Paint Mines - colorful and stunning badlands in the middle of nowhere...

The Paint Mines Park in Calhan is one of the most beautiful and unique places to visit. It's off the beaten path but well worth seeing.

 

These are extremely fragile badlands, hidden so well that you can barely see the place unless you walk a quarter of a mile from the road. But once you are there, you'll see this beautiful gem - colorful badlands hidden in the prairies...

The Calhan Paint Mines are an area of clay deposits that have seen extensive prehistoric habitation and historic quarrying of the clay for pottery and bricks.

The Paint Mines are named for their clay deposits, which contain iron oxides that color the clay red, yellow, and purple and were probably used as pigments by prehistoric peoples. In addition to their colors, the paint mines contain many striking formations. The area’s soft clay erodes easily, leaving behind monoliths known as hoodoos, where Dawson Arkose sandstone caps protect portions of clay from erosion. The area also contains selenite crystals and petrified wood.

Can you believe this color is caused by oxidized iron? Yep, we usually call it rust ;)

And this is what a Dawson Arkose sandstone cap looks like if you look close... ;)

What else can I tell you about this place? Simple put, it's amazing! Colorful and unbelievably beautiful. Look for yourself!

Just keep a few things in mind if you decide to visit the park, firstly, it's a clayey desert, so it's best to avoid exploring the area after rains and storms (or you can come home shoeless)...

And second thought - the park is located in the heart of the prairie, so the sun is merciless if you visit it on Summer days. Especially when you descend down to the bottom of the badlands where you can't feel the wind... Spring and Fall are probably the best times to go there!

The pictures were taken on May 05, 2023.