New Castle

About New Castle

New Castle Extensive Recreation Management area is abundant in recreational opportunities. Mountain biking has become prevalent, though all trails are open to horseback and hikers as well. The Colorow trail is in the heart of the area, providing trail users beautiful views of the Grand Hogback and town of New Castle. Several miles of new trails were added to the system in 2017. This area is also home to wildlife including mule deer, elk, foxes, and mountain lions. Trails are closed to bike use from December 1st to April 15th to protect these wintering animals. Located near the New Castle RMA is the Strom King Memorial Site. Storm King Memorial Trail is dedicated to the 14 brave firefighters who gave their lives fighting the South Canyon fire in 1994. For more information on this site click here, or please contact the Colorado River Valley Field Office.

How to Get There

There are two trailheads used to access the Colorow Trail. VIX Ranch Park Trailhead: Take exit 105 off I-70. Turn north. Continue north on Castle Valley Boulevard 1.5 miles. Go past the schools on the right. Take a right on Alder Avenue. Turn right on N. Wildhorse Drive and continue up the hill to Vix Park. Park here. Ride on North Wildhorse to the west, take a right on Buckskin Circle and another right on Mustang Drive. At the end of Mustang Drive continue straight ahead and look for the Colorow Trailhead sign to access East Colorow. To access West Colorow take the Colorow connector trail to the west that travels behind the houses on your left. Alder Park/Loriat Loop Trailhead: Take exit 105 off I-70. Turn north. Continue north on Castle Valley Boulevard 1.5 miles. Go past the schools on the right. Take a right on Alder Avenue. Park at Alder Park. Ride from Alder Park west down Alder Avenue to Lariat Loop. Turn right on Lariat Loop. Follow Lariat Loop to Lariat Trail to the Colorow Trailhead.

Plan Your Visit to New Castle

Heading to New Castle? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• Park map (PDF)
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)