June 3, 2025

By Tim Briese

2.8 miles, 500’ elevation gain, 2:50 roundtrip time

My daughter Emily and I share a love for hikes in the mountains as well as photography and one morning in June we met for a hike in scenic Cheesman Canyon, just west of Deckers. The South Platte River flows down the canyon, just below Cheesman Dam. It is a popular place for fishermen but is frequented by hikers like us too. From the spacious parking area along CR 26 we hiked into the woods for a ways than descended a couple of hundred feet into the canyon. We hiked up the canyon taking photos, passing by a fisherman here and there.

cheesman canyon

emily standing on the bank of the river

there are a lot of cool formations eroded in the granite

a mullein plant holding drops of rain from the night before

a serene pool of water

When we decided we had gone far enough we turned back and retraced our steps back to the parking area.