Matthews/Winters

About the Park

Visitors to Matthews/Winters Park will find a starting point for reaching the City of Denver’s Red Rocks Park by trail.

Across County Road 93, the Hogback offers a different recreation experience, with a steep climb up to the hulking ridge between plains and foothills. Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center is a neighboring attraction, providing interpretation for the dinosaur tracks imprinted on the eastern face of the Hogback.

Located on the hogback above C 470 and the Bandimere Speedway, the original Dakota Ridge Trail from I-70 to the Alameda Cut led to multiple undesignated trails.

The trail extension adds miles of “Most Difficult“ rated trail to Matthews/Winters Park and connects the trail back to Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre Entrance 2 on the west side of Mathews/Winters park.

Park Information and Trail Map

History

The town of Mount Vernon was founded in 1859; it lay on the route to the gold fields of Idaho Springs and beyond, and thus was the preferred jumping-off place, offering supplies and lodging to gold seekers.

Two stone grave markers are all that remains of the town site. The park includes 510 acres purchased in 1976 from William Winters, 357 acres partially purchased from or donated by Nicholas Matthews in 1982, plus numerous other acquisitions including one on the hogback that was Open Spaces first acquisition.

The hogback includes Dinosaur Ridge and on the east side close to Alameda Avenue is the Colorow Council Tree used for meetings with the Utes in the 19th century.

Keep Up with PLAN Jeffco

Stay up‑to‑date with PLAN Jeffco with our quarterly digital newsletter.