Roxborough State Park Fountain Valley Loop Trail

ByChristine Updated on

Roxborough State Park has a ridge of sandstone fins that tower above you in shades of bold red. Plan to visit and hike the Roxborough State Park Fountain Valley Loop Trail, in our opinion the best trail to get up close views among the rock formations.

We’ve hiked numerous times, with kids and without and enjoy it every time. Here’s what you need to know.

DISCLAIMER: This post may contain links to affiliate websites. When you click on and/or make a purchase through an affiliate link placed on our website, we may receive a small commission or other form of compensation at no additional cost to you. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

Red rock fins covered in snow along the Roxborough State Park Fountain Valley Loop Trail in Colorado.

Roxborough State Park Fountain Valley Hike

The Fountain Valley Loop Trail is a fairly easy 2.5 miles in length. It departs from the visitor center toward the north end of the park.

Which Direction to Hike the Loop

In hindsight, we recommend walking it counterclockwise, which would have been easier as the way we did it there was a long incline near the end.

But with daylight waning we headed first into the left branch of the trail which is certainly more scenic if you can’t do the entire loop and only want to do part of it out and back.

The trail heads through the Fountain and Lyons rock formations, which are a gorgeous reddish color and are even more impressive than the formations we’ve so enjoyed over at the nearby South Valley Park.

Overlooks

There are two overlooks along the way. First take the very short spur trail up to the Lyons Overlook not long after you begin on the right branch of the Fountain Valley Loop Trail.

Then as you are looping back to the visitor center you’ll come across the Fountain Valley Overlook just off the trail.

Historic Structures

At the back of loop you’ll notice a couple structures. These are historic buildings built by Henry S. Persse who used Roxborough State Park as a summer home and apparently also had dreams to make it into a resort. I’m pretty happy it remained a natural area.

This trail is a great way to get a close view of the red rock fins. They are very striking towering above you. If you want to see them above, we recommend the South Rim Trail with more elevation change.

Take a Tour

Another way to see this trail is by taking a Rox Ride. This is a volunteer guided tour where you will be riding in an extended electric golf cart. How cool is that?

Register for the tour beforehand as seats are limited to 5 people. Make sure to bring a car seat for small children as they are required but not provided.

Roxborough State Park in the Winter

Roxborough State Park in the winter is pretty magical. The stark contrast between the red rocks and the snow cover is beautiful. It’s especially neat to see amazing places like this throughout other seasons, as they are pretty distinct in each season. You can do this hike at Roxborough in the summer too of course!

The park allows snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the park. The Fountain Valley Loop Trail seemed like one that would be great for either of those.

Fountain Valley Loop Trail with Kids

Fountain Valley Loop Trail is the perfect hike for kids. The trail is wide and level with pretty gradual inclines. There is enough around to keep them engaged, looking at the rock formations or keeping an eye out for wildlife.

Most strollers should be able to go on this trail in good trail conditions, but those with more rugged tires would do better. The only section I think it wouldn’t work would be the Lyons Overlook.

If you’re teaching kids how to snowshoe or how to cross-country ski, this would be a nice wide place to do so.

Things to Know

Location

You’ll find Roxborough State Park at 4751 Roxborough Dr, Littleton, CO 80125, southwest of Denver.

Costs

The cost for a daily vehicle pass is $​10. You can get an individual annual pass for $80 or a family annual pass for $120.

Pets

Roxborough State Park does not allow pets.

Visitor Center

Check out the informative displays and park artifacts in the visitor center. Here you will also find the restrooms and a picnic area on the patio.

Where to go Next

Pop on over to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to see more striking red rocks or watch a concert. Head down to Colorado Springs to see Garden of the Gods to see even taller sandstone fins.

Christine is the co-founder of Never Stop Adventuring, and an avid traveler who started traveling the world as a child growing up in a military family. She even lived in Germany for numerous years. Since then she has been to 48 U.S. states, 17 countries, and traveled the U.S. in an RV for over 7 years.

With her 3 kids, the adventures continued family travel style. She has planned and coordinated travel with kids for the last 10 years and shares family travel tips and tricks, destinations, costs and even the mistakes so you can be empowered to take your own family trips with confidence!