Hidden Mesa Mountain Bike Trail

We parked off 83 and it was a short walk to the bridge. There were people riding horses and walking dogs. Righter after the bridge is the paved bike path. This path had tons of prairie dogs and they were all chirping at each other. I'll have to update this review after I go through the Mesa Rim loop, but for this time around it was just a casual walk without many sights.

We parked at the #2 Trailhead off Castle Oaks Drive. There are only about 10 spaces, but this lot has a bathroom, trashcan, and dog bags. We chose this trail because its only about 2.8mi to do the Mesa Rim Loop trail v the Cherry Creek Trail to the loop (about 6 mi). This hike is very exposed to the elements so come prepared (hat, water, sunglasses, layers in non-summer). There are lots of prairie dogs along the trail, but that also means rattlesnakes and coyotes, so please keep your dog on leash despite the wide open temptation to let them run free. There are also many cyclists on the trail. The trail is well-marked with great views of the mountains and is easy enough for young kids, too.

We walked and I almost stepped on a rattler on June 1,2020. Gave us warning as my foot was coming down on the trail about 6 inches from where it curled in the shade of the shrubs. Nice and noisy for quite a while. Eeeeecckkkk!