One-way Distance: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 6547- 6783 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Matthews/Winters Park
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic views
The Morrison Slide trail is located in the Matthews/Winters Park near Denver, Colorado. The trail begins and ends off of the Red Rocks trail. Where the Red Rocks trail makes a traverse around the side of the hill the Morrison Slide trail climbs over the top of it giving it more elevated views of the Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rocks Park area. The trail is extremely popular with hikers, mountain bikers and trail runners.
From the Matthews/Winters Park trailhead the Morrison Slide trail can be reached via the Red Rocks or the Cherry Gulch trails. Both routes begin by either following the Village Walk trail, if you are on foot, or the Village Ride trail if you are on a mountain bike. Both of those trails reconnect at the beginning of the Red Rocks trail where after a short distance the Cherry Gulch trail comes up as an alternate route.
As the Morrison Slide trail starts out it travels toward the head of Cherry Gulch.
Within a few hundred feet it comes to its junction with the Cherry Gulch trail where it turns sharply at the first of 7 or 8 switchbacks that it climbs to get up the hillside.
The first switchback is followed by a long sweep that angles up the side of the hill at a moderate angle.
A few rocky outcrops increase the level of difficulty for the mountain bikers.
The trail reaches a bench where there is a good view of Dinosaur Ridge with Green Mountain in the background.
More level now the trail continues as a mix of rocks and packed dirt.
Whether hiking, running or riding the easiness of the little mesa with its elevated views makes for a pleasant time of it.
Scenic views of Red Rocks Park come into view on the south end of the mesa.
Going down the south side of the hill there are about the same number of switchbacks but the trail is a little steeper and a bit more rocky.
