Bishop’s Castle and Wet Mountain majesty

Look for the sudden congestion along the Colorado state highway that cuts through the Wet Mountains. All those cars signal that Bishop’s Castle sits close. Soon enough, the towers that rise up to 160 feet high will break from the pine canopy. 

The castle does not salute a religious leader, but its creator, the late Jim Bishop, who spent 50 years building the castle on his own to the consternation of the Forest Service and local zoning codes. But the castle still stands, and is maintained by one of Bishop’s children. 

My sister Jenny and her boyfriend Steve came to visit in March. We hit some sights in Denver – Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station, a stop at 5280s for some childhood nostalgia, and late lunch at Casa Bonita. Having visited the castle as a kid, Steve wanted to see the progress from subsequent decades. 

Having not seen Bishop’s Castle in five years, I was all for a daytrip through southern Colorado. We took the winding drive to Fremont County, stopping in Florence for a coffee and a drive past the Supermax prison that houses the best-known federal prisoners (El Chapo and everyone with “bomber” in their nickname, among others). 

Since my last stop, I completely forgot the scenic drive to get there. In fairness, unless you're going to the castle, there are not many destinations on the route. At  left turn from the road to Westcliff and Silver Cliff, the highway winds up into the mountains. 

The Wet Mountains are not a broad or high range as Colorado goes (Greenhorn Mountain tops out at 12,000 feet), but the pleasure of a quiet mountain drive is hard to beat. The small range gets its name from the large amount of snow it receives, creating a “banana belt” effect in Pueblo to the east. 

Bishop’s Castle sits on a parcel Bishop bought in the 1960s. After someone compared the stone cottage he built to a castle, Bishop began gradually adding onto the structure until it became a beloved roadside attraction. 

Bishop was known for sharing his views on the government and other subjects. This Friday, the dozens of people who visited encountered other greeters. Goats, chickens and other small farm animals roam the grounds. If you hear screaming, it’s likely a goat has camped out on someone’s car. 

Some of the catwalks and outside staircases move a little too much for my liking, so I mostly kept to the castle interior, well-lit thanks to broad windows in the main upper chamber. 

South of the castle, we had the drive to ourselves. Most drivers just retraced their paths back north. I again forgot the scenic nature of this country. More to explore awaited us. Lake Isabel, a reservoir on the St. Charles River built to store water for Pueblo’s steel plants but now part of a day-use area in San Isabel National Forest. 

One of the few crossroads leads to Beulah, a 12-mile descent with multiple switchbacks that is unpaved for most of its length. It was too early in spring to contemplate a dirt road in my car. The high levels out at Rye and wanders into Colorado City, a quiet patch of southern Pueblo County. 

We finished our little adventure with a stop at the Pueblo Riverwalk, one of my favorite places, and a late lunch at Brues Alehouse. It was good to explore with them, and a strong reminder that I have not exhausted all the curious places within a short drive of home.