Dakota Ridge Trail

Eastern Mojave Vegetation	Dakota RidgeTrail, Jefferson County Open Space, Colorado
	Tom Schweich

	North and south along the spine of Dakota Ridge.
Other articles: • Cty Rd 93: at Stegosaurus Lot;	Trailhead: Stegosaurus Lot
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; May favorite kind of trail … straight up. Stegosaurus Lot, trailhead for Dinosaur Ridge.	From the trailhead in Stegosaurus Lot, the Dakota Ridge trail goes northeast straight up the western limb of the hogback.
	Trail turns south.
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; Interstate 70 enters Mount Vernon Canyon.	View of Interstate 70 at the mouth of Mount Vernon Canyon. The third road at right is US Highway 40. The parking lot for Matthews/Winters Park is at lower left. The highway is really noisy, especially the trucks using their Jake Brakes.
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; Green Mountain from Dinosaur Ridge	Viewpoint of Rooney Valley and Green Mountain. This valley is threatened by development.
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; One of two Physaria seen. The other of two Physaria seen.	This is where I found just two Physaria. They were P. montana.
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; Little rattlesnake seen along Dakota Ridge Trail. Opuntia macrorhiza	Rattlesnake along the trail
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; Looking north on the Dakota Ridge Trail.	The Dakota Ridge trail comes off the ridge and down into this little “meadow.” It is not clear whether this meadow is natural or an atrefact of previous mining.
Literature Cited: - Scott, G. R., 1972. Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; 31 May 2020; Junction with the Zorro Trail.	Junction: Zorro Trail. The Zorro Trail goes down to a parking lot along Rooney Road. This trail junction is located in a small flat between two higher parts of Dinosaur Ridge. This flat is thought to be a wind gap that is a preserved erosion channel (Scott, 1976).
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; Looking south on the Dakota Ridge Trail.	The Dakota Ridge Trail continues south.
Other articles: • Field Notes: 29 May 2020; Two young women with unleashed dogs.	The thing to see here is the two women and their unleashed dogs. I had previously talked to them and asked them to leash their dogs. Four minutes before I took this photo (by the timestamps on the photo), I took the photo of the rattlesnake beside the trail.
Other articles: • Alameda Avenue: at Dakota Ridge Trl N;	Junction: Alameda Avenue
Other articles: • Alameda Avenue: at Dakota Ridge Trl S;	Junction: Alameda Avenue
	Junction: Red Rocks Trail
	Junction: Bail Out
	Junction: Dakota Ridge South Trail
	End of Trail in a loop.
If you have a question or a comment you may write to me at: tas4@schweich.com I sometimes post interesting questions in my FAQ, but I never disclose your full name or address.	[Home Page] [Site Map] Date and time this article was prepared: 1/19/2023 8:22:22 PM