I'm not trying to be stupid, really, this is step down. We'll see how it goes.
Reynolds Park is one of the few remaining Jefferson County parks I had not visited, and is another that I drove by at night on my accident detour last month. I figured, why not? That's where I headed on a sunny Sunday.
Its trails are largely wooded, pine forest trails in the mountains, with a few open sections. There was limited natural water, but then again the park is not that big; my tour that included almost every trail was nearly 6 miles and took about 2:45 at a leisurely pace with plenty of photo stops. One bottle was enough.
The Eagle's View trail opens up onto expansive views of the Pike National Forest, a distant and hazy Pikes Peak, and numerous other lumpy summits.
This is about 1/3 of the panorama:
The terrain is similar to other trails at about 7,000-8,000 feet: pretty pines and the occasional aspen. Since it's near the Pike Forest, the rock is mostly pink granite and so is the sand on the trail.
This is a twisted dead pine trunk, which had opened up in the middle so you could see through it, an odd corkscrew of wood:
Hike distance was 5.77 miles, time 2:43 (moving 1:44), elevation gain/loss 1,182 feet, avg. pace 28:23 (moving 18:02), and best pace 9:32.
If you feel the need to get your heart rate up on some pleasant mountain trails, while passing by on US 285, this is a good option. If you are spooked by being alone, bring someone else, because I only saw three groups the whole time. It's kind of out there and secluded for a JeffCo park. It's also hiker-only.
