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Red Canyon Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 176 Google reviews · Running trail in Cañon City, Colorado · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- 4 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from Red Canyon Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Natural park with red rocks, popular for hiking and camping, plus climbing and off-roading.
What runners say about Red Canyon Park
“Only last 3/4 mile is red dirt but well maintained as of June 1, 2026.”
“San Gulch is known for some world-class rock climbing wonderful camping sites beautiful views if you look to the south you can see the wonderful beautiful wet mountains range.”
“Pros: lots of shade throughout the hike, great views, not crowded, bathroom at the trailhead.”
Good memories of a place I took my two sons in 2003. Back then I drove them up the riverbed in my 4 wheel drive. Now in 2022 the riverbed has dropped considerably. With new terrain the canyon is a bit deeper & can only be seen by foot.
Oil field flats Red Canyon Park 4 mile creek sand Gulch shelf Road these all come to mind when you think north of canon city. You can even go all the way up shelf Road to cripple Creek Colorado hopefully you’re not afraid of heights they don’t call it shelf Road for nothing.
I drove into the park in early December. It is drivable if you don’t want to hike but there is a small parking lot if you want to hike the trails. I had the place to myself. There are pull offs if you want to walk to some of the formations or just take pics.
Nice dirt road drive thru hills, forest and red rocks. Lots of picnic areas. Did not find any hiking trails. Good if you are just looking for a sometimes rough but scenic road drive.
Trail conditions & character
“San Gulch is known for some world-class rock climbing wonderful camping sites beautiful views if you look to the south you can see the wonderful beautiful wet mountains range.”
“About 600 ft of elevation on the loop wiyh a mixture of amazing red slick rock, slot canyons and pinion and pine forest.”
“Pros: lots of shade throughout the hike, great views, not crowded, bathroom at the trailhead.”
“About 600 ft of elevation on the loop wiyh a mixture of amazing red slick rock, slot canyons and pinion and pine forest.”
“Pros: lots of shade throughout the hike, great views, not crowded, bathroom at the trailhead.”
Plan your run at Red Canyon Park
The practical stuff
- AccessDawn to dusk — the gates close, so do not plan a run that finishes after dark
- Loop distance4 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Websitecanoncity.org
Running trails near Cañon City
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Mountain View Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 195 reviews
Park with a playground, skate area, picnic tables, and BBQ grills, plus soccer and kite-flying opportunities.
Canyon Rim Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 142 reviews
Hiking area with a picnic area and scenic views.
Royal Gorge Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 61 reviews
Park offering a mix of scenic trails for hiking and mountain biking, along with flat walking paths.