One of the best kept secrets, until now, is a moderate hike of 2 miles near Glen Eyrie sometimes called “The Punchbowls” sometimes called, “Queen’s Canyon”. To get here you must pre-register with Glen Eyrie. For preservation purposes they only allow a certain number of people in per day. During high season, this can prove to be tricky with larger hiking groups.
The first half mile is pretty easy as it is a wooden walkway often making yourself question, “How did they build this?” Then comes the real fun and sometimes challenge of the hike. You will cross over the creek countless times (one site counts out 20-30 times) it feels like 50. Plan accordingly with your pack, shoes and bring extra socks for the hike out. After crossing the creek, you will shimmy up a rock path/boulders only to be rewarded by a majestic waterfall called Dawson Falls. At somepoint on the bouldering effort you will ask yourself if this is worth all the hype. After seeing the waterfalls, you’ll think yes, but you said there would be punchbowls and swimming, so let’s continue on our journey.
This is the steepest part of the trail, but the punchbowls aren’t much farther up the trail from the waterfall. When you arrive there is not a great place to change into a swimsuit, so a personal recommendation is to have a friend willing to hold up a towel for you or come with your suit on. The five granite punchbowls run with fresh mountain water perfect for cooling off after your hike up. There are a few natural “slides” going from two different pools into one another, both fun to ride. I will warn, when looking up at the punchbowls, there is a large flatish area to the left that looks ideal for laying on and people watching. It can be very slick, and even if you had no intention of going into the water, you may find yourself there with glasses, iPod, digital camera or iPhone. I’ve seen it all end up in the drink.
What we loved most about this hike was the reward of fresh mountain water at the top. Perfect after a hot afternoon of hiking. The entire trip up, swim, and down took about three hours.
About the Author: Kelly Young, GRI
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Kelly is an Associate Broker with Red Rock Realty. She has over 12 years experience in Real Estate in the Colorado Springs and Front Range region of Colorado. She represents buyers and sellers of real estate buying homes, land for sale, mountain getaways. Specific areas include: Black Forest, Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Divide, Falcon, Downtown, Manitou Springs, Monument, Old Colorado City, Westside, Woodmen Hills and Woodland Park. You can reach her at 719-226-0126 or by clicking "email the author" above.
Kelly, that Queen's Canyon hike and being out in nature and that fresh water sounds awesome. Thanks for your excellent description. I love this series of yours.