Eldorado Canyon State Park
State Park in Eldorado Springs, CO
Hours:
Timed entry reservations needed Saturdays, Sundays and summer holidays May 1 through October 1.
Park: Daily, sunrise to sunset
Visitor Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Thursdays.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
9 Kneale Road
Eldorado Springs, CO 80025
United States
Eldorado Canyon State Park
State Park in Eldorado Springs, CO
Hours:
Timed entry reservations needed Saturdays, Sundays and summer holidays May 1 through October 1.
Park: Daily, sunrise to sunset
Visitor Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Thursdays.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
9 Kneale Road
Eldorado Springs, CO 80025
United States
Two people walking on a dirt trail
Welcome to Eldorado Canyon State Park
Eldorado Canyon is a hidden treasure right in Boulder’s backyard! Whether it’s hiking amidst the towering sandstone cliffs, picnicking along scenic South Boulder Creek or climbing Eldorado's sheer golden walls, Eldorado Canyon State Park truly has something for everyone. Discover this jewel and take home memories that will last a lifetime.
1,392
acres
80+
species of birds
11
picnic sites
17.1
miles of trails
Accessing the Park
Timed Entry Reservations
Anyone accessing the park in their vehicle must have a Timed Entry Reservation to enter the park on Saturdays, Sundays, and summer holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day) from May 1 through October 1 annually. Timed Entry Reservations are only required for the inner canyon. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead when visiting during peak user days.
Entering the Park
Reservations are not required for those using the shuttle, walking, biking, or riding a horse. However, there is NO public parking in the town of Eldorado Springs, and a valid Colorado State Parks pass is still required for entry. To enter the park during this time will require two things:
- A Timed Entry Reservation. Visitors must make a reservation in advance through CPWShop.com or by calling the Reservation Line: 1-800-244-5613. Reservations cannot be made at the state park, including the entrance station or visitor center/park office.
- Visitors must print or save the reservation confirmation(e.g., print, download, or screenshot) and present it at their time of arrival at the park. Cell phone connectivity is very poor, and you will be turned away if you cannot provide proof of reservation. If you arrive at the first timed entry window between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., you MUST have the reservation confirmation printed and displayed on your dashboard.
- A Colorado State Park Pass. You must make a Timed Entry Reservation to enter the park, even if you have an Annual Colorado State Park Pass. Qualifying Colorado State Park Passes include 1-day pass, Keep Colorado Wild Pass, Annual Pass, Family Annual Pass, Aspen Leaf Annual Pass
- For all Family and Affixed Annual pass holder reservations, the pass holder does not need to be present as long as someone in the car resides in the same household. However, for all Aspen Leaf Annual pass-holder reservations, the pass holder is required to be present.
Leaving and Returning to the Park
There is no length-of-stay requirement. Once you enter the park, you may leave at any time. Entry and re-entry must be within your reserved 2-hour window.
Making Reservations
- The Timed Entry Reservation is free. However, you will need a valid Colorado State Parks Pass to enter.
- Reservations will be available from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with two-hour entry windows.
- Can be made 30 days in advance.
- A minimal number of same-day reservations will be open 24 hours in advance.
- Each customer is allocated one reservation per day, per vehicle, with a maximum of four reservations in a 30-day period.
- Same-day reservations can be made until 4:30 p.m. as long as available.
- No refunds will be available.
- All permits are non-transferable.
- Resale or auction of reservations is prohibited.
How to Make a Reservation
A $10 daily entrance fee will be added to the cart for customers who do not possess an annual Colorado State Parks Pass on their customer profile. To waive the $10 daily entrance fee, the reservation must be made under the pass holder's account. For example, if your vehicle's annual pass was issued under your spouse's profile, you must make the reservation under their profile. You must link your KCW pass to CPWshop.com in order to waive the reservation fee. Please visit the step-by-step guide on linking your KCW pass.
If you are still having issues, please call 1-800-244-5613. No refunds for daily entrance fees will be issued once the transaction has been processed.
- Visit CPWshop.com
- Sign in or create a customer account.
- Tap the three-bar menu at the top left-hand corner of the page.
- Click in the "Visit A Park" tab and select "Make a reservation" under the "Day Use" category.
- Type Eldorado Canyon State Park into the “Where” text box and click on Search.
- Click on the Eldorado Canyon State Park hyperlink at the bottom of the page.
- Select “Daily Entrance”
- Select your date and click the "Check Availability" button
- Select an available entry time window (note: ADA refers to customers with a disabled placard or license plate)
- Select "Book Now" to add the reservation to your cart and process the transaction
- After payment, you will receive an email with an attached Entry Reservation Confirmation
- Visitors must print or save the Timed Vehicle Reservation confirmation (e.g., print, download, screenshot or snap a photo) and present it upon arrival at the park.
- Visit CPWShop.com
- Sign in or create a customer account.
- Click in the "Visit A Park" tab and select "Make a timed entry reservation"
- Select Date
- Click the "Check Availability" button
- Select an available entry time window (note: ADA refers to customers with a disabled placard or license plate)
- Select "Book Now" to add the reservation to your cart and process the transaction
- After payment, you will receive an email with an attached Timed Entry Reservation Confirmation
- Visitors must print or save the Timed Entry Reservation confirmation (e.g., print, download, screenshot or snap a photo) and present it upon arrival at the park.
GPS Directions
Eldorado Canyon is located at 9 Kneale Rd, Eldorado Springs, CO 80025.
Eldorado Canyon State Park is about thirty miles from Denver. Take I-25 north to State Highway 36, then go west toward Boulder. Exit at Louisville-Superior (you will also see signs for Eldorado Springs and Highway 170) and turn south (left) at the light. Follow signs to Eldorado Springs/Highway 170, turning right on Marshall Road/Highway 170. You will turn into the Superior Marketplace, as Highway 170 travels around the marketplace and eventually leads you 7.4 miles to Eldorado Canyon. Highway 170 deadends at the town of Eldorado Springs, and the road continues as a dirt road. The park is located at the end of the dirt road on the left.
Inner Canyon
For the inner canyon location, do not enter Eldorado Canyon State Park into your mapping app, it could route you to Crescent Meadows. Instead enter: 9 Kneale Road, Eldorado Springs CO 80025.
Cresent Meadows
For our Crescent Meadows location enter Crescent Meadows Trailhead into the mapping app.
A shuttle service is available from the city of Boulder into Eldorado Canyon. Visitors can access the park via shuttle bus on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The shuttle runs approximately every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For a map of routes and stops, and more info, visit eldoshuttle.com. A reservation is NOT required to access the shuttle; however, you must possess a valid Colorado State Parks pass or pay $4 per person ages 16 and older.
The Eldorado Canyon Visitor Center is located 1 mile west of the park entrance on the west side of the park.
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Licenses and registrations will not be available for purchase on weekends or holidays from May 1 to October 1 annually.
Crescent Meadows is a separate, undeveloped part of the park located west of the inner canyon area.
Hiking
You can reach the Crescent Meadows area by hiking on the Eldorado Canyon Trail and Walker Ranch Loop (4.5 miles).
Driving from Boulder
You can also reach the trailhead by traveling west of Boulder on Flagstaff Road to Gross Dam Road. Go south on Gross Dam Road to the Crescent Meadows parking lot on the left.
May 1 to October 1
With a timed vehicle reservation, you are guaranteed parking within the park. However, it may not be located near your chosen trailhead or access point. There is no parking in the town of Eldorado Springs.
October 1 to May 1
The park often reaches vehicle parking capacity on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. If the park is at capacity, entry may be denied.
Park Conditions
Fees and Passes
Pass |
Description |
Duration |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants |
1 Day |
$10-$12 |
|
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 |
Colorado residents 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 |
Nature and Wildlife
Mule deer, elk, black bear, bobcat, red fox, coyote and mountain lion inhabit the foothills in and around Eldorado Canyon. The park's areas near water, called riparian habitats, act as corridors for animals to move through. Large populations of bats breed in the caves in the inner canyon.
Over 80 species of migratory and resident birds have been recorded for this area, including raptors, songbirds and waterfowl. Golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and prairie falcons nest within and around the park. Seasonal closures of some climbing routes are enforced to protect raptor nesting sites.
Be on the Lookout for Birds
Can you spot all resident and visiting species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).
Birds You Might Find
- Steller’s Jay
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- Lesser Goldfinch
- Dusky Grouse
Mammals You Might Find
- Ringtail
- Fox Squirrel
- Bobcat
- Bighorn Sheep
Reptiles and Amphibians You Might Find
- Prairie Rattlesnake
- Western Milksnake
- Prairie Lizard
- Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Geology at This Park
Eldorado Canyon's cliffs and slopes reveal the area's complex geology. The canyon's steep walls offer top-notch rock climbing routes, thanks to the dramatic relief and natural fractures exposing near-vertical rock faces. South Boulder Creek, the primary water feature, carved the cliffs during Front Range uplift. Other tributary drainages include Rattlesnake Gulch, South Draw, Johnson Gulch and an unnamed one north of Johnson Gulch. The park features ridges of erosion-resistant rock forming hogbacks, and linear geologic features show folding and faulting.
In the Crescent Meadow area, Precambrian Boulder Creek Granite is exposed and underlies formations in the Inner Canyon. A quartzite dike near Rattlesnake Gulch trailhead forms Quartzite Ridge and Supremacy Rock. Paleozoic Lyons and Fountain Sandstones, tilted by uplifted Boulder Creek Granite into flatirons, appear in the Inner Canyon. Fountain Sandstone is visible in formations known to climbers as Bastille, Wind Ridge, Redgarden, West Ridge, Peanuts and Rincon. Lyons Sandstone is visible in the feature known as Rotwand in the Inner Canyon.
Habitats and Plants at This Park
Eldorado Canyon State Park includes 1,488 acres located in the unique ecological zone between the grasslands of the plains and the forests of Front Range foothills. The two main areas in the park are the Inner Canyon and Crescent Meadows. Elevations range from 5,800 to 8,800 feet.
Eldorado exemplifies the diversity of vegetation types found in Colorado’s Front Range foothills. Many factors attribute to this diversity, including the park’s varied topography, soils, microclimates of the canyon and, specifically, its location in the ecotone between mixed grass prairie and montane woodland.
Nearly barren rock outcrops and cliffs support lichen and moss communities. Ponderosa pine and Rocky Mountain juniper are the dominant trees, and commonly associated species include mountain mahogany, skunkbrush, currant, kinnikinnick, goldaster and beard-tongue. Dominant grass species include little bluestem, blue and side-oats grama, needle-and-thread grass, pine dropseed, prairie Junegrass, western wheatgrass, purple three-awn and smooth brome. One rare plant association, Douglas-fir/river birch, occurs in the northeast corner of Crescent Meadows. Riparian and wetland communities, though limited, are found along South Boulder Creek tributary drainages and on seeps and springs. Plains and narrowleaf cottonwood, Rocky Mountain maple, boxelder, chokecherry and American plum dominate riparian communities. Wetland communities are characterized by a number of shrubby willow species, Nebraska and aquatic sedge, Arctic rush and grass species.
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History
The Ute Native American tribes who lived in the mountains of Colorado and Utah came to Eldorado Canyon often to enjoy the warm springs for health and spiritual renewal. A few arrowheads and artifacts remain, though most were removed before Eldorado Canyon became a state park.
- Mid-1800s: The Ute loses most of eastern Colorado to settlers.
- 1858: John Doudy is the first to homestead along South Boulder Creek. Others soon follow. They build ranches and farms, small businesses, sawmills and logging operations near Eldorado Canyon.
- 1880s: Phillip Kneale and his two brothers are the first homesteaders in the canyon itself. Horse-drawn wagons carry lumber out of the canyon along a road built as a grade for a narrow-gauge railroad in the 1890s. The railroad is a failed venture and no track is ever laid. This is the current-day Fowler Trail.
- 1902: The federal government grants Union Pacific land in the area to construct a railroad. The Moffat Road rail line still operates today along the southern flank of the canyon as the Denver & Rio Grande route from Denver west to Winter Park and beyond.
- 1904: Spiritualist George Taylor's group buys 480 acres of the canyon from the Union Pacific railroad. Later that year, Frank Fowler, a young entrepreneur, purchases the property with his partners from Taylor for $5,000.
- 1950s: The first climbers come to the canyon. The first groups of technical climbers are called “marmots," after the rock-dwelling mammals.
- 1960s: The canyon becomes a private club for a brief time. A few years later, the resort again re-opens to the public, once again offering family-oriented recreation opportunities.
- 1978: The State of Colorado purchases the canyon after the canyon’s owner threatens to sell the area for a rock quarry, prompting public outcry. Eldorado Canyon State Park is created. The park preserves the natural splendor of the area and fosters continued enjoyment by the public.
Although Eldorado Canyon has passed through many changes and attracted many thousands of visitors, its rugged beauty, unique resources and healing atmosphere have always inspired a special love and respect.