Paint Mines Interpretative park is ranked among the top 7 most naturally colorful places on earth. The natural rainbow of colors you will experience here is amazing! You won’t find another place on earth that compares to this site. It’s like walking through a giant psychedelic artwork created by mother nature herself.
How are these colors created?
These colors are created by the clay deposits. Since clay contains iron oxides, when they react with oxygen they turn red, orange, pink, yellow and purple. Soft clay usually erodes pretty quickly but since they are covered with Dawson Arkose sandstone caps, some areas are protected from erosion and over time nature has created these beautifully colored hoodoos. The place is named after them and they are incredibly colorful!
A magical wonderland
At the Paint Mines Interpretative park you will be amazed by all the gorgeous natural colors, all in one place. As you wander between these hoodoos, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a magical wonderland. You’ll see rabbits that look like they are leading you along the way. You’ll even notice a few Selenite crystals and petrified wood along your path showing signs of life that existed before this area got covered by lava millions of years ago.
Ancient civilizations
Humans have used this area as far back as the Paleo-Indian period between 9500-5800 BCE. This would have been a great area to collect pigments that they would have used to paint themselves and animals in times of war or ceremony. Also, theses colored clay would have been used for pottery and bricks. Most of the artifacts that were found here date back to the ceramic period between 150-1540 CE. Because the clay erode too quickly very few artifacts were found at the Paint Mines.
A buffalo trap
Over the years, many civilizations have fought for this area . The incredible variety of colored clay along with the wildlife and natural resources would have made this a prized location. Also, the natural landscape here would have made it a great place to hunt buffalo, the natives could lead them into the gulch where they would have been easier to kill with bows and arrows that they created with the Selenite crystals. In the 16th century this area was occupied by the Plains Apache, they were pushed out in the 17 century by the Comanche and Ute who were in turn pushed out by the Arapaho and Cheyenne in the mid 19th century.
The settlers arrive
White settlers pushed all the natives out in the 1800’s and it’s unsure as to when they started extracting the clay but it is believed that it may have started as early as 1903. Afterwards, this clay would have been sent to other parts of Colorado such as Colorado Springs and Pueblo for processing. As a result, there are 3 historic clay quarries left on this site as reminders of a time when this area would have been booming with clay extraction.
Park and Archaeological site
In the late 1990’s El Paso county acquired 750 acres of the land and turned it into a conservation area. Eventually in 2000, the site became an archaeological site. Shortly after, the Paint Mines Interpretive park was created in 2001. Sadly there is a lot of vandalism that takes place here. Please don’t be one of those people and help conserve this area for future generations. Take photos and leave only footprints.
Hours
From Dusk til Dawn all year round.
Admission
Free
Plan to spend two to four hours here. Please stay in the designated areas. Dogs are not allowed on this site, please leave them at home and not in the car. The only restrooms are located by the parking space. You won’t be able to purchase anything here, bring lots of water, good walking shoes, a hat and a camera. There are picnic tables by the parking space for those who want to bring a lunch.
Trails
There are a couple hikes that you can do. They are all fairly easy. 1 section has a moderate incline, there are a few benches along the way in case you need a rest. Most of the trails are natural trails, there may be wildlife, watch out for snakes.
Directions
Paint Mines Interpretative Park
29950 Paint Mine Rd,
Calhan, CO 80808
It’s located 35 miles northeast of Colorado Springs near Calhan. Take highway 24 east of Colorado Spring. Turn south on Yoder rd. Turn east on Paint Mines road and park in the parking space. There is a sign in the parking area.
Accommodations
The closest accommodations are in Colorado Springs, Colorado. My link will search through all the online sites to find you the best price available. By purchasing your trip through my link, this site will earn a small commission on your purchase. Rest assured that it will not cost you anything extra! In Fact, the only difference is that this site will earn a commission instead of another booking site. Thank your sponsorship!
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