Thanksgiving and Day After Office Closures -
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices, including park visitor centers, will be closed on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29. No park pass is required to enter any state park on Friday November 29th for Fresh Air Friday.
State Park in Franktown, CO
Hours:
Park: Sunrise to Sunset.
Office: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
Park Address:
2989 South State Highway 83
Franktown, CO 80116
United States
State Park in Franktown, CO
Hours:
Park: Sunrise to Sunset.
Office: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
Park Address:
2989 South State Highway 83
Franktown, CO 80116
United States
Douglas County: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions -
Fire restrictions are currently in place with no open burning and no fireworks. Read more.
Scenic view of Castlewood Canyon State Park
Castlewood Canyon State Park is a memorable spot for outdoor activities like hiking, picnicking, rock climbing, sightseeing, photography and nature study. The park preserves 2,628 acres of the unique Black Forest region of Colorado. Visitors will also enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the Front Range and Pikes Peak.
2,628
acres
100
species of birds
12
miles of trails
60
foot rock-climbing walls
Directions
Main (East) Entrance
Take I-25 to Castle Rock. From I-25, take the Founders Parkway exit onto Hwy 86. Follow Hwy 86 into Franktown. At the stoplight, turn south to Hwy 83. Follow Hwy 83 for five miles to the main park entrance. Facilities near the main entrance include the Visitor Center, flush restrooms, event facilities, picnic areas with grills and a paved roadway.
West Entrance
The west entrance is accessed from Castlewood Canyon Road off of Hwy 86. The west entrance is in a less developed portion of the park, including a gravel road, gravel parking lots, a few picnic tables and vault toilets.
The Castlewood Canyon Visitor Center is located northeast of the main entrance.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Pass |
Description |
Duration |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants |
1 Day |
$10 |
|
Individual Daily Pass |
For individual entry on foot, bicycle, horseback, etc at select parks |
1 Day |
$4 |
|
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$29 |
|
|
Annual Vehicle Pass (Affixed) |
Pass for a single vehicle and its occupants |
12 Months |
$80 |
|
Family Annual Pass (Hang Tag) |
Members of the same household |
12 Months |
$120 |
|
Aspen Leaf Annual Pass |
Visitors 64+ |
12 Months |
$70 |
|
Centennial Pass |
Income-eligible Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Columbine Pass |
Colorado residents with disabilities |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Veterans License Plate |
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for military veterans (disabled veterans or purple heart plates) |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Independence Lifetime Pass |
Colorado resident veterans with disabilities |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Blue Spruce Pass |
Colorado resident first responders with disabilities |
Lifetime |
$10 |
Castlewood Canyon is a Colorado Natural Area. There are many fantastic opportunities for viewing wildlife, plants and rock features.
Be on the Lookout for Birds
Can you spot all one 100+ bird species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).
From Castlewood Canyon visitors have excellent views of the upper Dawson Formation and Castle Rock Conglomerate, which show the geologic history of the Front Range. The conglomerate is a coarse, erosion-resistant cobble held together by volcanic ash. In the northwestern part of the park, a loose alluvium known as the Dawson Formation is exposed. This was deposited by water traveling out of the mountains and onto the plains below. The canyon looks the way it does because of the rocks underneath. What is now Cherry Creek carved into the hard Castle Rock conglomerate, making tall cliffs. The softer Dawson Formation on the upper slopes eroded more easily, creating the wider, lower slopes of the canyon.
Mixed foothill shrublands occupy drier slopes and openings within the forest community, where Gambel’s oak, mountain mahogany, skunkbrush and snowberry are the dominant species. Along drainages, chokecherry and American plum commonly grow with Gambel’s oak. Grasslands are an interesting association of short grass prairie, tall grass prairie, montane grassland and introduced species. Barren rock outcrops and cliffs support lichen and moss communities. A variety of riparian and wetland communities are present along Cherry Creek, tributary drainages, and on seeps and springs. Wetlands support healthy and diverse plant and animal communities by filtering contaminants and anchoring shorelines. Unique grotto (hanging garden wetlands) occupy ceilings and floors of dissolution caverns along the western canyon walls. They contain mosses, liverworts, ferns and vascular plant species representative of the last ice age.
There are no results to display at this time.
There are no results to display at this time.
Smoke marks can be seen on caves and overhangs throughout Castlewood Canyon.
Rock shelters in the canyon date back as far as 5,000 years. Reliable water and south-facing shelters would have made harsh, ancient winters tolerable for early North Americans. The tradition of wintering in the canyon continued under indigenous tribes. Archaeological finds suggest the Jicarilla Apache occupied eastern Colorado from around 1200 to 1750 CE. The Comanche and Mouache Ute, among others, controlled parts of the region during this period as well.
