One of the landmarks, "The Thumb" is now an island, although just a foot from today's shoreline. The trail and its bridges are well maintained, making the journey relatively easy for anyone looking for a short hike or an all day experience. Directions: Take Hwy 24 west from Colorado Springs. 14+ M, Sun, Sep 19 General Information. If you head northeast, it’s a bit rockier, more of an up and down narrow trail with views of the crystal clear water and in the horizon, views of Pikes Peak. Enjoyed seeing deer and countless chipmunks. Use the Rainbow Gulch route. Rampart Range Trail Photo. Stands of aspen are decorated by carpets of wildflowers, including Colorado’s photogenic blue columbine and wild iris. I look forward to trying it again in spring or summer bc the views are stunning. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. I would definitely rate the part we did as easy terrain for hiking. Maybe it’s moderate because of length or more technical terrain on other side? Though the trail was busy it was so wide that it wasn’t a big deal. Hiking Rampart Reservoir Trail Loop, Pikes Peak Ranger District, Colorado We’ve approached this hike at many different starting points, our favorite starting point is at the dam parking area. Did not do full trail. Camping is permitted only at the campgrounds, Meadow Ridge and Thunder Ridge. With the help of the National Forest Service, several campgrounds, fishing sites, a boat ramp, and hiking trails were installed. I’m a flat lander from Oklahoma and we found and hiked to lake and back last year (2019) with my four kids ages 3.5 to 9 and they all made it to lake for lunch and back. Aug 16, 2020. Rampart Reservoir or Rampart Range Reservoir is a reservoir northwest of the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado in Pike National Forest. If you head northeast, it’s a bit rockier, more of an up and down narrow trail with views of the crystal clear water and in the horizon, views of Pikes Peak. I got 12.9 miles but I took small detours here and there to get a closer look at water. Reaching the trail around the reservoir from the Rainbow Gulch trailhead is the perfect way to add a beautiful stream-side trek and avoid the parking hassles at the dam end of the reservoir. I hope the owner finds them. Rampart Reservoir just west of Colorado Springs attracts a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts, from anglers and flat-water kayakers to runners and mountain bikers. Rampart Reservoir Trail - 14.69 miles Rampart Reservoir is a large body of water outside of Woodland Park. Rampart Range Trail Photo. RRMMC Trail Maps showing the gate locations are available here: … Rampart Reservoir Trail System. Hiking Rampart Reservoir Trail Loop, Pikes Peak Ranger District, Colorado We’ve approached this hike at many different starting points, our favorite starting point is at the dam parking area. This trail, which follows the many fingers of the shoreline of Rampart Reservoir, offers long, flat stretches, but its numerous rock formations also create interesting obstacles. We (my friend Jen and her three kids, ages 13, 10, 7) hiked the trail around the reservoir itself**. The trail ends at Rampart Reservoir, which is gorgeous. That added about 2.5 miles to our hike, for a total of 14.5. I’d say it’s rated as a moderate trail because of distance. Rampart Reservoir is located in the Pike National Forest above Colorado Springs. Clearly marked, varying degree of trails. We took on the challenge of completing the entire trail yesterday. Today’s run was at the Rampart Reservoir Trail. Long trail but absolutely beautiful and worth it! Photo Submitted 7/14/2013 (Thanks!) Rating. Both paths reach Rampart Reservoir, where you will encounter the trail that takes you around the lake. From Rampart Res: The reservoir is large and spreads out over dozens of square miles. HA At mile 17, Rampart Range Road continues to the left, with Road 306 leading to the eastern edge of Rampart Reservoir. The condition of Mt. That made for private access and I didn’t meet a single person on trail till I hit the access road trail back up to car after completing the loop. On that lower loop we really loved the rolling hills, and gorgeous views. Absolutely amazing views and a simply gorgeous walk. It's such a pretty hike when the reservoir is iced over and the ground is covered in snow! All in all, a good workout, some decent views, but be prepared for a 15 mile hike. Use of Trail: Hiking / Bicycles / Fishing. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. Lots of snow - micro spikes and trekking poles were very helpful! Watching the sun rise above the reservoir is well worth the effort it will take to get this point at "O-dark-thirty.". There is a single track trail which follows the perimeter of the reservoir. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. Rampart Reservoir Trail is a 17.4 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Colorado Springs, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Aliases: Rainbow Gulch Trail This mountain reservoir is the largest in El Paso County. We took the wrong trail from the parking lot on the other side of the dam- be sure to take the one to the left down by the water. * North of Colorado Springs and West of Woodland Park lies Rampart Reservoir*. Rampart Reservoir Trail System This easy trail follows the Reservoirs shoreline providing opportunities for fishing access, picnicking and enjoying the beauty of the area. Alright trail. COTREX is a project by the Colorado DNR and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. You’ll be happy when you finish. I love this trail! I would say it’s a pretty easy trail, closer to the water I can’t see how a stroller would make it, but you definitely could up to the reservoir. Rampart TRAILS and the MAIN PARKING LOT at Rampart Range Road and Hwy 67 are OPEN. Some other time it would be worth it to return to this spot just before sunrise (you can reach it from the trailhead; just go left at the junction rather than around the lake). Hikers walk counterclockwise around the lake; bikers ride clockwise. I vowed to bring my MTB back this year (2020) and made it around the whole reservoir. Rainbow Gulch Trail is #714; Rampart Reservoir Trail is #700. The trailhead starts on Rampart Range Road and follows along a river that flows out of the ground from other reservoirs in the western part of the state. The trail from the trailhead to the lake, around the lake, and back is approximately 16 miles long. There is a big parking lot for this trailhead. Aug 29, 2020. reporter: Aug 16, 2020 @ 10:34am. The road there is closed, at least today, but it looked like a long term thing? Rampart Reservoir is just outside of Woodland Park, Colorado, which is about 30 minutes from Colorado Springs. There are no vending services at the dam. If you'd like a day at the lake in Central Colorado, this is the place to go. Rampart Reservoir Mountain Bike, Hike, Trail Running trails near Woodland Park, Colorado. You can either continue on the wide path, or cross the bridge and wander down a single path as it meanders through the willow groves. We went a mile and a half up the one that was on the right going up from the parking lot, which was very lovely, gorgeous, nobody there, saw 2 deer cross our path, and I do actually highly recommend taking that route! Beautiful trail run around Rampart Reservoir at about 9,000 feet Rampart Range Road, Woodland Park Race Director Patricia Lockhart Race Date. It’s a little more than 2.5 miles of road walk to that trailhead, bringing the total trip with the reservoir up to 17 miles. I just barely made it past the beginning of the lake before having to turn back,in both sides. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Photo Submitted 7/14/2013 (Thanks!) The dirt road up was a little too rough for my Altima, but my friend’s Legacy made it slowly. I kept to the left when you get down to lake and did the trail clockwise. Rampart Reservoir via Rainbow Gulch Trail, Green Mountain Falls (Crystal Falls Trail), Mt. Length of Trail: 10.07 Mile loop. Trail: Rampart Reservoir Trail #700 Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Gain: 928 ft Distance: 11 mi. The reservoir is closed so we hiked in from Rampart Range Road on the Rainbow Gulch trail. There are some sections of loose gravel that required me to get off and walk and a few tight technical sections in the boulders that made me think twice since I was riding alone. Not to many bugs - we didn’t ever use our bug spray. Nice trail but I would say this is not stroller friendly. The reservoir is located on a granite plateau approximately 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above sea level, and consists of a body of water with a capacity of 13,000,000,000 US gallons (49,000,000 m 3). The reservoir has been stocked with fish by the Colorado Division of Wildlife The area today is a popular recreation area for boaters, fishermen, mountain bikers, hikers and snowshoers. This year, it's full to the brim. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Description The trail begins at the paved parking lot on the north end of the reservoir dam within the Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area. May 17, 2020. Foot, horse, mountain bike, and cross country ski trail. Beautiful trail with astonishing views. All in all, I love this loop trail. I would caution anyone who isn’t the most avid mountain biker from attempting this on a bicycle. It’s a locals’ favorite for fishing, camping, hiking and mountain biking, and it’s also a stunning destination for flat-water kayaking and canoeing. And if you drive over the dam you gotta leave by 5pm. I parked right before dam and started the trail there. I love this trail! On the north end of the dam, you will encounter a couple of other trails leading off into the mountains, so be sure you find the trail (#700) that continues on around the lake. Hiking and Mountain Biking: The Rampart Reservoir trail begins on the west side of the lake and offers visitors a chance to explore the entire shoreline along a 13 mile loop. The scenery alone on this race will blow you away. From here it's 1.5 miles to the west end of Rampart Reservoir. This is one of the most scenic areas in a place where scenic areas are plentiful. Rampart Reservoir rests on a granite plateau at 9000 ft of elevation, about 10 miles northwest of Colorado Springs and 4 miles east of Woodland Park. Rampart Reservoir Trail is a 13.2 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Woodland Park, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. You must login to download files. Rampart Reservoir Trail. I got there early around 6:15 and was only second car in parking lot. The entire route is wide and well maintained. People ages 16 and younger can fish for free but should have a parent or guardian present. It all pretty much looks the same the whole 15 miles (my gps said 15). Winding in and out along the shoreline, you'll experience ever changing views of the lake and the opposing shore. The stream along the access road in was great. The reservoir itself may not be great for birds, but the forest surrounding it is excellent, and most of the mountain specialties, including American Three-toed Woodpecker, can be found. We’ve been to Rampart Reservoir years back but this was a different trail. It is a good middle to long distance trail run. Some areas of the trail are tight, only one-way traffic would fit so that’s why it was tricky with bikers. This is a 14+ mile trail run around Rampart Reservoir with the trees starting to show their fall colors. The scenery alone on this race will blow you away. The Rainbow Gulch Trail is especially good birding. We drove across the dam and started by the boat ramp and ended by crossing the dam. The trail hugs the lake most of the way so regular water views make for some great stopping spots for taking in the serenity of the trail. Herman Road varies depending on recency of maintenance. I would definitely rate the part we did as easy terrain for hiking. Through the gap you can almost see the city. Maybe for covid. AllTrails tried to send me down to the trailhead by the dam. Wouldn’t do it again solo. Rampart Range Trail Photo. At a Glance. Note: $7 Parking Fee per vehicle. The sound of the rushing stream and the joy of the dancing water will captivate you. There are great hiking trails around the area and that is what we did when we went there in the early October one sunny Sunday afternoon. Wakeless boating regulations keep down the noise and make the dozens of inlets seem like private lakes. Beautiful trail. Use of Trail: Hiking / Bicycles / Fishing. 0 Comments it was awesome in the spring but fall is the best! It was a great ride! The trail is mostly smooth dirt or loose crushed rock with short gains and losses in elevation as you traverse in and out of the myriad fingers of the reservoir. We came back to the reservoir a few weeks later with the kids and our boat to go fishing. On a different, but importantly note, I found keys tagged to a tree on a trail headed down to the reservoir from campsite 11 in the Meadow Ridge campground. Great hike! So I think if you’re riding, it’s a fine trail but for hiking I would look for something a little more interesting. The trail is wide and smooth. Otherwise totally worth it and a wonderful hike but nothing intense. All in all it was a beautiful hike and not too difficult, just longer than expected. Fishing has been very good, even from shore, with a few of the rarer species: lake trout and brown trout showing up. For this, we recommend nearby Schubarth Loop, Trail #91. Well, we went into this thinking 10.8 miles would be a challenge. Paid parking and direct access to the reservoir trail is located in the Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area a few miles away. Take Rampart Range Road out of Woodland Park and then turn right on Forest Road 300. Rampart Range Trail Photo. Construction of the new dam completed in 1969, but it would be another five years before anyone would be allowed to use the area. Colorado Tourism Office, 1625 Broadway, Suite 1700 , Denver, CO, 80202, Phone: 800-COLORADO. 1. We’ve been to Rampart Reservoir years back but this was a different trail. 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