Monument rock

We've done this trail several times. It's a fairly easy, 2.75 mile loop with minimal elevation. Spikes came in handy today, but you could probably do it without. There were lots of areas of snow, slush, and even more areas of mud. Great hike for beginners. I'm sure we'll do it again.

Landmark in Monument, Colorado...My sister had never heard of this hiking trail and had never been in the area. Since it was nearby to our dinner place, I suggested that we take a look.When you get closer to Monument Rock, the road isn't paved anymore. There are signs, but my sister was able to see Monument Rock before the line of trees blocked the view. We went a bit past the trail entrance and turned the car around in the parking lot. It was 8pm and getting dark, so we left after we got a few photos.I'd get pictures of the pond if I returned!

This was a good, flat hike that we did while trying not to get into something that wasn't very aggressive since the snow had been melting (avoiding mud). There were two closer parking lots by the rock itself, but we parked further off for a 3 mile or so loop. The rock was interesting and had a pond nearby. We didn't see many animals this trip, but I'm sure there are plenty to be seen in warm weather. Note that there are a lot of trails that branch off from each other, many of which run parallel to each other and seemed redundant.

A fun, easy hike in the snow! I think we got off the main path as we hiked about 5 miles. Loved it! Would definitely go again.