In September and October of 2019 I was in the Aurora, Colorado area for work. Some of that time required me staying in town over weekends, so during that time I explored places in the Colorado hinterlands that one might overlook.

One such place is the Paint Mines Interpretive Park, about an hour and a half drive southeast from the Denver metropolitan area.

This is an eroded part of the Colorado prairie that exposes colorful clays that Native Americans used for pigments in paints and in their pottery. The eroded nature of the clays has produced otherworldly ravines, spires, and hoodoos.

The paint mines are fun to explore for an afternoon either as a family, as a couple, or on your own.

After exploring the Paint Mines I went north and enjoyed a tour and brew at a local craft brewery. A great end to a fun day!