Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater

Just outside of Denver is one of the most easily accessible and yet beautiful photography locales in Colorado.  Red Rocks Park is located at the base of the Rocky Mountain Foothills and provides visitors with some huge views, surreal sandstone rock formations, plenty of wildlife and of course the majesty of the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.

There are three main areas to hit when photographing Red Rocks Park.   The first is the Amphitheater itself.  Red Rocks is a geologically formed, open-air Amphitheatre that is not duplicated anywhere in the world. With Mother Nature as the architect, the design of the Amphitheatre consists of two, three hundred-foot monoliths (Ship Rock and Creation Rock) that provide acoustic perfection for any performance and makes for amazing bookends to your photographs.  With a 40+ mile view over Denver and the front range, the stair-casings and natural beauty of the theater provides a wonderful foreground for your photos.

The Red Rocks park is also rich with hiking trails which provide excellent photo opportunities anytime of year.   The Trading Post Trail is 1.4 miles in length, and goes through spectacular rock formations, valleys and a natural meadow. Some of the terrain is rough, so hiking boots/ shoes are recommended. Also, hikers should be prepared for adverse weather conditions as the weather can change very quickly.  This trail is your best option for shooting the rock formations, interesting plants including flowering trees, wildflowers and cactus.

The Red Rocks Trail starts at the lower north lot and can be used for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. The trail splits with one segment going north to connect to Jefferson County's Matthews-Winters park and the other segment go East east to connect to the Dakota Ridge Trail. The Red Rocks Trail continues on to Matthews-Winters, creating a dramatic 6-mile loop.  This trail is your best photo option when looking for big views.  From the top of the Red Rocks Trail you can photograph the entire Red Rocks park in a single shot.