As a committed trail rider, I can't imagine living anywhere other than Douglas County. We have some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, and what I think are the best access points I could dream of!
I recently joined two friends for a first time visit to the Hidden Mesa Open Space - and was blown away by the views, the variety, and the courtesy of the runners and bikers on the trail. My all time favorite Douglas County Open Space has always been Greenland because there's room for everybodyand their marching bands!
The parking at Hidden Mesa is shy of Greenland's generous spaces, but there is trailer parking wrapping around a circle that encloses an old cabin the county is renovating. There are some shade trees on the east side of the circle so in the morning the trailers that get there early are shaded a bit from the heat. There's a covered picnic area and port-o-let as well as a small enclosed space to allow one horse to stretch his or her legs in safety.
The trails are well marked and much of the distance is wide 2-track vehicle type trail. There are tons of prairie dogs and prairie dog holes which are slowly being filled up -- but going off trail would be a bad idea until the horse-eating holes are gone.
A portion of the trail parallels the concrete paved Cherry Creek bike path -- which has a fair amount of traffic. The good news is that the section along the bike path is broad and flat so you can see bikers and runners coming early on and they can see you. We even had a great encounter with a little babe-in-arms whose wise parents introduced him to the softness of a horse's nose for the first time.
As you climb hidden mesa there are a couple of features to note -- one is the 1 foot high rail in the fence that you have to step over to get to the rest of the trail. The other horses I went with did just fine. Pete decided it was an opportunity to take off at a gallop when I finally convinced him to step (he hopped, being Pete) over the wooden rail. That was just to get my heart rate up on the way up the trail and the way back to the parking area I guess!!
The trail goes down to single track as it winds up the side of the mesa and there is a long stretch with a couple of switchbacks but nothing difficult on horseback. The top of the mesa is flat rock surfaces well marked by stone cairns. There were a couple of solid flat rock "steps" that we traversed but all 3 horses did just fine with that.
The vistas are stunning -- you end up at the top of Hidden Mesa looking down on Highway 86 and that red barn and silo that is so prominent on the side of the highway. I say "Bravo!!" to Douglas County Open Space for another awesome place to get in touch with nature without leaving "home".