Colorado's 'Cornerstone Of The Front Range' Is A Hiker's Hub With Eclectic Shops, Local Eats, And Trails

The Front Range is one of the most defining features of the Centennial State. It's famed for the big city of Denver and a soaring ridge line of monstrous fourteeners. Delve in to hike the epic Ring the Peak Trail around Pikes Peak, drive through spectacular canyons and historic towns, or, to enjoy what's hailed as the "cornerstone" of the region: the bustling outdoorsy, shopping, and dining haven of Castle Rock.

It may have been an outlaw hideaway, a cowboy town, and a trucker pit stop in its time, but the 86,400-person-strong Castle Rock is now a thriving community brimming with everything from vegan bakeries to historic Western cafes. It's also, perhaps, the perfect jumping-off point for adventurers looking to get into the mountains — what with bluffs and canyons to hike on the doorstep, and the seemingly endless acreage of the Pike-San Isabel National Forest beckoning just a touch to the west.

And, as if that's still not enough, Castle Rock has to be one of the easiest places to get to in the line of towns that pepper this corner of Colorado. It's only a whisker south of Denver, you see — 35 minutes in the car is enough to bring you from the Colorado State Capitol to Castle Rock town center. That also means good access to the myriad long-haul and short-haul flight connections that jet into the Denver International Airport, which is only a 40-minute drive up the road.

Castle Rock most certainly has you covered on the retail front. You can get the checkouts a-dinging in either the enchanting historic downtown — which bursts with more antique emporiums and independent arts stores than you can shake a Denver omelet at — or amid the sprawling Outlets at Castle Rock, an open-air mall replete with famous brand names.

The downtown stands out as the home of some pretty darn unique pit stops for those looking to give the credit card a workout. The Barn is a prime example. It's a hodgepodge of a haberdashery packed with different vendors; a place where vintage kimonos and blooming house plants are both legitimate purchases. You simply never know what you might find. Or, as one former patron puts it on TripAdvisor: "The Barn is a wonderful place to spend time and money! I always find something, the inventory changes often and service is exceptional. Many unique items."

Hungry? There's nowhere more iconic to eat than the old Castle Café, a onetime dance hall and rancher saloon that's now known far and wide for its pan-fried chicken dinners. Prep the taste buds for a slow-cooked cut of meat accompanied with veg and gravy if you head there. A separate lunchtime menu offers a medley of buffalo meatloaf, corn-chicken enchiladas, and patty melt burgers on rye. You know, proper Western food!

Hiking is never too far away in Castle Rock. This town is perched just on the edge of the great Colorado Front Range, after all. AllTrails lists stacks of routes in the mountains there — including challenging trails and high-alpine passes deep within the Rockies.

However, you won't have to stray that far. Rock Park sits on the north side of Castle Rock's charming downtown core, hosting the very bluff that gave the town its name. An easy 1.4-mile path leads to the top, where you'll be rewarded with sweeping views that shoot out as far south as legendary Pikes Peak, a 14,000-foot landmark of the region.

The town is also the gateway to an underrated canyon state park that has hikes for every skill level. Welcome to Castlewood Canyon State Park, which straddles Cherry Creek roughly 8.5 miles to the east. The reserve is a mosaic of prairie and forest that sometimes crumples up into walls of rock that are fantastic for climbers. For walkers, there's a web of trails weaving up and down the side of the creek. This includes the Rim Rock Trail to Creek Trail loop, a highly rated two-hour jaunt that goes through the base of the canyon and up along its sheer-cut edge.