Cap’n Jacks to Jones Park to Tuckaway Mtn Meadow

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Colorado Springs, Co

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Cap’n Jacks to Jones Park to Tuckaway Mtn Meadow

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Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 12.0 miles / 19.3 km
Duration: Full day

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Overview: Old Gold Camp Road leads to many of the hiking treasures of Colorado Springs. One of my favorites is the trek from High Rd via Cap’n Jacks trail, over the ridge between Mt Kineo and Mt Buckhorn, down through Jones Park, and up the Bear Creek run to the meadow below Tuckaway Mtn. Total elevation gain for this journey is about 2400 ft over a distance (round trip) of about 10 miles. This may seem like it’s out in the middle of nowhere, but when you come across an old water pipeline, a mine shaft, Loud’s Cabin, and a century’s old U.S. Geological Survey marker, you realize that real people tried living and working out here at one time. Jones Park, in the middle of this hike, was designed to be the location of a hotel and restaurant for those traveling up the road to Pike’s Peak.

Tips: Directions: Exit I-25 at Cimarron St. (U.S. Hwy 24), heading west. Turn left at 21st St and drive south for about a mile to Gold Camp Rd. Turn right. The paved portion of this heads west for a while and does a hairpin turn at the junction of High Rd, Gold Camp, and Bear Creek Rd. Stay on Gold Camp Rd as it winds around, eventually becoming a dirt road, to where it intersects with High Rd again. You’ll go through two old tunnels on the way. At the High Rd junction is a parking lot and a gate. The turn is hard right onto High Rd. (This is only open from April through October.) Drive up High Rd for about a mile. You’ll see several large boulders blocking what used to be a parking area. Park along the road, leaving room for others to go by. Cap’n Jacks trail is on the left side of the road.

Tips:
1. The beginning of this trail is multi-use, which means you may come across mountain bikers or trail bikers (powered vehicles). So pay attention. Most of them are courteous, but all of them are travelling faster than you, and under less control of their movement.
2. This is a long hike. Take plenty of water, or water purification equipment.
3. If you take a dog, I’d recommend keeping him on a leash, because of the vehicular traffic, at least until you cross over to the Bear Creek side of the trail.

Points of Interest

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Trailhead

Unlike most trailheads, this one is actually in the middle of a trail. The parking spots along High Rd are located where the eastern and western sections of Cap’n Jacks trail are split by the road. You’ll see a large sign just a few feet up the trail confirming for you that you’re headed in the right direction. Once you round to the west side of Mt Buckhorn, you’ll walk along the ridge, sometimes looking back toward Gold Camp Rd and sometimes over to Tenny Crags to the north.

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Trail Split

At this point Cap’n Jacks continues on to the right, while Mt Buckhorn Trail veers off to the south and down hill. If you miss this turn, you’ll head down to the beginning of the trail to Seven Bridges, from which you could walk up the back way to Jones Park; but it’s a long way down and back up (or back up the main road to where you parked; not fun). No pictures here, just want to call your attention to the need to be aware.

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Bear Creek Bridge

At this point you’ll begin to walk up the Bear Creek run to Jones Park and beyond. You could release your dog and this point and feel reasonably safe as you climb the trail. The creek presents lots of opportunities to marvel at what water can do as it creates topographic features in the terrain.

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Bear Creek Cave

As you can see in the pictures this is an old mine shaft. It does not go far back, so it’s relatively safe to explore if you have a flash light.

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Jones Park

Named as Mr. Joseph Jones who purchased this 160 acre tract for $200 back in 1873, the property was later purchased by Mr. Frank Loud, who built a series of cabins here after 1884. The city of Colorado Springs bought the land, planning to build a large dam. Several trails branch from Jones park, one of the best known being the Pipeline Trail, which heads off to the south out of the park. You’ll want to find the trail that leads out to the northwest along the creek.

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Meadow

After enjoying the climb up Bear Creek from Jones Park, you’ll come to a large meadow which spreads out below the southern slope of Tuckaway Mtn. The meadow looks as though some very large giants have used it as a field for playing marbles. One of these 6 ft diameter globes has a U.S. Geological Survey coin embedded on its top, placed there in 1906. If you desire, you could continue on across the meadow, along the path to Moraine Lake, about two more miles distant.