Bishop Castle in San Isabel National Forest, Colorado

Once in a while, one of the places I've been pestering Gary to visit with me, turns out to be a real gem. Such was the case a couple years ago when we (finally) drove up to Bishop Castle. The place is absolutely astounding, considering it was hand built. The pictures don't do it justice. I believe that I actually gasped when we pulled up to it. It's enormous!

Now, a warning. I also gasped when we walked over the drawbridge, but not in a good way. The sewer authentically reeks of the middle ages. LOL

I gasped some more from being out of breath when we ascended the staircase that leads to the catwalk. 

And more when I entertained the thought of walking the catwalk, because, looking down through the metal work was a dizzying feat all in itself. It just wasn't happening with Lupus. 

And Gary, being the gallant night that he is, refused to storm the catwalk without me. So maybe sometime in the near future when I'm having a good Lupus day, we'll give it another go. At any rate, we still had spectacular views to enjoy. 

The inside of the castle provided us with the opportunity to view something else entirely. Much of the window space showcases amazing stained glass. For a price, you can even have your own stained glass art designed and placed in the castle.

This was my favorite of the larger pieces.

Most of the smaller ones like these were dedications or memorials.

A touch of history:

Jim Bishop has been building his castle in San Isabel National Forest, Colorado since 1969. He bought the land that the castle sits on at the ripe old age of 15 for just $1250.The year was 1959, a time when all things were possible. His dream then was not a castle but a getaway for hunting, fishing and climbing with a friend.

Bishop Castle had humble beginnings as a Colorado cabin. Observers mentioned the stone structures resemblance to a castle. From there, the dream grew into what it is today.

Jim Bishop has built this Colorado castle on his own, brick by brick, working a little at a time. Castle features include towers, wrought iron stairways and a fire breathing metal dragon. His father helped him up until 1971. He has tried (without success) to use hired help. For the most part, he's hand built every bit of Bishop Castle. He's still adding features to this day.

The castle turrets are spectacular stone structures with wrought iron stairways reaching up to as much as 160 feet tall. The metal art at the top and the stairways are an example of the handiwork Jim Bishop learned while working at his family owned iron shop in Pueblo, Colorado.

The fire breathing dragon is an exciting feature of Bishop Castle. It's made from recycled metal hospital trays. The dragon is powered by a burner from a hot air balloon. Mr. Bishop is planning to improve the dragons fire breathing power with the help of his son.

Mr. Bishop has recently added a sign garden to his Colorado castle. Signs make clear that Jim has no lack of disdain for the government and it's heavy regulation. They are basically his musings on this theme.

Mr. Bishops political dissent may be the reason his castle is not listed in Colorado guide books. It hasn't been subject to building inspections. Bishop Castle is a work of art, not a building. When visiting this tourist attraction, you are asked to sign a guest book that serves a dual purpose as a disclaimer in case of injury.

Bishop Castle has a gift shop attached. Items for sale include castle themed dress up clothes and props. There are also some political items and the usual Colorado souvenir fare. There are no admission fees for Bishop Castle. Donations are welcome. They're put toward construction costs.

Get to Bishop Castle from Denver, Colorado by taking I-25 to the Colorado City exit. Go NW on Highway 165 for 24 miles. You will see signs from that point.

Incidentally, one of the best things about Bishop Castle is the location. The San Isabel National Forest area is also known as “The Wet Mountains” due to the fact that it has a more moisture dense climate than most of the Rocky Mountains. It's quite similar to (but as most of the Rockies, much higher in altitude than) the Adirondacks in my home state of NY.

So, when we traveled to Bishop Castle, we also found a whole new region to love and explore. On the way back down, we took a back route so that we could stop at Lake Isabel. We were happy to discover several nice campgrounds en-route and also right along the lake shore. One of these days, we'll remember to book early. But until then, we're still happy with this beautiful day trip drive.