Hike Hogback Loop Trail

...If you're visiting the Colorado Springs area and are looking for another option to avoid the masses of Garden of the Gods, Red Rock Canyon Open Space is a great alternative. I didn't know anything about this place until my friend that I was visiting asked me if I wanted to go on a less secluded hike. So when he brought me here, I was blown away on the beauty of the place.

The Hogback Ridge trail is a 4.1 mile lightly trafficked loop with beautiful sceneries. You'll start at the main parking lot and will continue south until it begins to curve and eventually take you back to where you started. The hike is easy to moderate with a little bit of scrambling, especially if you decided to climb Hogback Ridge Wall. In my opinion that was the coolest part of the trail. You'll ascend a few hundred feet before actually getting to the wall. From there you can carefully climb up and walk along the steep ridge. The space is only about a foot or so in length to walk along, so it's pretty steep and narrow. If attempting, please do so at your own risk. Once you descend back down, if you walk about .2 miles you'll come across a cool little cave that semi outlooks the canyon. Not the best view in the house, but a cool spot to relax if it's blazing hot outside. Also, along different parts of the trail there are anchors where you'll see rock climbers. If you're a rock climber and have the gear, then this would be a spot to check out. When I went there was a rock climbing session going on with about 10-15 people, which I thought was pretty cool! From the cave, continue your way around the loop and through the canyon until you eventually find yourself back at the parking lot. There are restrooms and picnic tables for accessible use, and of course family and dog friendly. Enjoy exploring the canyon and make this a definite option if you plan of spending some time in Colorado Springs.

As always, please respect the land and pick up your trash when finished. Leave no trace and happy trails!