Hike Storm King

The Storm King Memorial Trail was established after 14 firefighters lost their lives fighting the mis-named South Canyon fire in July, 1994. The story of the fire is documented in John N. MacLean's Fire on the Mountain and the film with the same name.

The trailhead can be reached from New Castle by driving east on Colorado Route 6 (Main Street in town) past Canyon Creek to the the trailhead at the termination of the road (about five miles from New Castle). The trail is accessible from the Interstate 70 by exiting at the Canyon Creek exit and heading east to the end of the road.

The trail follows the firefighters' route and is considered strenuous. About a mile in there is an observation point that overlooks the scene of the fire. About a mile further on you can find the memorials on the sites where the firefighters died. More information about the trail is available at the trailhead.

Recognizing the signifiance of the memorial makes this an emotional hike. It also provides insight into how wilderness recovers after a fire. That recovery had begun just one year after the fire, when the photograph was taken.