Along the Trail, Paint Mines Interpretive Park, Calhan, CO (2)

**Calhan Paint Mines Archeological District** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 00000783, date listed 7/14/2000

 

Approx. 0.5 mi. SE of jct. S. Calhan Rd. and Paint Mine Rd.

 

Calhan, CO (El Paso County)

 

The Calhan Paint Mines archaeological district is located in an area of white sandstone and colored clay features southeast of Calhan, Colorado, approximately 31 miles northeast of Colorado Springs. The area is composed of gullies and drainages that resemble “badlands” formations. The same erosional processes that have stripped some areas within the Paint Mines of soils, producing its unique geological features, have also worked to bury cultural deposits in other parts of the district, recording a complex archaeological record of human activity. (1)

 

Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a unique natural open space in Calhan, CO, featuring four miles of trails, including a main loop commonly referred to as the Paint Mines Interpretive Trail. The park is known for its dramatic, colorful geological formations, or "hoodoos" and spires, created by erosion of iron-oxide-rich clays and sandstone. (Google AI)

 

References (1) NRHP Nomination Form catalog.archives.gov/id/84130078

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Uploaded on January 6, 2026
Taken on August 21, 2021