Route: (taken from a recent descripion from our emailed newsletter )

This is one of our longer runs, 1:20-1:30. Please bring a watch and judge your time to finish around 7:45pm.

Directions: Take hwy 93 north from Golden. Don't turn at Golden Gate Canyon, even though there are signs for White Ranch there. Continue about 2 miles past to 56th. There are more White Ranch signs there. Turn left for 1 mile, then right into the lot.

There's one trail from the lot. Go through the gate, down the hill, cross the road, then through the other gate (photo at right) . It's fairly flat to the stairs and across the dry creek. We'll stay together until here. Then it starts to climb. ~0.5 mile up, near the first hairpin left turn, go right onto the new trail connection to Longhorn. Go right at Longhorn.

Short: At the next junction, go left onto Shorthorn. Follow it back down to Belcher Hill, then back to the bottom.

Intermediate: Stay right at Shorthorn, and continue up Longhorn to the next junction. Go left onto Maverick. It's about 1 mi across to Belcher Hill. There, go left and follow the main Belcher Hill trail to the bottom.

Long: Continue up Longhorn past Maverick. ~0.25 mile up, stay left at the next fork. Continue past the picnic tables and bathroom to the upper lot. Across the lot, head down the Sawmill trail. It merges with Belcher Hill, which takes you back to the bottom.

Extra long: Depending on time, from the upper lot, go up the dirt road for ~0.3 mi to the next trail junction. Go left up the trail to the top of the ridge. Then, go left on Belcher Hill, across the ridge, then continue down the hill.

North Table Mountain and Denver beyond.

Jefferson County Park Information on White Ranch Updated May 2, 2007