Friday, September 10, 2021

Hike to Panorama Point

Corwina Park is accessed from a parking lot along Bear Creek, just east of Kittredge, Colorado.  A 3.5 mile roundtrip hike takes visitors from this lot to Panorama Point, which commands a broad view of the Upper Bear Creek Valley.

The first portion of the hike climbs gradually southward along a small side creek, passing through ponderosa parklands, small groves of aspen and fingers of the Douglas fir forest; Colorado blue spruce also rise along the creek.  Within a mile, this entry trail intersects both the Panorama Point Trail and the Bear Creek Trail; the former begins a steep climb onto the east wall of this side valley, using short stairways and a series of switchbacks.

Once at Panorama Point, hikers are rewarded with a spectacular view of the Upper Bear Creek Valley, centered on the Mt. Evans massif where the creek heads.  Kittredge stretches across the valley in the foreground and the outskirts of Evergreen, farther west, poke above and intervening ridge.  The rocky overlook is a great spot for a picnic lunch and, if you do break out the treats, you can count on Steller's jays and Colorado chipmunks to turn up for handouts.