Adventure Session at Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Meet Amanda and Dakota!

These two definitely deserve an adventurous soul award. We had an amazing time during their engagement session. We drove up all the way to Calhan, Colorado with our fingers and toes crossed that it wouldn’t rain. We were so stoked, since we’ve been wanting to shoot something at Paint Mines Interpretive Park for a while now! By the time we began to shoot, we couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather. There’s something about the sun setting across Colorado plains that we LOVE! (thanks Colorado, we love you) Amanda and Dakota adventured through the Paint Mine maze with us to get all of these epic shots! We always tell our couples they look like friggin’ models when we are taking their photos (and we truly mean it). Don’t you think?

Paint Mines Trail Logistics

This clay like structure is an easy trail and it is about 4 miles long. The mines are actually “underground” so you have to walk down to them and you cannot see them while you drive through the plains of Calhan Colorado. It can get very muddy if it rain in this location and the washout areas can be confused for the trail. It is located about 2 hours from Denver and it is free to visit!.

Geology at Paint Mines Interpretive Park

The Paint Mines are bright colored geological clay formations that were formed by erosion and oxidized iron compounds. The Iron compounds are what gives clay its color! They were used for pottery paint by the Native Americans and that is where the name Paint Mines derived from. . A lot of wildlife like bunnies and deer can also be found in the area. Please don’t disturb wildlife!

How to use LNT to preserve the Paint Mines

The Paint Mines are very fragile clay and sand geological formations. When you touch them they almost feel chalk-like and they crumble like it too. It is really important not to climb on these formations because of how easy they get crumbled. We are not perfect, but we all learn from experiences and others- so lets work together to keep our lands beautiful. Here’s a few suggestions we can all follow when visiting the park on the park website:

Stay on the trail
Climbing and/or scrambling on Paint Mine formations is prohibited.
Entering the Paint Mine formations is prohibited.
All plants, wildlife, rocks, minerals, and historic artifacts within park boundaries are protected by law. Do not remove, destroy, or disturb any of these features.
Pets, horses, and bicycles of any kind are prohibited.
Avoid gulches and gullies during wet weather

Paint Mines Interpretive Park Permit

Colorado offers a variety of landscapes to choose for your elopement location. Paint Mines Interpretive Park offers a picturesque and unique landscape with very boho vibes for your Colorado Elopement/Session. Surrounded by beautiful prairie views, you can enjoy killer sunsets in this location! If mountains are not you thing, you should definitely consider this location! Make sure you contact El Paso County in CO for permitting info etc.