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Tower

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 0.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 7637 - 7862 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: West Mount Falcon Park
Fee: none
Attractions: Tower, Eagle Eye Shelter




The Tower trail is located in the Mount Falcon Park near Morrison, Colorado. The trail begins off of the Meadow trail where it travels up to the site of an old fire watchtower that is perched on the top of Mt. Falcon. From the tower the trail loops around and returns once again to the Meadow trail. Enroute the trail provides access to the Eagle's Eye Shelter which is a renovated picnic shelter that once served as the Kirchhof family summer cabin.


To get to the trailhead drive south on Highway 8 from its junction with Highway 74 for 2 miles. Keep right and merge onto Highway 285 and continue for 2.58 miles and turn right onto the Parmalee Gulch Road. From there simply follow the signs for a little over 1.5 miles to Mount Falcon Park.


For this post we are beginning at the east end of the Tower trail near the junction of the Meadow and Parmalee trails.


The trail starts out along a wide path that makes a gentle climb up the grassy hillside.


Several switchbacks help keep the trail from getting too steep making it easier for hikers and mountain bikes alike.


Just before reaching the tower there is a fork in the trail where a short spur that was made with horseback riders in mind connects to the main route. The spur allows horses to avoid some steps that are on the main trail just past the tower.


The tower sits atop a rocky knoll that is the summit of Mt. Falcon (7,851 feet).


From the vantage point of the tower you can look out over metro Denver and the plains, in one direction, and off toward Mt. Evans (14,265 feet) in the other. The visibility wasn't all that great on this particular day due to passing thunderstorms.


Continuing past the tower you can look back and see all of the steps that the horse spur avoids by the route that it takes.


A little further along and the trail passes by the Eagle's Eye Shelter which was at one time the site of the Kirchhof Family summer cabin (1933-1972).


The cabin has been rebuilt into a picnic shelter. The marble that makes up the pathway was apparently obtained from the Falcon Castle which was the Walker's former home. The clouds had lifted by the time we arrived at the shelter allowing us to be able to see all the way to Mt. Evans.


A short distance past the Eagle's Eye Shelter the Tower trail rejoins the Meadow trail and comes to an end. From here the Meadow trail can be followed to the left to get back to the trailhead or to the right to check out some of the other nearby trails. As far as the Tower trail goes it makes a nice alternate route or a good destination all by itself. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.