Colorado Hikes: Spruce Mountain in Larkspur, CO

After work on a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon, I decided to hit a hike in the Castle Rock-Larkspur area, instead of heading towards Golden, Morrison, or Boulder like I usually do.

The drive down to Spruce Mountain Open Space just outside of Larkspur, Colorado was easy down I-25, and I felt much more transported to a different world: a calmer, slower one, despite being just 30 minutes from my home in South Denver.

I took the Mountain Top Loop route, connecting it with the Eagle Pass Trail via a service road. Other options for this trail include just hiking up to the first “money shot” viewing spot, completing the Mountain Top Loop on its entirety instead of doing what I did, or connecting on one of the many other trails through the woods and meadows.

The most difficult part of this hike was its length: the elevation gain was never an issue, as feet were gained primarily through rolling switchbacks.

Here is my photo gallery from Sunday, April 27, 2025:

Photo Gallery

While wind gusts got intense at times upon arrival, worry not, I wasn’t dealing with 37 mile per hour wind guys the entire hike. Nevertheless, it was a windy area, which brought down the warm temperature just a tad (still shorts and t-shirt weather though.)

View from the parking lot.

This hawk circling nearby with the winds came in to frame perfectly for this picture.

I’m currently here, at the junction of the upper loop. It looks like I could take the upper loop back around to this point, and then head back down the way I came, but instead…

The plan is to shoot down the service road and take the winding Eagle Pass Trail back to the parking lot.

Is it bad luck if a snake crosses your path?

Always like to give a shout-out to my post-hike meal: this a margarita pizza from Larkspur Pizzeria and Cafe in Larkspur, CO. Really good thinner crust pizza!

Stats

Strava’s main statistic screen only counts “moving time,” but to me, a hike time is the total time from start to finish, including breathers. Therefore, my total time for my 5.89 mile loop was 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 28 seconds.

Route Length: 5.89 miles

Total Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes, 28 seconds

Elevation Gain: 600 feet

Date Hiked: April 27, 2025