I have lived here in Colorado Springs long enough to have seen a lot of what there is to see and do, but I found something these past two weekends that is truly unique even for this area.
Aiken Canyon Preserve is one of the last undeveloped examples of the southern Front Range foothills ecosystem.
It features a beautiful collection of transitional Front Range habitat types, including scrublands, tall grass prairie meadows, pinion juniper woodlands and mixed coniferous woodlands, all within the 1600 acre site.
It is located 11 miles South of Academy Boulevard on Highway 115, Turkey Canyon Ranch Road (located 0.1 mile south of milepost 32)
The four mile loop and 3/4 mile trail up the Canyon took me three hours to complete and is the most diverse and densely foraged landscape I have hiked on the Front Range.
It is beautiful, quiet and remote all within 15 minutes of Colorado Springs.
The variety of plant life and ecosystems all so close to each other, all on one trail make the short trip south seem like a wilderness within driving distance right here on the Front Range.
If you love quiet Colorado hiking, paradise awaits just south on Highway 115.
