The Walker Ranch Loop is comprised of the Columbine Gulch, Eldorado Canyon, Crescent Meadows and South Boulder Creek trails. The Eldorado Canyon Trail, which begins at the visitor center in Eldorado Canyon State Park, joins the Walker Ranch Loop to form a challenging 13.9 mile route. Visitors will enjoy diverse forests, open meadows and creek access on these distinct trail segments.

The walls of Eldorado Canyon expose a 1.6 million year geologic history in the span of just one mile

120+ species of birds and mammals inhabit Walker Ranch and Eldorado Canyon

Walker Ranch is prized by mountain bikers for long stretches of smooth singletrack

In the fall Wild Rose bushes produce red fruits called 'hips', a vital food source for bears as they stock calories for hibernation

Paintbrush is a semi-parasitic plant that can survive drought by attaching to roots of other plants and siphoning off water

Snow melt from the Continental Divide fills Gross Reservoir, which holds up to 43,000 acre feet of water just west of Walker Ranch

Golden Banner, a member of the pea family, is among the first flowers to bloom in the Colorado front range

View from the highest point on the Eldorado Canyon Trail, where it drops 560' in just .7 miles to join the Walk Ranch Loop

Periodic fire is critical to this ecosystem; suppression can lead to unnatural fuel build-ups, which create much higher intensity fires from which it can't always recover

Penstemon is derived from the Greek pente, or 'five', and stemon, a reference to stamen

Gross Reservoir's stagnant hold on water released into South Boulder Creek limits the propagation of vegetation, microorganisms and fish

High points on the Walker Ranch Loop offer good views of the fire-scarred western slopes of Bear Peak and South Boulder Peak

The Primrose genus name Oenothera means 'wine-scented', referring to the use of its roots in winemaking

Crescent Meadows on the southwest side of the Walker Ranch Loop

Pinyon pine nuts contain approximately 15% protein, 60-70% fat and 15-20% carbohydrates

Salsify is a member of the sunflower family, with edible roots often compared to asparagus

In September 2000, 1062 acres burned in and around Walker Ranch

Larkspur belongs to the buttercup family; its stem and seeds contain alkaloids that can be toxic

Pinyon pine nuts are a staple for Clark's nutcrackers, stellar jays and wild turkey

The heat of unnaturally intense fires can melt the waxes and resins of vegetation, which can coat soil particles and disable their ability to absorb water

A thin ridge on the Columbine Gulch Trail marks the Walker Ranch Loop's highest point