two trailheads and started the short hike to the formations. The trail starts out in open prairie, filled with grasses and windmills.



And then the trail drops down into the rock formations. The history of the place stretches back millions of years, back to when this area was a subtropical rain forest. Deposits from ancient rivers were then, over time, eroded by rain, wind and snowmelt to create a maze of colorful formations. The rocks get their vibrant and vivid colors from oxidized iron in the clay.



It reminded me of the Painted Desert at Petrified Forest National Park or the Artist's Palette at Death Valley National Park.



Arrowheads and stone dart tips have been found here, showing that the Paint Mines were occupied by Native American people for as long as 9,000 years. The area gets its name because the clay was used to paint and create pottery.





It is a really neat and kid-friendly area to explore. Here's one last shot before we hiked back to the car and headed back to Colorado Springs