Hans Loop Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Wildflowers · Wildlife

The trail makes its way in and out of forests, so make sure you have a hat and sunscreen as parts of the trail are exposed. here are no places to get water on the trail, so make sure to bring plenty of water with you in order to stay hydrated. There are no restrooms on this hike, so make sure to use the facilities at the visitor center before heading out on your trip.

To access the Hans Loop Trail, you need to hike out the Sawmill Trail from the visitor center for roughly 1.5 miles to where a bench sits at the junction of the trails. From here, the Hans Loop Trail continues straight ahead as it rolls along the top of the hillside. Flowers line the trail and views of Pikes Peak sit off to the left hand side of the trail. At roughly .5 miles the trail begins to descend the hill steeply and transforms from a doublewide gravel path to a singletrack grass/dirt trail. You have emerged from the woods and now walk through an open field with forests on either side of you. The grass is fairly tall, but you can follow the trail very easily. Iris and other flowers can be seen in the spring time as you descend gently through this little valley. Posts with symbols of a hiker are placed every so often to make sure you stay on the trail. At roughly 1 mile, you'll notice a large rock formation on the right hand side of the trail where some rocks have come loose and fallen closer to the trail. At roughly 1.3 miles, the trail ends at the junction with the Sawmill Trail. From here, you can climb up the Sawmill trail and work your way back uphill to the visitor center (1.8 miles) or you can continue straight ahead for roughly 1 mile downhill until you get back to the visitor center.

If you hike in the spring time, you'll be able to see various types of wildflowers blooming. Wild Iris, Indian Paintbrush, Blue Flax, Evening Primrose, primroses, daisys, and other flowers can be seen along the trail. Birch trees, spruce, pine, and various types of fir trees can be seen as you work your way through the forests and fields.

Mule deer, ground squirrels, rabbits, and some lizards may be seen along the trail as you get away from the visitor center and visit more remote parts of the park.