(COLORADO) – Southern Colorado has no shortage of hidden gems, and one of the most fascinating is the Paint Mines Interpretive Park, tucked away in the eastern part of El Paso County in Calhan. What looks like a quiet stretch of plains from the outside opens up into a cool world of vibrant rock formations, colorful clays, and stories written by both ancient history and today’s weather.
From above, the Painted Mines look like a maze of canyons. But once you hike down into the formations, the view becomes even more remarkable. Shades of pink, purple, yellow, and white appear painted on the rocks, creating a natural palette unlike anywhere else in Colorado.
According to park rangers, the history of this place stretches back 55 million years, when the region was actually a subtropical rainforest. Ancient rivers once flowed here, leaving behind deposits that, over time, helped shape the formations we see today…