Started hiking this trail 32 years ago. 40 Places to See in California Before Your Kids Are All Grown Up, 30 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in California, 25 Most Beautiful Medieval Castles in the World, 15 Best Things to Do in Middleborough (MA), Pirates Cove Family Fun Aquatic Center, Littleton, Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park, Brighton. Recommend the slides for teens and adults but the hike was doable with small children. We were camping at the lake, so we added some length to this by hiking from the campground, around the lake, to the trailhead (which is basically an unmarked path of the edge of the highway). Thats why the Forest Service blocked off the road. The swollen creeks of Boulder, Colorado provided a fitting backdrop for the "Water, Climate and Uncertainty" conference at the Natural Resources Law Center of the University of Colorado in June 2003. Theres a mini lazy river just for kids, the Clown Around Creek. Crossing the water multiple times due to lack of trail isnt my idea of a moderate trail. natural water slide coloradosigns he still loves his baby mama | not so much a secret anymore as you can tell with the trash situation. Brought young kids and they enjoyed the hike in The water was rushing harder than I remember, but it was doable. Get ready to have a splashing good time at H2OBrien Park. Estimated time: 5-10 hours depending on your fitness and how much time you want to spend there. Where is the best place to tent camp? The parking lot is on the right BUT you need to cross the road to go to the dirt fire road. Then it crosses the creek via bridge and passes under the I-90 westbound lanes viaduct (0.65 miles). Connected by a lazy river, these pools are surrounded by a grassy plateau and offer incredible views of the mountains above. Push straight ahead 0.1 mile to Melakwa Lake. Lots of rock scrabbling and water crossing.. very hilly I would not recommend taking small children, some of the river crossing and hills would have been precarious. A bar gate blocks the road. Slide Rock State Park in Sedona boasts a water slide that formed all by itself - absolutely no human intervention. []. Right across from the main lodge are the Upper Pools. Colorado's largest natural lake, Grand Lake. Just keep going downstream and you will get to the slide. Not many people so we missed it! No Reservations Required. Kaleetan (meaning Arrow) Peak (6224 ft) does not have a well defined trail and requires route finding ability as well as up to a Class 3 rock scramble in places. Recommend the slides for teens and adults but the hike was doable with small children. The 400 Water Slide is family friendly. There is no cell service beyond Hemlock Pass although you have it most all the way up the Denny Creek Valley. Saw a few people rub their heads. The view is amazing and the water feels wonderful on hot days!! Photo: Michael Levine-Clark At 507 surface acres, Grand Lake is Colorado's largest natural body of water, and with impressive depths that reach down almost 400 feet, it's also the state's deepest. Sliding down that slide looks fun, just hope the ground is soft. it's beautiful however Here are among the largest natural lakes in Colorado: Grand Lake Dawn sky over Grand Lake. Then follow the stream up a very short way to Upper Melakwa Lake (elev 4500 ft). And yes, the water was still shockingly cold! Cross over the Melakwa lake outlet on the logs and proceed along the trail on the left shore of the lake. We were camping at the lake, so we added some length to this by hiking from the campground, around the lake, to the trailhead (which is basically an unmarked path of the edge of the highway). Saw a few people rub their heads. Lost the trail at times but easy to find it again- had to cross the river a few times. It really should be marked as hard. With plenty of space and an equal amount of lounge chairs the upper pool provides accommodations for any crowd. If you enjoy nature and hot water, the most obvious benefit from hot springs is simple relaxation. Best time to go is early in the year when the water is high!!! Maybe Ill head up there again! The hike is not strenuous its merely a dirt road, though there is a slight incline. This would be the recommended way from Kings Canyon: http://goo.gl/maps/RpQx The best roads in to the trailhead are from the south, taking 22S82 to 22S83. The Spa & Club Is Reserved For Overnight Guests And Spa Treatment Patrons Age 16+. The water gushes over slippery smooth rocks into natural stone pools, making for the natural slide. Located just outside of Silverton, Molas Lake Park & Campground is a colorful 137-acre campground that sits beside the infamously gorgeous Million Dollar Highway and was named the "Most Scenic Campground in Colorado" by AAA! After about 2 miles drive on a beautiful forested road along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, pass the Denny Creek Campground. This definitely needs to be changed to HARD until the trail is cleared and safe. The lap pool offers eight lanes of cool, clear waters and a diving board. Then cross a talus field (3.3 miles) into a sparsely treed open area (3.5 miles, 3785 ft) where the trail ascends steeply and is quite rocky. Then go back up the ridge to again pick up the trail to the summit. The water was high and fast, we had to walk in the river to get past some huge rocks. Short, beautiful hike. The shock of hitting the frigid water in the pool is comparable to a drug rush. Right in the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs, the water slides provide an exciting addition to soaking in our outdoor mineral pools. Heres the best water parks to visit in Colorado: People of all ages will find that Water World, with all its thrilling rides, cool pools, and unique kiddie areas, is a park theyll want to visit again and again. Its about 0.4 miles down, across Forest Road 58 and the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River to the Denny Creek trailhead. Started hiking this trail 32 years ago. Have a great time. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Cut off Levi shorts, 1987 called and wants its style back, [] Next time hopefully Trail of 100 Giants wont be closed and it will be warm enough to try out thenatural water slide! A year ago, an 18-year-old from Pueblo hiked with his buddies to the slide, where hed climbed up one of the surrounding cliffs. Lost the trail at times but easy to find it again- had to cross the river a few times. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. About a half mile past Denny Creek, there is a large 60 vehicle parking lot on your right hand side. This has some very technical sections where are you basically just have to go off trail and Boulder. In order to submit a comment to this post, please write this code along with your comment: 1aaae3bdd8ce7ed102f72af61a6a0df2. Best time to go is early in the year when the water is high!!! Your email address will not be published. Welcome to the stunning Island Lake; a small lake in the beautiful San Juan National Forest that features some of the most turquoise waters in the state. Had a blast. A short walk to the top of the water slide and you are ready to go. It's the perfect end-of-summer family adventure! Geysers, sprayers, huge water mushrooms, water hoops, tunnels you name it, the awesome spray garden and huge play structure have it all. Now that youve hiked 5 miles to here, its a must to do another 0.3 to Upper Melakwa Lake. Beginning in Aspen and running through Crested Butte (or vice versa), West Maroon Trail is difficult (gaining an elevation of a whopping 2,312 feet and running nearly 13 miles), but is completely worth it to get both a glimpse and a whiff of these colorful and oh-so fragrant blooms! We definitely needed it, but it was also definitely worth it. I can't wait until I can go again. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. ^Both are causing problems in various Colorado forests. Kingdom Water Park, Denver. Be prepared to cross the river several times. Your momentum and the force of the water will push you down the slide. [] Sequoia National Forest Waterslide []. (FREE leg-burning incline > pricey gym membership.). When people mention deadfall, theres no way to exaggerate how AWFUL it was. So be careful where you step. The photo at the right above provides a closeup and wide angle view of the area. There are no signs, and you wont find a sign on your way. Clearing these, you will get a great view of Keekwulee Falls. 84 reviews Explore Colorado natural water slide - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. For the strenuous and hard core folks, you can continue past Upper Melakwa Lake to Melakwa Pass or perhaps try scaling Kaleetan Peak. I agree with an older review that the trail is mis-classified. Then turn right on Forest Road 58 at the stop sign. Thank you lynda for the valuable timely update. Others come packed with tons of dryland adventures. The Colorado Springs family had spent the morning at the slide. Hopefully someone still looks at these comments, I was wondering if there is water flowing down the slide all year long? The bridge that was once here was washed out in 2009 by avalanche debris from the flood stage creek. Adrenaline seekers will have a blast at the park. 07-11-2014, 02:49 PM . 7. The kiddie areas are sure to make for hours of fun. Harder than what it described but super fun!! Turn left and cross over the freeway. Dogs are allowed on this trail and others in the national forest. Children will love Hooks Lagoon, complete with a huge five story treehouse and slides that are just the right size. Will there still be water this coming up weekend for Labor Day? You cant go wrong as long as you follow the creek. Caught the trail after. Getting off the road and down to the slide does require scrambling down a few rocks though. Open seasonally, the outdoor waterpark features a lap pool with gorgeous clear waters and two thrilling one hundred and eighty two foot waterslides. The 400 Water Slide is family friendly. Spanning nearly 32 miles, Boulder Creek was named one of the "10 best lazy rivers for tubing in the U.S." by Mens Journal and features a slow and steady stream of cool water. Think good grip and traversing foot deep water in parts. Extending over ten acres, The Splash at Fossil Trace is sure to delight. Even cut-off Levi shorts dry out within a half hour. The slide area looked really fun but apparently you need to tuck in your head before end where you get dunked. From a patron at a gas station in Colorado City, off Colorado 165 heading west toward the Wet Mountains. The Denny Creek trailhead is at 2550 ft elevation. There will be a green gate closing off the road to cars but if you hike a mile up on road there will be a clearing on the right. Call something Paradise, kiss it goodbye The Eagles. Explore. I went for it though, and Im glad I did! Theres always something to do! There are two drops of 35 feet and then 90 feet below. Very beautiful short hike! Thank you! We wound up at the Natural Slides just down from Lake San Isabel. was happy to see people with trash bags helping to keep the area clean. Descending the other side of Melakwa Pass leads to Chair Peak Lake, Gem Lake and Snow Lake. Im pretty reckless with nothing to lose and I almost didnt do it. It really should be marked as hard. The huge Bay pool is just right for splashing and swimming and features a diving board and a drop slide. Just returned, water still flowing, and a bit low but great time had by all. It includes zero-depth entry on one end and a slightly deeper end for older toddlers. Its very apparent the trail was posted on AllTrails recently - we left with a full trash bag full of trash & saw so much off trail walking squashed wildflowers, etc. Gardens of the Gods was just named one of TripAdvisors 2017 "Top 10 Things to Do in the United States."). it's easy to lose track. I really want to go down next weekend. 700 W 7th St, Walsenburg, CO 81089, Phone: 719-738-2628 There was usually about 200 hippies and we all sat around on the edge of the rockslide naked it was quite a scene. For a heart pounding rush theres a body slide ad a tube slide. The Denny party were some of the original non-native settlers of Seattle, who had mining claims in the area. 105Reviews. If you add a couple of water crossings on the way back you can cut out some of the bouldering. If you own a wetsuit, bring it! OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Crossing the water multiple times due to lack of trail isnt my idea of a moderate trail. It has been closed since last year (now 8-27-21). Thought to have once been home to Native Americans some 9,000 years ago, the Paint Mines Archeological District is an incredible area chock full of "a unique blending of geological, archaeological, historical and ecological resources.". Anyone been able to slide with this drought. Thanks for the information. There are great views of Chair Peak and Bryant Peak as well as plenty of places to sun and/or swim. Also, watch out for sudden rain storms in the summer after 4:00pm. Yes. Its elevation is 5115 feet which is 615 feet above Upper Melakwa Lake. I want to go in the late summer, but not if it will be dried up by then! The pool boasts a diving board and the waters are always cool and clear. A helicopter recovered his body. He fell. Some harder areas of the trail. Went there today. Denny Creek actually has a number of waterfalls. Grab a tube and blast down one of the two Canonball Falls slides or the Gangplanks slides. A Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking. I just wanted to point out that from the parking lot to the actual slide area its more like a mile (I clocked it on GPS), not a half mile. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 44 min to complete. Home Travel Guides United States Colorado (CO) 10 Best Water Parks in Colorado. I went in mid august and water was a little low but plenty to slide! Great trail but very overgrown and impossible to continue past a half mile. Very beautiful short hike! peter w busch why is it important to serve your family natural water slide colorado.