14 Mile Smooth Trail 7200 Altitude

This pretty trail is the smooth bed of the old Santa Fe Railroad, connecting Palmer Lake to the Air Force Academy. You won't find many hills but there are plenty of views as the trail winds through forest, along creeks and over the high plains. The sandy dirt is in good shape even for street tires, but not the skiny ones or rollerblades.

The trail starts in Santa Fe Park, east of the lake in Palmer Lake. It's one of the most scenic parks along the front range with towering mountains behind the lake, fishermen in the trees and kids in the playground. The Santa Fe Railroad pulled up its tracks but the Denver and Rio Grand still runs on the parallel tracks. The big diesels run several times a day, and this is one of the best places to watch if you're a train buff.

The trail starts at the south end of the park and then skirts along the southern flank of Ben Lomand Mesa as it heads toward Monument. The view changes from open forest to high plains as the trail runs down a barely noticeable hill. This is the busyest part of the trail, most seem to be locals out killing time.

After a few miles the trail swings south and then crosses under Route 105 in a narrow culvert that looks like a good place for a flood. After a few street crossings in Monument the trail heads out of town, where if follows close to the Old Denver Road.

The three miles to Baptist Road crosses the high plains and is kind of dull but it's not long till you're at the Academy, where you pass through a gate with a warning sign. The base is open to the public and if it wasn't for the sign, you'd never know you were on an Air Force Base. After about a mile you come to a footbridge that crosses North Gate Boulevard. It's twenty feet above the road and has a great view of the Academy.

The five miles of trail on the Academy are beautiful. It starts in an open forest area, and then jogs over to follow Monument Creek. About that point, Pikes Peak comes into view above the creek to cap off an impressive view of the Front Range. This section of trail can get pretty busy - Air Force families with their kids I suppose. The last three miles is fun and scenic with the winding trail following the creek in the forest. It ends at Ice Lake on the south end of the Academy.