Lincoln Mountain Loop Trailhead
A quieter Douglas County loop system near Larkspur with sweeping Pikes Peak and Palmer Divide views, a ~4.2-mile Lincoln Mountain Loop plus a ~4.5-mile Palmer Divide Ranch loop, leashed dogs and bikes welcome.
Why it's here
Lincoln Mountain Open Space is a Douglas County trail property near Larkspur that delivers big Palmer Divide scenery without the crowds of the marquee parks. The system is built around two loops: the Lincoln Mountain Loop at roughly 4.2 miles and the Palmer Divide Ranch Loop at roughly 4.5 miles, which combine for something around 8.3 miles if you want a longer day. The character is forested rocky ledges descending to upland meadows near the Cherry Creek headwaters, with sweeping views of Pikes Peak and the Palmer Divide that are the real reason to come.
It is multi-use and welcoming: hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are all allowed, and leashed dogs are permitted, which makes it a flexible choice for almost any trail user. The trailhead has restrooms, which is more than several open spaces in this guide offer. Hours follow the standard Douglas County pattern of about one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, and it is free.
There is an address discrepancy worth flagging so you do not end up at the wrong gate. The official Douglas County material references a Jones Road access point west of Highway 83, while some mapping and directory sources list the trailhead at an East Best Road address in Larkspur. These appear to be the same general access area, but if you are navigating by a pinned address, cross-check it against the Douglas County Lincoln Mountain Open Space page before you drive rather than trusting a single map pin.
Elevation gain on the Lincoln Mountain Loop runs a few hundred feet to a high point around 7,400 feet by secondary estimates; the county does not publish an official figure, so treat that as approximate. The honest pitch for this trail is solitude with a view: it is moderate, scenic, multi-use, and consistently less crowded than Castlewood or Ridgeline, which for a lot of people is exactly the point.
Know before you go
- •Sweeping Pikes Peak and Palmer Divide views
- •A quieter alternative to the busy marquee parks
- •Two loops combinable into an ~8.3-mile day
- •Multi-use access for hikers, bikers, and riders with leashed dogs
About one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, year-round. Reliably less crowded than Castlewood or Ridgeline; summer mornings best for the exposed meadow sections.
Cross-check the trailhead address against the Douglas County Lincoln Mountain page before driving; official and directory addresses differ. Use the trailhead restrooms before heading out, since most nearby open spaces have none.
Address discrepancy between official and mapping sources; verify before you go. Elevation gain is approximate, not officially published. Multi-use trail shared with bikes and horses.
Trailhead with restrooms near Larkspur; official county directions reference a Jones Road access while directories list an East Best Road address. Verify on the Douglas County page. Free open space.
