ACORD: Plains, hills converge at Aiken

By Deb Acord, Special to the Rocky

Published March 18, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm a big fan of Aiken Canyon Preserve. I even worked at the field station last summer and got to know the preserve's volunteers and regular visitors.

Through their eyes, I learned to love the subtlety of the preserve, an example of the merging of two life zones: the plains, carpeted with cactus and pinyon, and the ponderosa-dotted foothills. My ears became tuned to the sounds of the hundreds of bird species that move through here. I learned to watch for the lizards that attach themselves to the sides of the adobe field station and the prairie rattlesnakes that sometimes sun themselves alongside the trail. I listened to hikers' excited accounts of their meetings with the preserve's summer bears, especially a cinnamon-colored male that frequented the shady canyon.

Aiken appeals to bird-watchers and, in the summer, wildflower fans. It's a quiet retreat that seldom sees more than a dozen visitors in a day. You won't get an exhausting hike here, but a walk on the loop trail will fill a morning or afternoon and remind you why you choose to live in Colorado.

At a glance

* What: Aiken Canyon Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property that covers 1,621 acres

* Where: south of Colorado Springs

* To get there: From Denver, take Interstate 25 south to Colorado Springs. Take exit 135 west to State Highway 115. Take 115 south 11.5 miles to Turkey Canyon Ranch Road (watch for a white horse statue on your left; your turn is next). Turn right and drive 200 yards to the gravel parking area.

* Watch for: golden eagles, prairie falcons, Western bluebirds, hairy and downy woodpeckers, wild turkeys, black bears, gray foxes, mule deer, spruce squirrels

* Best part: the views - the Spanish Peaks shimmering in the distance and, in the summer, a mosaic of wildflowers in the foreground

* Difficulty of hike: A four-mile loop trail connects with a 0.75-mile trail that branches off into the canyon. The trails, rated moderate, are fairly level, well-maintained and, this time of year, rarely snow- covered.

* Details: No entrance fee. Hours are limited - the preserve is open year-round from dawn to dusk, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. The Field Station/Visitor Center (a straw bale house) with modern bathrooms is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. The rest of the year, it's open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays only. The preserve is open to hikers only; dogs and bicycles aren't allowed. This is rattlesnake country, so hikers are advised to wear sturdy boots.

* More information: nature.org.

Deb Acord is the author of Biking Colorado's Front Range, Happy Trails and Colorado Winter: Activities, Trails and Tips.

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