The Colorado Springs area is extremely popular for horse trail riding. This section contains information on Equestrian trails in the Pikes Peak region.
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 Riding the (Front) Range by Judi Tobias
As you can imagine, there are lots of wonderful places to ride your horse along the Front Range of Colorado; the trick is to find them.
What follows is a group of rides I have enjoyed over the years. Before starting to describe the rides, let me give you a couple of hints on how to make trail riding safer and more enjoyable.
Etiquette
First, take a rake and shovel along in your horse trailer. Clean up the manure from your parking area. Sometimes you can scatter the manure in the nearby flora, but sometimes your best bet is to put it in your trailer or a bag and take it home with you. In some of the riding areas you can even be fined if you don't do this. Find out about the local rules for the area you are visiting.
Second, in many areas, especially in national forests and state parks and wildlife areas, you must use certified weed free hay or pelletized feed for your horse. The certified hay is usually available from your local feed store.
Third, wherever you ride, but particularly on private property, be sure to leave gates as you find them. Leaving a gate open so someone's stock gets out is a serious matter.
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The top place on my list to go is the Air Force Academy. There are miles of trails there and it is very accessible. You will usually see all kinds of wildlife and the flowers in season are wonderful. To get to the parking area, go in the South Gate and go north to Pine Drive. Take Pine Drive to Pine Loop (there is a blinking light there); go left. Take the first right and go about 3 blocks. You will see a small brown sign that says "stables". Turn left and follow the road to the T intersection; go right. At the bottom of the hill on the left by the hay barn is trailer-in parking. There is an honor box where you pay a $5/day fee. Yearly passes for the bargain price of $50 are available at the office.
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The prettiest part is on the Air Force Academy. There isn't a lot of horse water on it, but it is a great place to condition your horse. It's relatively flat and the gravel surface is good. You will meet a lot of bicycles, runners, and walkers, especially on weekends. The one minus about this trail is that in many places it is very close to the railroad tracks. If your horse gets upset by a train, I suggest you dismount and wait it out. Another tricky spot is at North Gate where the trail is on an overpass over the road. Again, if you are nervous, or your horse is, about this, you could get off and lead over this area.
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Black Forest has several nice easy trails. None of them are very long and all are within easy driving distance. The easiest trail is the new Partnership Trail around the perimeter of Black Forest Section 16. This trail is relatively flat and you can ride around it in 1- 1 and 1/2 hours. The flowers are lovely in the summer and there are lots of large pine trees. There are a few boggy spots on the trail but you can get around them easily. The footing is all sand, so shoes for your horse aren't necessary. There are two trailheads on this trail. The best one is just west of the corner of Burgess and Vollmer Roads on the north side of Burgess Road. There is a porta-potty there but no water source. The other trailhead is on Vollmer Road about 1/4 mile north of the intersection with Burgess.
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Another County Park that is a great place to ride and has good facilities is Bear Creek Park. This is adjacent to Penrose Equestrian Center and that is where you park. There are public restrooms there, plus an indoor arena ($5 use fee). Take I-25 to Cimarron (Hwy 24). Go west to 8th St. Go south to Rio Grande and turn west to the Equestrian Center.
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These trails are in the Monument area in the foothills. To get to the trail head, take Washington St. west in Monument. Cross the railroad tracks and turn left on Mitchell Ave. Go south to Mt. Herman Rd. The trail head is at the corner of Mt. Herman and Nursery Rd. There is a pull through parking area for horse trailers. There are no amenities at the trail head. The trails vary in steepness and difficulty. Most of the main trails are wide and fairly easy but the side trails are steep and rocky, so horses should be shod. You can ride for a long time on these trails. You'll see lots of scrub oak and other foothill vegetation. Water for horses is scarce, but there are a couple of nice ponds–one is at the north side of the area near the big sandstone rock formation.
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Indian Creek is a lovely place to ride in the summer and will give you a real taste of mountain trails. It is in Jarre Canyon west of Sedalia on State Hwy. 67. Go about 10 miles west of Sedalia (this road is paved but very hilly and winding). The camp area is on the right side of the road. This is a Colorado state-owned equestrian camping area with water and rest rooms. There is a parking fee and you must clean up your area or you will be fined.
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Mueller State Park about an hour west of Colorado Springs and offers beautiful mountain riding, especially during aspen season. Take Highway 24 west to Divide and turn south to the main entrance to the park (a couple of miles). The entry fee is $6 unless you have a yearly state park sticker. Be sure to get a map from the attendant–they are also good about telling you details of where to ride and where trails are closed etc.
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During the winter a good place to ride is Lakewood's Bear Creek Lake State Park. This park is just off I-470 at the Morrison Road (Hwy 8) exit. The trails are easy and footing good. There is a $3/day fee for park use. There are restrooms and a stable where horses may be rented with reservations advised. The phone number is 303-697-9666 to reserve.
As always, be courteous and watch out for other people on the trail.
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