Hiking Caribou Ranch in Winter: History, Solitude on Snowy Trails, and a Sweet Finish

This is a hike with a little bit of everything – forest, meadows, history, and a lovely creek. Caribou Ranch Open Space is about an hour drive from Denver. Near Nederland, the 2,151-acre open space sits between 8,300 and 10,000 feet. On a glorious morning, my friend Mindy and I decided to hike the Blue Bird Loop, Delonde Trail, and the extra spur to the Blue Bird Mine Complex. Caribou Ranch is very popular in summer and fall, especially when the aspens are golden. There is an annual spring closure from April 1 through June 30 to protect spring migratory birds and elk calving and rearing. Because of that, dogs and bikes are prohibited on trails year round. In winter, you can find solitude on the snowy trails.

Caribou Ranch’s Geology and Rock ‘n’ Roll History

Caribou Ranch isn’t just rich in mining and ranching history; it also has a fascinating musical past. It’s part of the Colorado Mineral Belt filled with historic mining districts and ore deposits once abundant with gold and silver. Boulder Creek granodiorite and biotite (black mica) gneiss formed beneath the earth’s surface about 1.7 billion years ago make up most of the rocky landscape in Caribou Ranch. Uplift and erosion eventually exposed these rocks. The glacially carved valleys formed about 1.5 million years ago.

Beyond it’s geology, Caribou Ranch has an iconic spot in music history. In this pristine alpine setting, iconic albums were born blending rock ‘n’ roll with the tranquility of the Rockies. In 1971 a barn was converted into Caribou Ranch Recording Studio on private property near the open space. Some of the biggest names of the including Billy Joel, Chicago, Elton John, John Denver, John Lennon, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, U2, and Waylon Jennings laid down tracks there. From 1971 until a fire in March 1985 destroyed the control room, over 150 musical artists enjoyed the beautiful scenery and isolation surrounding the world class recording studio that produced 45 top ten albums, 18 Grammy awards, and 20 number-one Billboard hits.

Getting There:

Take Peak to Peak Highway north from Nederland. At just over 1.5 miles, turn left onto CO Rd 126. There’s a sign for Mud Lake. Follow that road to the trailhead on the right.

Trail Status:

If you just want to see the homestead the DeLonde Trail is a 1.2-mile out and back trail for a 2.4 miles round trip hike. Blue Bird Loop is 1.8 miles. We hiked the DeLonde Trail and went left on the Blue Bird so we hit the homestead on the backside of our hike. We added the 0.1 mile spur to the Blue Bird Mine Complex. Hiking it this way meant we had the 144 foot incline up the meadow where the homestead. But, the last half mile is fairly flat.

Easy Start Through the Forest

The trail begins with mellow rollers through the peaceful forest. We needed our microspikes from the beginning. There are a couple of view spots from the trees. About 0.4 miles in, the landscape opens up to a small meadow, offering a glimpse of what’s ahead. Look for the placard to read about how the trail follows what was once the Switzerland Trail of America. In 1898, the 26.1-mile Colorado & Northwestern narrow-gauge railway ran from Boulder to Ward, carrying passengers eager to explore the Rockies. Between 1904 and 1919, the Denver, Boulder & Western Railroad ran through the property hauling ore and was a popular summer excursion train ride from Boulder.

Hiking in the Aspens

At the one-mile mark, we walked into a aspen grove and I could only imagine how spectacular it would in the fall. It’s still beautiful in winter as the aspen grove has a serenity to it with snow accentuating the white trunks. This is where you get your first glimpse of the DeLonde homestead. Shortly after, we reached the trail split and decided to go left, which had more snow and we noticed some snowshoe hare tracks along the trail. The snow got deeper as we weaved through another section of aspens and approached a meadow.

A Detour to the Blue Bird Mine Complex

We walked for a few minutes enjoying the expansive view of the meadow until we got to the cutoff for the Blue Bird Mine Complex. The spur trail is just 0.1 miles each way and winds through the trees. Walking up to the bunkhouse it felt like stepping back in time. The mine got its name from the blue mineral azurite.

The bunkhouse, dating back to at least 1877, was the hub of the complex. After 10-hour days underground, miners would eat and sleep at the bunkhouse. In the early 1900s, the porch was a popular spot for adventurous travelers who rode the train on the Switzerland Trail. In the 1940s, Warner Brothers filmed two movies here: Arabians of the Rockies and Sons of Courage. The bunkhouse also served as a stage stop in the 1965 remake of Stagecoach starring Ann-Margret and Bing Crosby. I wandered the porch, where relics from the past – old tin cans and glass bottles – have been placed and wondered how the miners weathered harsh winters.

I couldn’t resist exploring further and walked up for a closer look at the stone building with blue shutters. The caretaker’s house was built when mining resumed after the Great Depression. I walked up to a smaller structure that I assume was a storage building of some sorts and looked inside the weathered building before walking back down to rejoin Mindy at the bunkhouse. She has been to the mining complex multiple times and enjoyed a breather and snack in the sunshine. We retraced our steps back on the spur trail.

Through the Pines to DeLonde Homestead

As continued on the Blue Bird Loop, it transitioned into a peaceful pine forest. We stopped for a moment to listen to the North Boulder Creek before continuing on through the trees. In less than ten minutes, the forest gave way to the DeLonde homestead in a peaceful meadow. The red barn is easy to spot. As you come out of the trees, look left to see the ranch house.

Magloire De Lande (original spelling), a Canadian miner, first homesteaded here in 1863. While he and his brothers initially came for mining, they eventually shifted to ranching in the surrounding meadows. Standing there, I could imagine ranching life of over a century ago, framed by the snow-covered landscape.

Quick Climb and Back Through the Forest

After we crossed the meadow, we hit the only significant uphill of the entire hike. It’s not bad, but the DeLonde Trail has an elevation gain of 85 feet as you hike out of the meadow then retrace the trail back to the trailhead. We saw less than 10 people during our hike, until we got within a quarter of a mile of the small parking lot. In that final stretch we encountered several hikers just starting and families frolicking in the snow including an adorable young girl who told us she was building a “snow fairy,” not a snowman. That made both of us laugh. This hike is a wonderful combination of history and nature, with manageable terrain perfect for a winter outing.

A Sweet Stop in Nederland

After the hike, we stopped in Nederland for a quick lunch at Sweet Sue’s. We got lucky on finding a parking spot on a busy Saturday afternoon. The cozy cafe serves up coffee, smoothies, ice cream, and cookies. They also have gifts like candles, bath bombs, and sweet treats. If you want something more substantial, they serve bagels and sandwiches from Decent Bagel. We split Gia, which is a caprese sandwich served on delicious rosemary foccaia bread.

It was the perfect way to cap off a fun morning wandering the gentle trails through aspen groves and across meadows along with exploring the historical sites of the Blue Bird Mine Complex and DeLonde homestead.