Venue for dramatic opera is surrounded by dramatic scenery
Sensuous red rocks, blooming wildflowers, and chitter-chattering birds make the steep climb on the Geologic Overlook Trail worth the effort. Red Rocks Park north of the town of Morrison is famous not only for the Red Rocks Amphitheater but also for trails that wind around massive rock formations that gave the park its name.
Starting at the parking lot where Plains View Road dead-ends, the trail — partly a gravel path and partly constructed steps — heads up past a picnic pavilion. En route, views open up to additional monoliths and down to Dinosaur Ridge, and secret niches appear as you round the bends. It’s only about mile one-way but toward the top it’s so steep you may need to pull yourself up by the railings. When we reached the view point at the saddle, cousin Robin (whose knees are younger!) generously offered to descend the way we had come up so the two of us could go down a slightly gentler route ending at the Upper North Lot where she picked us up.
We much preferred the wilder views on the first leg of the hike even though it was steeper. Because we were walking in the shade of the rocks, it was also cooler. In early morning we met no other hikers on that section whereas a fair number were coming up the other side. The descent on the south side was a bit steep at the start but soon became a wide gravel path with good views of the amphitheater monoliths … but also views of parking lots filled with cars.
This can either be an outand-back hike (as Robin did), or you can leave one car at the lower and one at the upper lot for a one-way hike. Or, you can make a loop by walking back on the road and through a tunnel to connect the two lots. If you do the loop, be careful of heavy traffic.
When you finish the hike, it’s worth doing the short spur trail to the geologic marker and exhibits on the northeast end of the parking lot. Views toward Denver and the plains seem to stretch forever. Also spend some time admiring the amphitheater itself and, perhaps, explore some of the other trails such as the Trading Post Trail, one of our favorites.
In late April flowers were sparse because of the drought, but we saw blooming mahonia, sand lilies, Nuttall’s violets, and spring beauties. By now, larkspurs and chiming bells should join the wildflower display, and plums should be in full and fragrant bloom. We were surprised to see little wildlife other than noisy towhees and scrub jays and a pair of amorous rabbits chasing each other. You might, however, see chipmunks, ground squirrels, red foxes, mule deer and rattlesnakes.
The sandstone formations here are similar to our Flatirons, to the Roxborough rocks, and to the Garden of the Gods. They’re part of the Fountain Formation, once part of an inland sea and then uplifted in the Laramide Orogeny about 15 million years ago.
The first recorded owner named the area “Garden of the Angels” in 1872. It was developed into a park in 1878 and sold to John Walker for just $5,000 in 1905. Walker built a wooden stage in the bowl between Creation and Ship Rocks where the acoustics have delighted concert goers ever since. In 1936 the Civilian Conservation
Corps began construction of a formal amphitheater for the city of Denver that officially opened it in 1941.
Even those of us who are not Wagner fans were stunned by a 1958 performance of “Die Valkyrie.” Horses dashed across the stage, Valkyrie maidens perched on the red rocks while belting out, “Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Helaha! Helaha!” and a ring of fire surrounded the stage for the finale.