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

North Table Mountain

Distance: 5.5 mile loop
Elevation: 6,030 ft - 6,485 ft
Elevation Gain: 455 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: Leash Only

Ancient lava forms a basaltic cap on top of North Table Mountain

Ever seen a Coors commercial showing majestic Mt. Wilson?  This peak is actually located in the southwest corner of the state but Coors likes to pretend its brewery is near this scenic edifice when in fact, it is sandwiched between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, CO.  These mesas are just as much a part of Colorado topography as Mt. Wilson, but the marketers obviously found their unique rock formations too mundane to sell beer.  Don't fall into the same trap.  A stroll to the top of these eroded monoliths is a pleasant excursion for the whole family.  I have already profiled the Lubahn Trail, which goes to the top of South Table Mountain.  Another unseasonably warm day in January 2012 was an opportunity to visit the area's northern cousin.

Large Parking Lot

Map of the area and our route

Rabbitbrush along the side of the initial ascent

This wide road forms part of the North Table Loop

While the Lubahn Trail, is more of a neighborhood trail (e.g. you have to know it exists), North Table Mountain is an Jefferson County Open Space park with a large parking lot and bathroom.  Getting to the top of the mesa is easy, there is a large, obvious road that heads up from the parking lot.  We passed several families with small children whose little feet could easily navigate the gravel road.  This road is part of the North Table Loop and it is 0.7 miles to the top of the mesa.  Once at the top, the route splits with the North Table Loop continuing to the right while the Tilting Mesa veers off to the left.

Trail junctions are marked with large rock signs.

The distant rock formations along the Tilting Mesa Trail with pockets of ice

The wide open expanse of the Tilting Mesa Trail.  Could you tell that you are on top of a mesa and not out on the eastern plains?

The far end of the Mesa Top Trail, just as it descends to the other side

Having never been to this area, I wanted to explore it as much as possible, so we took the Tilting Mesa Trail which heads off to the northern side of the mesa.  This area is dominated by distant rock formations (they are sequestered behind do not enter signs), flat grasslands, and an open sky that seemed to stretch all the way to Never Never Land.  We could see Mule Deer  wandering across a distant hill while runners and mountain bikers dotted the landscape.

Heading down the other side

Heading north on the North Table Loop

Heading East on the North Table Loop

At the three-way junction of Tilting Mesa, Rim Rock, and  Mesa Top Trails, we decided to head east on the Mesa Top Trail, which ended up taking us down the other side of the mesa.  At the bottom this became the North Table Loop Trail again,  which we followed all the way back around to the parking area.  This part of the route was slow going.  The trail was full of mud and ice.  I fell at least twice in spots where the slightest incline turned the trail into an commercial for high-powered laundry detergent. 

Houses appear, but we are a long way off yet

The icy and muddy trail and occasional inclines made for difficult walking.  There was no one else on the trail.

Several bridges cross drainages coming off the mesa

If I were to go again, I might choose to head out the Rim Rock Trail, which deadends on top of the mesa, and then turn around and return the way I came.  I can see in the spring when the grasses are green and the trails are dryer, this open space would a great spot for a sunset stroll.
 

At last we return to the parking lot