September 20, 2023

By Tim Briese

7.3 miles, 2100’ elevation gain, 6:15 roundtrip time

This hike in the Pike National Forest just west of Palmer Lake, CO is my favorite local hike. The trailhead is just a twenty minute drive from my house. This adventurous hike is partly on a trail and partly a fun bushwhack down a rocky ridge, and features rock scrambling to two spectacular commanding viewpoints. No route description exists of the whole hike that I am aware of. I just found it by exploring several years ago. It’s not for everyone but I have taken several adventurous friends on this route.

I drove to the Palmer Lake Reservoir trailhead parking lot on a beautiful September morning and secured one of the limited paid parking spots. I embarked on the trail up toward the lower reservoir on a steep old road that abruptly climbs several hundred feet. Just past the reservoir I turned to the right onto the unmarked Ice Cave Creek Trail.

looking down at the lower palmer lake reservoir after i climbed a short distance up the ice cave creek trail

The trail generally contours above the drainage which is choked with huge boulders before crossing Ice Cave Creek to mellower terrain. A few hundred yards further an unmarked trail junction is reached and I went right on the Swank Trail.

colorful foliage along the way

on the swank trail

I followed this decent trail a mile or more until I reached a saddle. The main trail continued down the other side but I turned left and followed a sketchier use trail up a very steep ridge. Eventually the grade eased and I hiked along a gentle ridge a few tenths of a mile to Dome Rock. After a short scramble I hoisted myself up onto the rock and was greeted by an immense panorama.

mt. herman is visible to the left and pikes peak lies in the distance to the right

There are sharp drop-offs on three sides of Dome Rock and just enough room on top for a small party to enjoy lunch. There is also a small summit register in a glass jar. This is the highest point on the hike at a little over 8700 feet. Most of the few visitors who come here likely hike back down the way they came up but for me this is where the fun begins.

i bushwhacked down this rocky ridge toward the right

I embarked on a bushwhack down the steep rocky ridge to the southeast. There is plenty of excitement – steep slopes, immense slabs and boulders, dead ends if you get off route, magnificent viewpoints, and more. I followed a route down to a saddle where I had a great view of Cap Rock on the other side of a drainage.

cap rock, to the left.  note its small summit block.

Cap Rock is our local El Capitan and can be seen from various vantage points miles away. Sometimes I have taken guests over to climb it and sometimes not because it is not for the unfit or faint of heart. Today I wanted to go over and climb it. I dropped a couple of hundred feet into the drainage and angled up the other side and engaged the massive granite slope on the north side of the summit. The climb up onto the summit block involves a Class 3 scramble up a crack.

the climb to the top goes up the crack in the middle

The top is very small and very exposed and I would not stand up on it on a windy day. Maybe not even on a slightly windy day.

not a good place to drop your water bottle, or anything else for that matter

scenic rock formations northwest of cap rock

looking back at dome rock, right in the center of the photo

looking down the canyon that i hiked up in the morning

After enjoying this amazing place for a while I hiked back down the granite slope and bushwhacked back across the drainage and climbed up to the ridge. Then I continued down the adventurous ridge.

a big crack in a granite slab on the ridge

A slight trail exists on the lower part of the ridge which indicates at least minimal use. Eventually I dropped back down into the Ice Cave Creek drainage to the main trail and turned left and retraced my route back to the trailhead. I’ve probably done this hike a dozen times or more but it is an adventure every time.