By Tom Schweich
The name “Kinney Run” applies to many different places in Golden, from the stream near Shelton School, a valley between Stonebridge and Lakota Hills neighborhoods, through the golf course, and then north through town to Clear Creek. The section from Shelton School to US Highway 6 contains some of Golden’s best open space. This article is about the open space found from Tripp Ranch to the north, between the Stonebridge and Lakota Hills neighborhoods, under Eagleridge Drive, and then around Eagle Ridge to US Highway 6. See the map below. Not an official name, it is called Kinney Run North on the map.
Kinney Run North is one of the jewels of Golden’s open space. Most of this open space (68 acres) was acquired through the development of the Stonebridge neighborhood (1998) and a smaller tract (6 acres) acquired from Eagle Ridge Center (US Highway 6 and Heritage Road). This open space was given a unique official status by the City of Golden in Resolution 1573 on June 9, 2003, saying:
“The unique geologic areas in the Eagle Ridge area (including the Dakota hogback, Cambria Lime Kiln, Kinney Run Trail, and riparian areas) are hereby designated as a geologic and environmental education park.”
Kinney Run North has three distinct landforms shown in the photo above: (A.) Kinney Run Prairie, a small mixed-grass prairie north of the creek, (B.) Eagle Ridge, called the Dakota hogback in the resolution above, and (C.) the Valley of Kinney Run with a perennial stream.
This open space contains the Kinney Run Trail that was paved by the City of Golden in 2002. The trail had its beginning as an old wagon road and bisects the open space north to south. The trail connects downtown Golden to South Golden neighborhoods and Apex Park.
Much of the Kinney Run Trail is separated from the noise of highway traffic by Eagle Ridge, a hogback very similar to North Golden Hogback, providing a quiet, peaceful, and even contemplative and restorative environment for users. The Kinney Run Trail passes the Cambria Lime Kiln, built in 1879 and partially restored by the City of Golden and the Golden Civic Foundation in 2009.
The vegetation of the Kinney Run Prairie is mixed-grass prairie, i.e., a mix of short and tall grasses with wildflowers. Eagle Ridge is primarily foothills shrubland, with mountain mahogany, hawthorn, and rock spiraea. An unusual variety of rabbitbrush grows along US Highway 6. The valley of Kinney Run has foothills shrubland on dry slopes and the typical cottonwoods and willows, bulrushes and cattails along the stream. There are several places along the Kinney Run Trail where wild hops occur. Kinney Run North has the usual problems of social trails, noxious weeds, and yard waste disposal. Nevertheless, about two-thirds of the plants in Kinney Run are native.
Kinney Run North is rich in wildlife because of the perennial water source, shading provided by the steep ridges and the foothills, the mix of mature vegetation, separation from automobile traffic activity, and controlled human access provided by the paved trail.
Common wildlife seen includes elk and deer. Bobcats and foxes are known to have dens in the area and coyotes are often seen throughout the year. Elk mating ritual competitions can often be observed here in the fall, and the area has been a consistent elk calving ground because of the dense brush thickets.
Kinney Run is an official “eBird Hotspot” (ebird.org/hotspot/L3664908) with well over 100 species identified by observation.
As contemplated by the original City of Golden Resolution that created this area, the Kinney Run Open Space offers a range of opportunities for educational experience. The trail offers easy, close viewing of the geology and the critical watersheds that form the basin. Colorado School of Mines takes advantage of these attributes by using the area for class field work. Stewards of Golden Open Space offers history and geology tours and, jointly with Audubon Society, offers birding field trips each spring.
References
Anderson, Donna S and Paul B. Haseman. (2021) Golden Rocks: The Geology and Mining History of Golden, Colorado, pub. Golden, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.25676/11124/14162
Sovell, John R., and Susan S. Panjabi. 2021. Biological Survey of Golden Open Space Property, Jefferson County, Colorado. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, 2021. https://cnhp.colostate.edu/download/documents/2021/CNHP-Golden-Open-Space-Survey-final-report.pdf
Stewards of Golden Open Space. 2019-2024. Kinney Run Open Space. https://stewardsofgolden.org/kinney-run
