Mueller State Park offers multitudes of trails for year-round hiking | Take a Hike | Cheyenne Edition

If You Go

PARK: Mueller State Park (719-687-2366), Dome Rock State Wildlife Area

BEST TIMES TO VISIT: April to October

TRAILS: Rock Pond, Four Mile Overlook, Cabin Creek, Rock Canyon, Geer Pond, Outlook Ridge

LENGTH: About a 7 ½-mile loop and about 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

NOTES: For a detailed trail map of Mueller State Park, visit cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Mueller/Documents/MuellerRecreationalTrails.pdf. For Dome Rock State Wildlife Area, visit cpw.state.co.us/learn/Maps/DomeRockSWA_geo.pdf. The multitude of trails at Mueller and on this loop require that you keep your bearings and are well equipped with map data. Trails are named and numbered, but signage is limited. However, many useful landmarks like homesteads and ponds help keep you on track. April can be a big snow month in the mountains, so avoid this loop after heavy snowfalls. A daily state parks pass is required to enter the park. As of early April, the park is still open for hiking, but the visitor center and campgrounds are closed.

Warmer days in April are a good reason to seek higher elevations, and Mueller State Park is a wonderful mountain park for hiking, only about a 45 minute drive away.

To get there, drive westward on U.S. 24 to Divide, then head south on CO 67 to the signed park entrance. Continue on the main park road for about two miles, passing the visitor center, and park at the Outlook Ridge trailhead on the left.

Hike south a short distance to the visitor center and pick up the Rock Pond Trail (No. 5) heading southwest and downhill through conifer forest. After about a mile, go left at the trail intersection to get on the Four Mile Overlook Trail (No. 44). The trail passes through a gate into Dome Rock State Wildlife Area, followed by some wonderful expanses of grassland. Stick to the main trail heading westward and after about 1 ½ miles, trail No. 44 ends at Cabin Creek Trail (No. 45). From here, the route climbs steadily back uphill. Turn right on trail No. 45 and head northwest for about half a mile, then turn right on Golden Eagle Trail (No. 14). Continue north for about one-fourth of a mile to the Worley Homestead, a nice spot for a break among the historic buildings that include a barn, corral, cabin and even an old outhouse. Continue northeast for about a mile to reconnect with Rock Pond Trail (No. 5). Turn right and head eastward for about 1.25 miles to the well named Rock Pond that abuts a rock face.

From Rock Pond, head north and east on Rock Canyon Trail (No. 15) for about .75 miles to the large round Geer Pond, a nice spot for trout fishing. Just beyond the pond, turn right on Geer Pond Trail (No. 25). Head eastward for about one-fourth of a mile, then go right on a short trail that cuts southwest to connect to Outlook Ridge Trail (No. 7). Turn left on trail No. 7 and head eastward for the last half mile of the loop that returns to the Outlook Ridge parking area.

Joe LaFleur has lived in southern Colorado since 2016 and is a hiking enthusiast who hits the trails weekly. Contact Joe with questions or feedback at joelafleur@tds.net. Hiking is great exercise, but can be hazardous. Always be sure to plan well, check the weather, bring a printed map, tell someone where and when you are going, and contact them when you return safely.

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