Castle Rock unveils Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space
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Castle Rock's Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space opens next month. Photo: Robert Sanchez/Axios
Two years after Castle Rock and its partners preserved Lost Canyon Ranch from potential development, the 681-acre site is going public next month.
Why it matters: Visitors will soon have free access to terrain that's largely been hidden behind private gates.
- It was among the last large undeveloped properties near Castle Rock and could have become a housing development.
The big picture: The new open space, purchased in 2024 and permanently protected under a conservation easement, includes forests, grasslands and canyon walls on Castle Rock's southeastern edge.
Zoom in: About 7 to 8 miles of trails are expected to open in July, with about 15 miles planned once the full system is completed sometime later this year.
- Two trailheads will serve the property, including a mesa-top parking lot designed for roughly 120 vehicles.
The fine print: Lost Canyon Ranch helps link 4,300 acres of connected open space that stretches through the county.
- Hikers coming through the site eventually will tap directly into Castlewood Canyon State Park's trail system.
In the room: Axios got a tour ahead of the opening.
- Prairie gives way to canyons lined with ponderosa pines, creating a landscape that feels less like a network of trails and more like a discovery.
- Wildlife was everywhere: Six turkey vultures circled overhead, fresh elk tracks marked the newly completed paths and a pronghorn loped across grassland near the parking lot.
What they're saying: Creating public access here "is a once-in-a-generation opportunity," Jeff Smullen, Castle Rock's assistant parks and recreation director, tells Axios.
Follow the money: Castle Rock and its partners spent roughly $15 million to preserve the property — the largest open-space acquisition in town history.
- Douglas County contributed $5.5 million, Great Outdoors Colorado contributed $3 million, the Conservation Fund contributed $200,000 and negotiated the purchase, and Castle Rock covered the rest.
The intrigue: Lost Canyon Ranch includes Franktown Cave, an archaeological site humans occupied about 8,000 years ago.
- "Bootlegger's Loop" nods to lore about Prohibition-era alcohol production in the area.
- A ranch house, stables and a riding arena sit near the mesa-top trailhead and could become a nature center or education facility.
- There's also an ADA-accessible pathway.
Yes, but: Don't bring your dog.
- And bikes aren't allowed either.
- The restrictions are intended to protect habitats.
The property will be open from sunrise to sunset, allowing wildlife to move through the area undisturbed after dark.
What's next: Castle Rock will announce its soft opening soon; permanent trail signage will be added later this summer.
The bottom line: South metro Denver gets new trails all the time. Residents rarely get an entirely new landscape to explore.