PANCAKE ROCKS, HORSETHIEF FALLS: CRIPPLE CREEK, CO

CRIPPLE CREEK: CO: PANCAKE ROCKS, HORSETHIEF FALLS & CRIPPLE CREEK

You don’t have to camp with us or even go down to Cripple Creek for the Donkey Derby Days. If you want to drive all the way from wherever you’re coming from and drive back just to hike with those of us who do, it's fine and dandy with me. We should be done hiking in time for the concerts to start and breweries to open up!

Speaking of camping, I haven’t decided where we’ll be dispersed camping near Cripple Creek and again if anyone is spending the weekend and rather reserve a motel, hotel or Hostel or a reserved campground this would be the time to do so.
I have already posted the event for Cripple Creek for the Donkey Derby Day Weekend along with it the history of the Cripple Creek Mining Era.

Hiking up to Pancake Rocks via Horsethief Falls was always a tradition for about 8 years until 2020 (Covid) so I thought I would add the hike back onto the Cripple Creek Donkey Derby Weekend and begin the tradition once again.

As you see in the photos you can see Cripple Creek from Pancake Rocks so we won’t have that long of a distance from the hike to Cripple Creek. I truly love the people I’ve hiked this trail with in the past.

This is a 7.6 mile round trip hike with an easy/moderate rating. The trail head sits at 9760 feet of elevation. There are three main trails in the area and they all share the same trailhead located at the parking lot next to the closed Little Ike Tunnel. At first the trail gains elevation for about 0.8 miles. At that point it levels out and you can turn left, crossing the creek into a nice valley with beaver ponds. This trail is part of Ring the Peak system and continues north. Going straight east we'll see a sign pointing to the Pancake Rocks and The Falls. We'll do the Falls first then retrace our steps to the trail split and head up to Pancake Rocks.

DIRECTIONS: Drive west from Colorado Springs on US Hwy 24, through Woodland Park, to Divide. Turn south (left, at the light) on CO 67. Go about 9 miles. You'll see the remains of an old tunnel facing you as you come around a curve. On the other side of this tunnel is the trailhead on the left side of the road. There is no sign! You can park on either side. To the west it is dominated by the prominent Sentinel Point (12527 ft).

I am certain this hike will not only be one of the best but one of the funnest! (Is that a word or poor grammar?)

I'll see you then,
Don