It’s been a while since I’ve written about our local trails. One fantastic thing about living on Denver’s front range is the extensive open space options, especially where I live. That means even more trails to explore. I mentioned one a few years ago: Clear Creek, one of my go-to places for walking and running. Now, that trail has connected to two others, one of which will eventually connect to mountain towns to the west.

RAS and I went along these trails this weekend, probably one of the last with warm and sunny weather before the snow falls and temperatures drop.  The leaves showed glorious gold and amber colors and fluttered in the light breezes. Others must have been on the same wavelength as us because the trails were busy.

Accessing the Peak to Plains and Welch Ditch trails is relatively easy. You can park on the Gateway lot, at the southwest corner of State Highway 93 and US Highway 6, or the Tunnel 1 trailhead a half mile up the canyon on US 6. Alternatively, you can go along Clear Creek Trail from downtown Golden, about a mile from the Gateway trailhead. In total, you can then do a nearly four-mile roundtrip trek.

The Peak to Plains

You’ll descend a multi-tiered steel staircase from the Gateway parking lot like those at ski resorts. It’s probably constructed like this because visitors will probably want to use the trails during winter, and these stairs are ideal for snow. It’s a short walk on a concrete path to the bridge spanning Clear Creek to the beginning of Peak to Plains, which goes out for about a mile and back.

The rolling pathway skirts along the creek's south bank, about five to ten feet above the trail, lined with cottonwood, oaks and willows. When we visited, these trees were at their colorful best during fall. The colors arrive later here than in the higher elevations, where most of the aspen groves are, so we enjoy this delayed burst of foliage. 

Walkers, runners and bikers can all share the wide trail. However, be mindful of climbers who veer off halfway up the trail to a massive boulder for warm-up climbs and then further above the cliffs. Also, while the trail gently winds into Clear Creek Canyon, it abruptly stops with a locked chain-link fence about a half mile from the Tunnel 1 trailhead. Peak to Plains will be connected to a trail near Idaho Springs, but it’s unknown when it will be completed.

Welch Ditch Trail

Situated on the canyon walls along Clear Creek, Welch Ditch was once a flume that carried snowmelt from the mountains to Golden. It was built in 1871 and used for irrigation and supply until 2001. The water wasn’t just for its citizens but also for the growing brewery called Coors. 

Some of the flume's wooden portions are still present and now incorporated into the trail, which is mostly packed dirt but has wooden planks in certain areas. You can access the Welch Ditch from several points, including the bridge at the start of the Peak to Plains, which has switchbacks before it levels out before heading west. But I recommend trekking the loop, where you can start on this portion, descend to the Peak to Plains, or do the reverse.

One thing to note is caring for those climbers on the cliffs on Welch Ditch. They will be above you as you walk past about halfway on the trail. Just practice mutual respect when approaching the climbing area.