The Towhee trail starts at the Doudy-Debacker-Dunn House and runs west through a small valley with a small seasonal stream. It run parallel to the Homestead Trail to the south and the Mesa Trail to the north. During the spring, the trail is lush with growth and wild flowers.

Summary

Details

The trails starts just after you cross South Boulder Creek on the [[mesa-trail-boulder]]. On the left side of the trail, the Doudy-Debacker-Dunn House. This is where both the Towhee trail and the [[homestead-trail-boulder|Homestead trail]] start. These two trails make a very nice loop trail because they parallel each other on very different settings. The Towhee trail travels through the valley and ends at the Mesa Trail, just east of the trail up Shadow Canyon. If you are hiking Shadow Canyon take this trail instead of walking the Mesa Trail to save some time, this trail is a more direct route. As you walk through the valley you get nice views of some of the rugged rock formations in the foothills south of Boulder.

History

In 1858, Andrew Doudy became the first settler in this area of Boulder County. He raise cattle, operated a sawmill and gristmill. In 1869, he sold the property to John DeBacker, who was a farmer and sold supplies to local mining companies. In 1874, he built the stone house that stands on the site. John Debacker retired in 1901 and turned the property over to his daughter Emma and her husband John Dunn who raised dairy cattle on the site until 1953 and lived in the house.

External Links

• History of Boulder's Land Use