Rampart Reservoir

*Please note, this review is only of hiking trails, and not of fishing.*

North of Colorado Springs and West of Woodland Park lies Rampart Reservoir*. We (my friend Jen and her three kids, ages 13, 10, 7) hiked the trail around the reservoir itself**. The trail isn't difficult, some incline, some rocks to scamper on top of near the water, as my friend's kids did (okay, so did I). It's peaceful, serene, and blissful with lovely views of Pikes Peak. It's SO quiet here....like, plug your ears right now, that's how quiet it is on this trail.

One of the kids I was hiking with asked me if I went to church (oh, the things people discuss on the trail....an entire book could be dedicated to such a subject!). With arms outstretched, gesturing to our surroundings of aspen, fir, spruce trees and granite rocks, I replied,
"Nope, I don't. This is my church."

A nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon, or any afternoon for that matter.



*Cost to enter is $5.

**If you so choose, you can also mountain bike on the trail, as we had to move out of the way of several bikers (which I found somewhat annoying).

The Rainbow Gulch Trailhead is about a 20 minute drive from downtown Woodland Park, CO. and is an out-and-back trail of about 3.5 miles. There are 2 ways to follow the trail. (1) is along the left side of the stream, but we would suggest that you avoid this trail. It has been widened and is used by frequent logging trucks. (2) is along the right side of the stream and is used by most hikers. The trail is rather narrow in spots, and there are areas where you are within inches of the stream. If it has rained, I would suspect this would be a rather messy, muddy hike. But, we had been blessed by sunshine and dry weather in early June of this year, and we made to hike to the reservoir and back - and we are both 69 years old. Enjoy!

Beautiful reservoir! Wonderful views and pretty trail surrounding it. It's hard to get down to the water because the trail going down can be steep and there doesn't seem to be a designated path. There are some decent rocks for sitting but you won't find any comfortable sitting places like logs or tree stumps near the water so bring your own chair. The reservoir has plenty of parking and lots of picnic areas. If you paddle board or kayak it's a great spot for that. Recommend to anyone who likes to do reservoirs activities at this beautiful place.

Beautiful resevoir, great kayaking and hiking - but PLEASE be careful driving on the 'gravel' road.

Today the washboard-dirt road to the resevoir took its latest victim - some bozo driving too fast flipped their car (the one person we saw on the side of the road was okay - could not tell if the other one was taken away in the ambulance). Their little antic blocked traffic in both directions for 30 mins. All you have to do is SLOW DOWN - save a life, save yourself money and hassle (and for everyone else, too).

In addition, PLEASE WAIT patiently in-line until the ambulance and public safety officers had completed their work. We had more bozos cutting in-line, and stopping on the wrong side of the road, blocking the on-coming traffic.

Enjoy this lovely area and please be respectful while driving-thanks!

I cannot believe I hadn't tried out this spot yet! We were looking for a place to go camping that wasn't too far out of town - Rampart Reservoir fit the bill perfectly! There was a ton of dispersed camping not too far away, and the view of Pikes Peak from our campsite was beyond gorgeous. Since the reservoir was nearby, we got in a great hike that wasn't too difficult, which made it easier to go hiking for a longer time. I really enjoyed it here - this is going to be our go-to for a super close, very nature-y destination!

I would rate it 5 stars except for the fact that you cannot pay to enter with a credit card. They give you a piece of paper with a website on it to pay but the only other problem is there is no service up there. I would highly suggest paying in advance. The website to pay is https://rockymountainrec.com/day-pass-ticket/ also seems a bit wierd that they company they go through is based in California. Anyway, either pay in advance ($8.50 with $1.50 surcharge) or bring $7 cash. Beautiful place for sure!!

Amazing hiking spot. Not too crowded and beautiful scenery! Peaceful place! Way better than some of the tourist traps!

Get out and enjoy the outdoors. My boyfriend went fishing (no bites) while I hiked. We parked by the dam - elevation 9050 ft. There is a 10 mile trail around the reservoir. I just did an out and back 1.5 hr hike. So peaceful and the views are amazing! Single track track with more mountain bikers than hikers while I was on it. No cell service in the area. If you go, be sure to take a walk on at least some of trail for the views! Cost was $6 for day use pass.

Rampart is one of my go-to destinations...all-season.

Summer/Fall I'll hike from USAFA and back w/the dog. In the winter, it's a great destination for snowshoeing and sunshiney Colorado.

Farish is accesssible from Rampart. Or you can venture to Rampart via Rainbow Gulch.

No matter how you choose to cruise the trail (single track via bike - clockwise or hike - counterclockwise) - you won't be disappointed in your trip :)