South Table Mountain...Quaker Rd Approach

Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,890 ft - 6,343 ft
Elevation Gain: 453 ft (net), 700 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash (until Jefferson County takes over)
Date Hiked: April 8, 2012
Tags: #Golden, #JeffersonCountyOpenSpace, #travel, #hiking

Castle Rock comes into view on South Table Mountain

Terrain map of South Table Mountain showing the location of the Colorado State Forestry building where you can park on weekends.

For those who travel to Golden, Colorado there is nothing better than spending an afternoon strolling across the sun drenched expanses of South Table Mountain (or North Table Mountain for that matter).  This post describes the jaunt across South Table Mountain to Castle Rock from the south starting at the intersection of Quaker Street and Golden Hills Road.  I have also hiked to the top from the east up the "Laubahn Trail".  The route in this post is longer and more gradual while the Laubahn route is straight up the side for shorter, heart-pumping experience.

Starting out the trail that parallels Quaker Street

Initial meadow where they plan to build a parking lot.  Two trails head up to the top of the mesa.

There is one thing you should know before heading out to South Table Mountain.  The area is crisscrossed with social trails, none of them marked.  If wandering about and possibly taking the wrong route is something that fills you will joy, then this trail is for you.  On the other hand if uncertainty fills you with dread, choose North Table Mountain, its trails are well marked. 

The route will head towards the power line tower in the upper left and then turn right following the power lines northwards.

Spring brings flowers to the shrubs

Parking in Golden is always a challenge, but for this route, on the weekend at least, you can park in the parking lot of the Colorado State Department of Forestry at 1504 Quaker Street.  During the week you will have to fight to find street parking.  The area is residential and the locals don't appreciate their driveways being blocked by visitors.

Passing the trail at 1.3 miles leading off the mesa to the Rim Rock neighborhood.  Don't take this left.

Prickly Pear Cactus dominates some of the drier patches.

From the parking lot the route heads up Quaker Street, which after crossing Golden Hills Road, turns to dirt and continues cross the mesa.  There is a foot path that parallels the road just to the west.  We decided to take this since it is more natural.   This path quickly dumps into a small depression with several trails crossing it.  Jefferson County has purchased South Table Mountain and plans to turn it into a formalized Open Space.  The county plans to put the parking lot in this depression since it is convenient to city streets and relatively flat.  This is unfortunate, since this small meadow is rather attractive.

At 1.8 miles Castle Rock can now be seen in the distance.

Approaching Castle Rock

The route across South Table Mountain is relatively flat with a few mild ups and downs.  It traverses open grassland spotted with shrubbery, Prickly Pear Cactus, and power lines.  The views are urban, with most of Golden being visible from above.  To get to Castle Rock, which once held a casino and illegal drinking establishment, we just kept take the trail to the left particularly at the major intersections at 0.6 miles 0.9 miles.  This is not a perfect recipe but this rule combined with a little common sense will get you to the flat rock that was also once a meeting place for the KKK.  These hooded locals were known to dance across the rock and burn crosses for all to see.  For some reason Coors Beer has not made that part of their advertising campaign! Take care around 1.3 miles.  A trail heads sharply left down off the mesa to the Rim Rock neighborhood.  Instead, head toward the power lines and follow the trail as it turns northward.  You'll finally see Castle Rock in the distance at around 1.8 miles.

The view of North Table Mountain from Castle Rock

Looking down on the Lubahn Trail from Castle Rock

In summer South Table Mountain will be a frying pan, so take to this trail in the spring when the grasses start to green and Mule Deer can be seen grazing in the distance.  If you are starved for a place to let your dogs roam free like I am, visit South Table Mountain sooner rather than later.  Once it is formally controlled by Jefferson County, the trails will be marked, but dogs will have to be on leash.   I may be moving to Idaho soon, to find a place where dogs can still be dogs.

Looking southwest into Golden from Castle Rock

Abby likes the freedom of South Table Mountain

Lubahn Trail

Distance: 2.5 miles round trip (official trail), 3.0 to 3.5 miles round trip with extension depending upon your route
Elevation: 5,676 to 6,319 ft
Elevation Gain: 400 ft (official trail), 643 ft (to Castle Rock)

Fellow hikers atop Castle Rock looking towards Denver, which can be seen in the distance

No one ever hikes the Lubahn Trail by itself. Instead they use it as the primary way to get part way up South Table Mountain in Golden and then use one of the many unofficial trails to the top of Castle Rock (formally known as Table Rock). According to the city, this additional excursion is illegal because it traverses private property. Tell that to the 30 or so people on the trail the day I did it.

View of Castle Rock from the street below

Every time I visit Golden I have wondered what the view would be like from a top Castle Rock, an obvious rocky outcropping on the top of South Table Mountain. There is a lot of history behind that hunk of rock as well.

Starting out to the right

Heading up

The last pitch to the top. The dirt was very loose here.

In 1906, the Castle Rock Resort opened on top of South Table Mountain. Because the locals vehemently opposed a liquor license, it started out as a café. Tourists rode donkeys up the cliff face to sip on cappuccinos.

Past the outcroppings, the trail flattens and spreads out in all directions

By 1913, a railway had replaced the donkeys and for 25 cents a tourist could ride to the top and gamble at a casino.

Approaching Castle Rock

In the early 20’s, it became a segregated dance hall and illicit drinking establishment but business was not good and soon the KKK took over the area for their meetings. In the largest event over 1,000 Klansmen frolicked atop the mountain and a large cross burned on top of Castle Rock. Who knew sleepy Golden had such a torrid past! When the structure at the top finally burned down in 1927, few wept.

Closer now

Old stairs

Today, the journey to the top of South Table Mountain is a pleasant if brief workout. The day I climbed it, I was in quite a rush. I had just finished a Sierra Club meeting and wanted to get a jaunt in before racing home to get the dogs and take them to the dog park for their daily regiment.

View looking northeast. Coors Brewery is down in that valley. Note that Golden does not look like the pristine mountain scenery Coors uses in its advertising.

The trail is typical of Front Range trails. It was dusty, rocky, and poorly maintained in places. The Lubahn portion of the trail is a loop and I started off of Belvedere Street and headed to the right.

View to the north and parts of Golden

As the trail climbs, the views of Golden become more expansive. At the southern extent of the loop, the trail begins to switchback and heads relentlessly up to two rocky outcroppings. The official Lubahn Trail heads back to the left here but the unofficial trail heads straight up. There are no signposts, or obvious distinctions to differentiate the two. For a while Castle Rock itself disappears behind the side of the mountain. The last pitch up between the outcroppings is straight up and filled with loose dirt.

Looking down on the Lubahn Trail. I descended via this route.

Once on the top, the hiker is presented with a series of intersecting trails that head off in all directions. It is easy to find you way, however, just find the nearest trail that heads off to the left. This portion of the trail is on the wide top of South Table Mountain. It is filled with grasses and occasional small shrubs.

Looking back up at Castle Rock from the descent

There is an obvious train of folks heading to Castle Rock, which has a series of short concrete steps leading to the top. These are the remnants of the old dance hall.

Heading down and looking to the south

On the top, Castle Rock just appears to be a large rocky ledge. The views of Golden are very nice and you can look down onto Coors Brewery as well. Some leftover yokels from days gone by have graffitied the place here and there, detracting from the natural ambiance.

I hiked this trail in late March when the weather was warm and the promise of Spring was in the air.

Because I was in a rush, I headed back down and met my friends who were just arriving. They had taken the left route up the Lubahn Trail and taken the most direct social trail to the top. This would be the trail that I would take down. It was precipitous in spots and not suitable for folks with knee problems. At the bottom of this section of the Lubahn there are few interpretive signs that discuss the geology of Golden’s mesas.