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At a glance:
Distance: 1.6 miles to the Reservoir (3.2 miles round trip)
Difficulty: Hard to Moderate Ascent: 1,326 ft Map Link: Stanley Canyon Google Maps Link: Stanley Canyon Dogs: On a leash Bikes: Yes |
Stanley Canyon
Stanley Canyon is a great hike with some killer views not long after the start and then a steady climb following the creek bed until you get to Stanley Reservoir. We really enjoyed hiking this in the winter when the creek bed had frozen over. It was really pretty and a lot of fun. You can actually connect into Rampart Reservoir from the top and keep going into the mountains until you forget about the world below.
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Stanley canyon (Trail #707)
getting there:
Address: Stanley Canyon Trailhead, Air Force Academy, CO 80840
1) From Colorado Springs, head North on I-25 to the North Gate Exit (exit 156) and head toward the Air Force Academy
2) Go through the gate. You will either need a DOD ID card, or your driver's license etc. to get on base.
3) Take a left on Stadium Blvd. and then a left on Academy Drive and head up the hill. Depending on the DOD ID card restrictions of the day, you may need to stay on North Gate until it turns into Academy Drive and follow that around.
4) At the top of Academy Drive, take a left on Pine Drive. If you have a DOD ID card, you can continue on Pine and then take a left right after the guard gate on Rd 411. If you don't have a DOD ID, you may need to park at the medical clinic and walk up the gravel road. This adds about 0.6 miles to the hike.
5) The parking lot is at the end of Rd 411 and is also an intersection of the Falcon Trail.
1) From Colorado Springs, head North on I-25 to the North Gate Exit (exit 156) and head toward the Air Force Academy
2) Go through the gate. You will either need a DOD ID card, or your driver's license etc. to get on base.
3) Take a left on Stadium Blvd. and then a left on Academy Drive and head up the hill. Depending on the DOD ID card restrictions of the day, you may need to stay on North Gate until it turns into Academy Drive and follow that around.
4) At the top of Academy Drive, take a left on Pine Drive. If you have a DOD ID card, you can continue on Pine and then take a left right after the guard gate on Rd 411. If you don't have a DOD ID, you may need to park at the medical clinic and walk up the gravel road. This adds about 0.6 miles to the hike.
5) The parking lot is at the end of Rd 411 and is also an intersection of the Falcon Trail.
The Hike:
Form the parking lot, the hike up trail #707 gets steep fast. You will ascend into a pine, fir, spruce, and oak forest for the first part of the trail.
After a steep climb, you get to a large rock outcropping. If going in the winter, there is a little pass around the rock that gets a little dicey, so be careful not to fall off the ledge. Once around the ledge, you can climb up to the top of the rock formation for some great views of the world below.
After the rock outcropping, the trail gets a little more mellow and follows along the Stanley Creek bed. The forest is dense and lush here and quite striking in the summer and super fun in the winter if it is frozen over. Bring spikes or trekkers so you don't fall on the ice because it is very slippery.
Trail 707 will head off to the right, but you want to go straight / left toward the Reservoir. Otherwise, you will end up at Forest Service Road 307 which is not the most beautiful reward for hiking up the canyon.
Near the top, the creek bed gives way to an open mountain meadow followed by the Reservoir.
From here, you can connect in to the Rampart Reservoir trails or other trails that will take you deeper into the forest.
After a steep climb, you get to a large rock outcropping. If going in the winter, there is a little pass around the rock that gets a little dicey, so be careful not to fall off the ledge. Once around the ledge, you can climb up to the top of the rock formation for some great views of the world below.
After the rock outcropping, the trail gets a little more mellow and follows along the Stanley Creek bed. The forest is dense and lush here and quite striking in the summer and super fun in the winter if it is frozen over. Bring spikes or trekkers so you don't fall on the ice because it is very slippery.
Trail 707 will head off to the right, but you want to go straight / left toward the Reservoir. Otherwise, you will end up at Forest Service Road 307 which is not the most beautiful reward for hiking up the canyon.
Near the top, the creek bed gives way to an open mountain meadow followed by the Reservoir.
From here, you can connect in to the Rampart Reservoir trails or other trails that will take you deeper into the forest.
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