Colorado State Parks: Roxborough

Next up in our series exploring Colorado’s state parks is Roxborough! Roxborough State Park is a geologically and archaeologically significant area located in the foothills just south of Denver.

Roxborough is easily recognizable for its colorful sandstone spires and steep hogbacks. “Hogbacks” are long, narrow stone ridges; in Colorado, they’re commonly seen along the Front Range running parallel with the foothills. The ridges are formed when horizontal layers of sedimentary rock tilt upwards because of tectonic activity under the Earth’s surface. These vertically tilted layers are made up of both harder and softer types of rocks. The softer rocks erode more quickly, leaving the harder rock layers exposed. A more detailed explanation of hogback formation is available in, “What’s up, and what’s going down, with hogbacks,” an article from the Colorado Arts and Science Magazine. In Roxborough, these geologic formations house unique plant and wildlife communities, which can be explored along the park’s 15 miles of hiking trails.

Modern humans aren’t the only ones who appreciate Roxborough’s outstanding natural beauty. The area has a long history of human occupation, with archeological evidence dating back to 5500 BCE. Historians theorize that the hogback valley was a popular spot for prehistoric Coloradans because of its mild climate, sheltering rock outcroppings, ecological diversity, and location between the mountains and the plains. Roxborough is now home to more than 40 archeological sites and was named a National Archaeological District in 1983. More information about the past inhabitants of the Denver area can be found in Denver: an archaeological history, which is available to check out from our library.

Roxborough’s rich human history is on display for visitors to the park. The Visitor Center hosts educational exhibits about the Archaic and Woodland cultures, highlighting artifacts found in Roxborough. Throughout the park, visitors can also explore more recent historic sites left behind by European-American homesteaders in the 1800s. Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s plan to care for Roxborough’s unique cultural resources can be found in the Roxborough State Park Management Plan, 2010-2020.