PAINT MINES

Located about 30 minutes east of Colorado Springs is an area known as the Paint Mines. Once private land, El Paso County purchased the land a few years ago and made it into a park. The Paint Mines is so-called because many years ago, Indians used the colorful sandstone and clay for pottery. In the 1800's, a company manufactured bricks from the clay and transported them by wagon to the market places. The park is just southeast of Calhan, Colorado and has two parking lots and entrances where long trails will take you down into a depression and canyon area where large hoodoo rocks colored in shades of yellow, pink, red, and white loom in mushroom like formations.

This image was taken in an area still on private land today, and is call Twin Rocks. I received permission to photograph in the area from the then head of the county parks department. The camera used was a Bronica ETRS 645.