Trip report
Jul 27, 2026 — Mount Falcon is a forested green lump in the foothills of the Denver Rockies, a popular hike with views of the city. Austin and I pulled into the east trailhead outside Morrison, CO and started up the Castle Trail, which begins by winding through grassy foothills. Red Rocks Amphitheatre became visible below and the plains stretched out to the west.
The Castle Trail made its way up at a pleasant grade for a few miles, passing a junction with the Turkey Trot Trail and then the Two Dogs Trail. Most of the hike was through lower shrubs, but higher up we entered the forest. Near the top, the landscape shifted into ponderosa pines and open meadows.
We reached the reason for the trail’s name: the stone ruins of John Brisben Walker’s mountain home. Walker was an early-1900s entrepreneur who built the house, and in 1918 lightning struck and burned it, leaving only the walls standing. The Castle Trail continued west from here for a short time before bending south, passing the Eagle Eye Shelter, and making its way to the summit of Mount Falcon.