Castlewood Canyon State Park

State park in Colorado, United States

Castlewood Canyon State Park

Remnants of Castlewood Dam

Colorado

Location| Douglas County, Colorado, USA
Nearest city| Castle Rock, Colorado
Coordinates| 39°19′47″N 104°44′19″W﻿ / ﻿39.32972°N 104.73861°W﻿ / 39.32972; -104.73861
Area| 2,621 acres (10.61 km2)
Established| 1964
Visitors| 252,422 (in 2021)[1]
Governing body| Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Website| https://cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/castlewood-canyon-state-park

Castlewood Canyon State Park is a Colorado state park near Franktown, Colorado. The park retains a unique part of Colorado's history, the remains of Castlewood Canyon Dam. Visitors can still see the remnants and damage from that dam which burst in 1933. The event sent a 15-foot (5 m) wave of water all the way to downtown Denver resulting in a flood. Also contained within the park is the historic Cherry Creek Bridge.

## Recreation

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This park hosts a multitude of hiking/running trails, handicapped access trails and rock climbing opportunities, as well as a nature preservation area on the eastern side that is home to wildlife and interesting geological features.[2] Located within the northernmost extension of the Black Forest, Castle Wood Canyon encompasses 2,136 acres (9 km2) with elevations ranging from 6,200 to 6,600 feet (2,010 m). Many urban dwellers come for the picnic opportunity away from the city (group picnic facilities can be reserved), others visit the park because of the unusual geology, particularly the caprock features.

## Wildlife, ecology, and geography

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Among the many species living in the park are coyote, cottontail rabbit, red fox, black bear, prairie rattlesnake, mountain lion, meadow jumping mouse, turkey vulture, golden eagle, prairie falcon, virile crayfish, Woodhouse's toad and the northern leopard frog.

Ecosystem Zones in the park are grasslands, shrublands, riparian, foothills-conifer, and caprock.

Castlewood Canyon is on the edge of the Palmer Divide, a geologically upraised area that results in more moisture falling than is normal in eastern Colorado, watering the Black Forest.

Castlewood Dam Trails

## History

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The Castlewood Dam in Castlewood Canyon, built in 1890, suffered an utter collapse following heavy rains at 1 am on 3 August 1933, resulting in a 15-foot wall of water rushing down Cherry Creek to Denver, some 15 miles away. Warnings to the city by 4 am allowed most people to move out of the way of the flood waters.[3][4][5]

Castlewood State Park was formed in 1964, following an 87 acre land purchase in 1961 and an additional 792 acre purchase in the late 1970s.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Cherry Creek Rockshelter

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Colorado State Parks Region Annual Visitation Report" (PDF). Colorado Counties, Inc. 2023.
2. ^ Brachfeld, Aaron. "The other Castlewood Canyon State Park - a phototour". the Meadowlark Herald. No. August 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
3. ^ Cherry Creek Flood, 1933, Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Division, 2015.
4. ^ a b Castlewood Canyon State Park: A brief history, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, State of Colorado, 2007].
5. ^ Disaster Nearly Drowns Denver In 1933, Ion Colorado, 1 February 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Media related to Castlewood Canyon State Park at Wikimedia Commons

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Protected areas of Colorado

Federal|

| 4 National Parks|

* Black Canyon of the Gunnison
* Great Sand Dunes
* Mesa Verde
* Rocky Mountain

|

9 National Monuments|

* Browns Canyon (BLM-USFS)
* Camp Hale-Continental Divide (USFS)
* Canyons of the Ancients (BLM)
* Chimney Rock (USFS)
* Colorado
* Dinosaur
* Florissant Fossil Beds
* Hovenweep
* Yucca House

3 National Historic Sites|

* Amache
* Bent's Old Fort
* Sand Creek Massacre

2 National Recreation Areas|

* Arapaho (USFS)
* Curecanti

1 Wild and Scenic River|

* Cache la Poudre River

4 National Historic Trails|

* California Trail
* Old Spanish Trail
* Pony Express Trail
* Santa Fe Trail

1 National Scenic Trail|

* Continental Divide Trail

11 National Forests|

* Arapaho
* Grand Mesa
* Gunnison
* Medicine Bow–Routt
* Pike
* Rio Grande
* Roosevelt
* San Isabel
* San Juan
* Uncompahgre
* White River

2 National Grasslands|

* Comanche
* Pawnee

44 National Wildernesses|

* Black Canyon of the Gunnison
* Black Ridge Canyons
* Buffalo Peaks
* Byers Peak
* Cache La Poudre
* Collegiate Peaks
* Comanche Peak
* Dominguez Canyon
* Eagles Nest
* Flat Tops
* Fossil Ridge
* Great Sand Dunes
* Greenhorn Mountain
* Gunnison Gorge
* Hermosa Creek
* Holy Cross
* Hunter–Fryingpan
* Indian Peaks
* James Peak
* La Garita
* Lizard Head
* Lost Creek
* Maroon Bells-Snowmass
* Mesa Verde
* Mount Evans
* Mount Massive
* Mount Sneffels
* Mount Zirkel
* Neota
* Never Summer
* Platte River
* Powderhorn
* Ptarmigan Peak
* Raggeds
* Rawah
* Rocky Mountain National Park
* Sangre de Cristo
* Sarvis Creek
* South San Juan
* Spanish Peaks
* Uncompahgre
* Vasquez Peak
* Weminuche
* West Elk

3 National Conservation Areas|

* Dominguez–Escalante
* Gunnison Gorge
* McInnis Canyons

8 National Wildlife Refuges|

* Alamosa
* Arapaho
* Baca
* Browns Park
* Monte Vista
* Rocky Flats
* Rocky Mountain Arsenal
* Two Ponds

3 National Heritage Areas|

* Cache la Poudre River Corridor
* Sangre de Cristo
* South Park

28 National Historic Landmarks|

* Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
* Bent's Old Fort
* Central City/Black Hawk Historic District
* Colorado Chautauqua
* Cripple Creek Historic District
* Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
* Denver Civic Center
* Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
* Elitch Gardens Carousel
* Georgetown–Silver Plume Historic District
* Granada War Relocation Center
* Leadville Historic District
* Lindenmeier site
* Lowry Pueblo
* Ludlow Tent Colony Site
* Mesa Verde Administrative District
* Minnequa Steel Works
* Pikes Peak
* Pike's Stockade
* Raton Pass
* Red Rocks Park
* Shenandoah-Dives Mill
* Silverton Historic District
* Telluride Historic District
* Temple Aaron
* Trujillo Homesteads
* United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area
* Winks Panorama

16 National Natural Landmarks|

* Big Spring Creek
* Garden of the Gods
* Garden Park Fossil Area
* Hanging Lake
* Indian Springs Trace Fossil Natural Area
* Lost Creek Scenic Area
* Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas
* Raton Mesa
* Roxborough
* Russell Lakes
* Sand Creek
* Slumgullion Earthflow
* Spanish Peaks
* Sulphur Cave and Spring
* Summit Lake
* West Bijou Site

National Register of Historic Places|

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Colorado

State|

| 43 State Parks|

* Arkansas Headwaters
* Barr Lake
* Boyd Lake
* Castlewood Canyon
* Chatfield
* Cherry Creek
* Cheyenne Mountain
* Crawford
* Eldorado Canyon
* Eleven Mile
* Elkhead
* Fishers Peak
* Golden Gate Canyon
* Harvey Gap
* Highline Lake
* Jackson Lake
* James M. Robb - Colorado River
* John Martin Reservoir
* Lake Pueblo
* Lathrop
* Lone Mesa
* Lory
* Mancos
* Mueller
* Navajo
* North Sterling
* Paonia
* Pearl Lake
* Ridgway
* Rifle Falls
* Rifle Gap
* Roxborough
* Spinney Mountain
* St. Vrain
* Stagecoach
* State Forest
* Staunton
* Steamboat Lake
* Sweetwater Lake
* Sweitzer Lake
* Sylvan Lake
* Trinidad Lake
* Vega
* Yampa River

|

1 State Forest|

* State Forest

307 State Wildlife Areas|

* List of Colorado state wildlife areas

96 State Natural Areas|

* Aiken Canyon
* Antero-Salt Creek
* Arikaree River
* Badger Wash
* Blacks Gulch
* Blue Mountain-Little Thompson Fault
* Bonny Prairie
* Boulder Mountain Park
* Brush Creek Fen
* California Park
* Castlewood Canyon
* Chalk Bluffs
* Coal Creek Tallgrass Prairie
* Colorado Tallgrass Prairie
* Comanche Grassland
* Copeland Willow Carr
* Corral Bluffs
* Cross Mountain Canyon
* Dakota Hogback
* Deer Gulch
* Dome Rock
* Droney Gulch
* Duck Creek
* Dudley Bluffs
* East Lost Park
* East Sand Dunes
* Elephant Rocks
* Escalante Canyon
* Fairview
* Fourmile Creek
* Fruita Paleontological
* Garden Park Fossil
* Gateway Palisade
* Geneva Basin Iron Fens
* Gothic
* Gunnison Gravels
* Haviland Lake
* High Creek Fen
* High Mesa Grassland
* Hoosier Ridge
* Hurricane Canyon
* Indian Spring
* Indian Springs Trace Fossil
* Irish Canyon
* Jimmy Creek
* Ken-Caryl Ranch
* Kremmling Cretaceous Ammonite
* Limestone Ridge
* Lookout Mountain
* Lower Greasewood Creek
* McElmo
* Mexican Cut
* Mini-Wheeler
* Miramonte Reservoir
* Mishak Lakes
* Mount Callahan & Logan Wash Mine
* Mount Emmons Iron Bog
* Mount Goliath
* Narraguinnep
* Needle Rock
* North Park Phacelia
* Orient Mine
* Owl Canyon
* Pagosa Skyrocket
* Paradise Park
* Park Creek Hogback
* Pyramid Rock
* Rabbit Valley
* Rajadero Canyon
* Raven Ridge
* Redcloud Peak
* Rough Canyon
* Roxborough
* Ryan Gulch
* Saddle Mountain
* San Miguel River
* Sand Creek
* Shell Duck Creek
* Shell Rock
* Slumgullion Earthflow
* South Beaver Creek
* South Boulder Creek
* South Cathedral Bluffs
* Specimen Mountain
* Staunton
* Tamarack Ranch
* Treasurevault Mountain
* Trinidad K-T Boundary
* Two Buttes
* Unaweep Seep
* Wacker Ranch
* West Creek
* Wheeler Geologic
* White Rocks
* Yanks Gulch/Upper Greasewood Creek Natural Area
* Zapata Falls

26 Scenic and Historic Byways|

* Alpine Loop
* Cache la Poudre-North Park
* Collegiate Peaks
* Colorado River Headwaters
* Dinosaur Diamond
* Flat Tops Trail
* Frontier Pathways
* Gold Belt Tour
* Grand Mesa
* Guanella Pass
* Highway of Legends
* Lariat Loop
* Los Caminos Antiguos
* Mount Blue Sky
* Pawnee Pioneer Trails
* Peak to Peak
* San Juan Skyway
* Santa Fe Trail
* Silver Thread
* South Platte River Trail
* Top of the Rockies
* Tracks Across Borders
* Trail of the Ancients
* Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow
* Unaweep Tabeguache
* West Elk Loop

Trails|

| 28 National Recreation Trails|

* Apex
* Barr
* Bear Creek
* Big Dry Creek
* Calico
* Crag Crest
* Devils Head
* Fish Creek Falls
* Grays Peak
* Greyrock Mountain
* High Line Canal
* Highline Loop
* Lake Fork
* Mineral Belt
* Mount Evans
* Mount McConnel
* Petroglyph Point
* Platte River Greenway
* Poudre River
* Rocky Mountain Arsenal
* Round Mountain
* Swamp Park
* Two Elk
* Two Ponds
* Vail Pass
* West Lost Trail Creek
* Wheeler Ten Mile
* White House Ranch

|

6 Regional Trails|

* American Discovery Trail
* Colorado Trail
* Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
* Kokopelli's Trail
* Paradox Trail
* Tabeguache Trail

* Colorado Department of Natural Resources

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

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