Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a cultural landscape, Walker Ranch also offers a diverse array of ecosystems to explore.
Walker Ranch
Trails
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Walker Ranch Loop
7.9 miles – Moderate
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Josie Heath Trail
1.1 miles – Easy -
Meyers Homestead Trail
2.5 miles – Moderate
The Wall: Walker Ranch Loop includes a 500-foot cliff-like section of stone steps that is not recommended for horses.
Rules & Regulations
Day Use Only
Pets On Leash
Bikes On Designated Trails Only
No Open Fires
No Hunting/Firearms
No Camping
Walker Ranch Loop Trailhead
46 car parking spots
2 ADA spots (1 van accessible)
Restroom
Picnic table located near parking lots
Live view of the Walker Ranch Loop Parking Lot
The Walker Ranch Loop and Ethel Harrold trailheads are often full. The Meyers Gulch Trailhead usually has available parking.
Meyers Gulch Trailhead
36 car parking spots
3 ADA parking spots (1 van accessible)
Restroom
Picnic tables located near trailhead
Large 50 person group shelter located near trailhead Reservation Info
2 horse trailer parking spots
Ethel Harrold Trailhead
18 car parking spots
Restroom
Picnic table located near trailhead
Photos
Open Gallery in New Window- Rainbow Trout (limit 4)
- Artificial and live bait permitted
- Fishing on Open Space
Visitation by Day of Week
Visitation by Hour
Visitation by Month
Visitation by Location
Along Colorado’s Front Range the sweeping grasslands of the Great Plains rise to meet the rugged peaks of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Where they meet we find the Foothills—a zone of geological and biological transition. Foothills ecosystems, such as the one that comprises the 2,880 acres of Walker Ranch, provide a variety of habitats for a rich diversity of wildlife.
Mammals
- Abert’s squirrel
- Black bear
- Bobcat
- Coyote
- Elk
- Golden-mantled ground squirrel
- Least chipmunk
- Mountain cottontail
- Mountain lion
- Mule deer
- Northern pocket gopher
- Raccoon
- Red fox
Reptiles
- Bullsnake
- Western terrestrial garter snake
Fish
- Rainbow trout
White Wildflowers
- Blazing star (Liatris punctata)
- Fleabane (Erigeron spp)
- Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)
- Yarrow (Achillea lanulosa)
Yellow Wildflowers
- Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata)
- Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa)
- Hairy golden aster (Heterotheca villosa)
- Heart-leaf arnica (Arnica cordifolia)
- Western wallflower (Erysimum asperum)
- Whiskbroom parsley (Harbouris trachypleura)
Orange & Red Wildflowers
- Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp)
Pink Wildflowers
- Mountain ball cactus (Pediocactus simpsonii)
- Wild geranium (Geranium caespitosum)
- Fleabane (Erigeron spp)
Purple & Blue Wildflowers
- Horsemint (Monarda fistulosa)
- Chiming bells or bluebells (Mertensia spp)
- Harebells ( Campanula rotundifolia)
- Lambert’s locoweed or Colorado locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii)
Green Wildflowers
- Western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)
Shrubs
- Boulder raspberry
- Common chockecherry
- Oregon holly grape
- Mountain mahogany
Trees
- Aspen
- Douglas fir
- Narrowleaf cottonwood
- Ponderosa pine
- Rocky Mountain juniper
Walker Ranch is underlain by one of the oldest rock types in Boulder County: Boulder Creek granodiorite, dated at about 1.7 billion years old. This rock formed from molten material that cooled and hardened very slowly beneath the earth’s surface, and then was forced upward, probably during ancient periods of mountain building.
Over time, these ancient mountains slowly eroded away, exposing the granodiorite. Around 65 million years ago, uplift of the Rocky Mountains you see today began, forming the great peaks and creating the area’s rich mineral deposits.
Since the great Rocky Mountain uplift, erosion has been the dominant force sculpting Walker Ranch, as it continues to carve the landscape.
Homesteading
Settler James Walker, from Missouri, moved to Boulder in 1869. He and his wife Phoebe filed a homestead claim for 160 acres in 1882. The next year, he moved his wife and young son into the newly built ranch house.
Expansive Ranching
Over the next 80 years, the Walker family amassed over 6,000 acres. When the property was sold in 1959, it was one of the largest cattle ranches in this region of Colorado.
Walker Ranch Homestead
The homestead consists of original buildings from the 1880s, except a newly reconstructed ranch house. The original ranch house burned to the ground in 1992 and has since been rebuilt using environmentally friendly techniques while remaining faithful to 1880s architecture, design, and materials.
The homestead is open to the public for certain events. Check the Hikes & Events Calendar for details.
Vintage Base Ball
A vintage base ball game is played annually with 1860’s rules at the homestead by members of the Colorado Vintage Base Ball Association.
Wildfire
In 2000, the Walker Ranch/Eldorado Wildland Fire burned through 1,062 acres and lasted five days. Remnants of this fire can be seen today in the form of burned trees that are still standing.