Queens Canyon Trail

Queens Canyon Trail

This hike truly is fit for a queen. Complete with a castle at the trailhead, this trail begins adjacent to the impeccably groomed grounds of Glen Eyrie, a Christian-based stewardship and conference center. Originally the private estate of General William Jackson Palmer in the late 1800s, the serene valley features an elegant castle available for meetings and lodging, several other outlying buildings, a carriage house, and a group camp area. All of this is tucked here and there among high canyon walls and a dreamy landscape of tidy, deep green shrubbery, stand-at-attention lawns, and vibrant flowers decorating the whole works like Christmas ornaments come to life. Best of all, Glen Eyrie is surrounded by superb hiking trails, and top on the list is Queens Canyon. This is a fantabulous trail that lazily climbs into this gorgeous canyon, following Camp Creek and high, craggy, walls. Much of the canyon is flushed with red in the stone, and it glows against the clear blue of the sky. The trail twists and bends merrily around clumps of low shrubs and small cottonwood trees, and hops over the creek again and again over steppingstone rocks or a downed log. This means fun for us, as we explore the canyon following a wayward path, like a happy dog’s footprints on a layer of newly fallen snow. A high waterfall is icing on this already sweet treat, as the trail climbs steeply to the ridge of the canyon and ambles back down through Echo Rock Canyon.

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