Denver for the Dis-Inclined! 

The Highline Canal Trail is a unique way to experience Denver. In its 70 zigzagging miles through the Mile-High City, the elevation changes by only about 2 feet per mile (as compared to about 625 feet per mile on Barr Trail up Pikes Peak!) On the Highline Canal Trail you see magnificent views of the Rocky Mountains while tracing a contour line (also called isohypse, or line of equal height on the earth's surface) through urban Denver.

Traversing the urban grid in a green corridor that doesn't do straight lines means a hike or bike ride completely unlike the trails for which Colorado is known. Around each corner you discover the next in a series of parks, wildlife areas, historic areas, and beautifully landscaped backyards - accessible even by wheelchair or stroller, in sections short enough to accommodate even little legs. Yet its total length makes it an interesting challenge even to fitness addicts. 

Highline Canal History

The Highline Canal Trail is closely connected with the history of Denver. The canal was begun in 1881 and finished in 1883, in an effort to bring mountain runoff to farms out on the dry plains. Due to Colorado water rights laws, the canal never carried the capacity it was built for, but the water it carried created its own ecosystem of flora and fauna.

In 1970 the maintenance road beside the canal was first opened for recreation, and now it is a National Landmark Trail. The trail connects historic sites such as the Fly'n B Park and Delaney Farms, and passes through Fairmount Cemetery, the burial place of those responsible for many place names in Denver: Iliff, Bonfils, Boettcher, Buchtel, Cheesman, Downing, Lowry. Baron von Richthofen (not the Red Baron, but his uncle Walter - an early developer in Denver!) at one point hoped to use the canal to supply water to country homes, but the water supply didn't work out. However, the canal did draw government installations such as Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. 

Another way of expressing the range of the trail: on one end it passes through the foothills where Lockheed Martin develops space vehicles, while from the other end Denver International Airport's control tower is visible. 

The T-Shirt

Our family loves the Highline Canal Trail; we've hiked a large fraction of it together by selecting a short distance to do each week through the changing seasons of one year. To celebrate it in t-shirt art, Ewan Tallentire took a picture from around mile 24 of the trail (near deKoevend Park) and stylized the scene.

Trees show their depth in two shades of green, white snowfields are visible on mountains in the distance, and a tan trail curves tantalizingly around the next corner through a tunnel of trees. Small figures on the trail highlighted in red show the neighborliness of trail users. The scene is framed in the colors of the scene, with "HIGH LINE CANAL" across the bottom. The shirt itself is the background color of metro blue (royal blue for ladies and youth sizes), and is short sleeve in Gildan 100% cotton.

NEED ANOTHER SIZE? - Other sizes and even styles are available; if yours isn't listed or is sold out, we can probably take care of that in our next printing. Please inquire through [email protected].

FREE SHIPPING FOR LOCALS - Use the discount code HIGHLINELOCAL when checking out. We may even deliver in person if you want to meet at a mile marker on the Highline Canal. Contact us at [email protected] to discuss the possibilities.