Iron Mountain 7131 - Manitou Springs, CO

Overview
Iron Mountain is a small mountain just south of Manitou Springs, Colorado, which has an elevation of 7,131 feet. It is an easy hike which is fine for beginners. From the top of Iron Mountain, there are some nice views of the town of Manitou Springs below. To the west, there are views of Red Mountain, the Manitou Incline, and Pikes Peak in the far distance.


Hike
Assuming you parked on the east side of the road, you'll want to cross over to the west side of the road and look for the Intemann trail. On the east side of the road is a sign that says "Paul Intemann Memorial Nature Trail, est. 1987". On the west side of the road, you will see some steps leading up to a sign which is 20 feet from the road. This is the direction that you will want to go to get to Iron Mountain.The very beginning of the trail passes pretty close to some private property and some homes are nearby. Then, a set of stairs lead down into a canyon and across going up the canyon. From here, and for the next 1/2 mile, the trail gradually goes uphill and then flattens out after that. You may see some deer on or around the trail as I did in December of 2023. The trail widens and runs into a nicely graded road but I don't believe any motor vehicles are allowed here as these roads don't seem to connect to any private property. The trail will wrap around a small mountain which will be on your left. That mountain is called Sheep Mountain (elev 7160) and there is no trail leading to it. That mountain should not be confused with the much higher Sheep Mountain which is about 3 air miles to the west and has an elevation of about 9,800 feet. Next, follow the road around the "lower" Sheep Mountain and you will see a junction. Stay left, which will lead you to the road going up to the top of Iron Mountain.

From the top, you will see some nice views of the town of Manitou Springs. Looking west and a little bit north, only 1/2 mile away, you will see the top of Red Mountain which is about 200 feet higher than Iron Mountain. Looking beyond Red Mountain you should be able to see the Manitou Incline and possibly some sections of Barr trail #620. If you look way up you may be able to see Pikes Peak, but when I was here the sky was very cloudy and there may have been snow way up there blocking the view.

Return the same way you came to finish your hike.

2023-12-08 Mike_W