Lily Pond Trails and Ruins
Side by Side, ATV, Motorcycles & Jeeps Trails
Colorado
The Lily Pad trail is a unique in the Taylor Park area in that the trail is not the most scenic trail but if you enjoy investigating Colorado mining history you may find this trail to be one of the most interesting in the Taylor Park area. Notice the huge logs used for the double center beam of the cabin. I wish these cabins were cared for and didn't simply rot into the ground.
If you take your time and go slow along the trail you will notice many old miners cabins in the wood. These unique glimpses of history will only be around a few more years until they are completely reclaimed by nature. This Lily Pond UTV trail could be considered the best trail for mining history in the Taylor Park area.
We used our UTV to access the Lily Pond, however there are more dirt bike trails in the area and their trails are more popular than the UTV trail.
Arriving in style at the Forest Hill Mine on our UTV rented from Colorado Adventure Rentals! I even stumbled across a geocache while inspecting the area. There is not much left of the mine, just a few scrapes of lumber and an old steam boiler.
Most of the trail is through thick forest. However on top of the tailing at Forest Hill Mine you can see for miles. Tailing are typically considered ugly scars on the land, but this one was actually scenic.
All that is left of the boiler at Forest Hill Mill. There are several cabins at this site, one appeared to be partially restored.
The trail eventually disappears as you near a large lake covered in lily pads. I not sure why there are some many lily pads on this lake? I did not see any other lakes in the area that contained any pads at all. Did someone plant them here?