We certainly love hiking in Colorado and one of our favorite destinations is Mueller State Park, which is in Divide. We always plan a trip for this time of year as the Aspen leaves turn to a vibrant golden-yellow. We are a few weeks away from our annual pilgrimage, but we have gone hiking in the park at least a dozen times over the years. Any time of year when the ground isn’t covered with snow is a great time to visit the park and there are trails to suit any level of hiker. There are also camping sites, but we would highly recommend making reservations in advance as they often book up during the busy seasons.

One of the reasons that we like hiking in Mueller State Park is that it has beautiful views of what we in Colorado Springs consider to be the backside of Pikes Peak. We have seen many different animals during our visits including deer and elk, but seeing wild turkeys was definitely one of our favorite memories. It is always a good idea to stop at the visitor center and talk to the rangers there about what trails to hike and which ones to avoid. Bears usually get active as winter approaches and they start foraging to store fat for their hibernation.

We certainly enjoy the beautiful autumn colors from many different places around the world and we will always remember how beautiful it was traveling down the Rhine River in Germany with all of the colorful trees. There is, however, something special about the vibrant colors of the Aspen trees against the backdrop of the pine trees and dark boulders. We would certainly recommend that anyone visiting Colorado Springs, if you have the time to make the 50 minute drive, go to Mueller State Park. Even if you don’t get out and hike, just driving through the park and seeing the incredible scenery is well worth it.