Fourmile Area: Spanish Mills

This trail winds back and forth over small washes with magnificent views of the 14,000' Collegiate Peaks before dropping into a sandy wash at a place known as Spanish Mills. Spanish Mills is the name locals have given this route as there is an old arrastra site (an arrastra is a primitive mill for grinding and pulverizing (typically) gold or silver ore) just down stream from where this trail crosses Fourmile Creek. Spanish Mills was built by area miners in the early 1900s and was later named after the mine operation was abandoned. Please respect private property in this area as the mine and old mill site sit on a patented mining claim. Spanish Mills is a connector trail which ends where the Lenhardy Cut-Off trail and the Natural Bridge trail begin.