It's time to celebrate! This weekend marks four years since I became the Denver Hiking Examiner so I could tell you about all the great places to hike in Colorado.
Need a trail? Pick one of these! I have them organized first by area -- Jefferson County, Douglas County, Boulder County, Rocky Mountain National Park, Indian Peaks & James Peak Wilderness, State Parks, Colorado Springs, Pike National Forest, Summit County, Holy Cross Wilderness. Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Northern Colorado, Grand Junction, urban areas and others.
Then I have the hikes in categories -- waterfalls, homesteads, arches, fire lookouts, snowshoes and odd/interesting hikes.
Let's go!
Jefferson County Open Space & nearby area:
- Mount Galbraith from the main trailhead & Nightbird Gulch
- Matthews/Winters
- Big loop: Matthews/Winters to Dakota Ridge to Red Rocks Trail
- Mount Falcon: Western White House ruins, Eagle's Eye Shelter, Castle ruins
- Maxwell Falls
- White Ranch: Rawhide Loop, Longhorn/Maverick/Belcher/Mustang/Sawmill, East side trails
- Meyer Ranch Park
- Pine Valley Ranch: North Fork View/Narrow Gauge, Buck Gulch/Strawberry Jack/Park View
- North Table Mountain: Rim Rock Trail, North Table Mountain Loop, Golden Cliffs Preserve
- South Table Mountain: Lubahn Trail, NREL trailhead across the mesa, Basalt Cap Loop trail
- Apex Park: Sluicebox to Pick N' Sledge, Enchanted Forest, Grubstake Loop
- Beaver Brook
- Flying J Ranch Park
- Centennial Cone: Travois Trail, Mayhem Gulch
- Alderfer/3Sisters: Evergreen Mountain, Dedisse Park to 3 Sisters, Hidden Fawn, Mountain Muhly
- Elk Meadow Park: Bergen Peak via Too Long Trail, Bergen Peak via Bergen Peak Trail, Elk Meadow Trails
- Reynolds Park: Hummingbird/Songbird Loop, Raven's Roost/Eagle's View/Oxen Draw
- Lair O' The Bear
- Bear Creek Lake Park: Mount Carbon
- Hildebrand Ranch Park
- South Valley Park: Grazing Elk Trail, Coyote Song & Swallow Trails
- Deer Creek Canyon Park: Plymouth Mountain Loop, west side loop
- Chatfield Botanical Gardens trails
- Dakota Ridge to the dinosaur tracks: Short route, long route
- Triceratops Trail (dinosaur fossils)
- Chimney Gulch
- Red Rocks Park: Trading Post Loop
- Lookout Mountain
- Groundhog Flat, Grass Creek Trail, Evergreen
- Hell's Hole, Mount Evans Wilderness
- Tanglewood Trail, Mount Evans Wilderness
- Roosevelt Lakes, Mount Evans Wilderness
- Mount Goliath Nature Trail, Mount Evans
- Grays & Torreys, 14ers
- Loch Lomand, Reynolds Lake, Stewart Lake, Ohman Lake, Idaho Springs
- Chinn's, Sherwin and Slater Lakes, Idaho Springs
- Shelf Lake, Guanella Pass
Douglas County:
- Spruce Mountain Open Space
- Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space
- Bluffs Regional Park
- Mitchell Creek Canyon Open Space
- The Rock in Castle Rock
- Ridgeline Open Space
- 17 mile farm house park
- Hidden Mesa Open Space
- Quarry Mesa Open Space
- Native Legend Open Space
Boulder County:
- Royal Arch
- Mount Sanitas
- Betasso Preserve: Canyon Loop & Benjamin Loop, Bummer's Rock
- Marshall Mesa
- Doudy Draw, Springbrook Loop, Goshawk Ridge
- Green Mountain
- Bear Peak
- Meyer Ranch
- Flatirons Vista
- 1st and 2nd flatirons
- Walker Ranch
- Hall Ranch
- Caribou Ranch Open Space
- Wood's Quarry
- Rabbit Mountain: Eagle Wind Trail, Little Thompson Overlook, Indian Mesa
- North Shanahan and South Shanahan Loop
- Rock Creek Farm: Mary Miller Trail, Cradleboard Trail
- Superior trails: Meadowlark, Coalton, Mayoffer-Singletree, High Plains Trail, Greenbelt Plateau, Cowdrey Draw, the "big loop"
- Walden ponds
- Boulder Falls
- Homestead/Towhee Loop
- Chautauqua to Ski Jump Loop
Rocky Mountain National Park:
- Mills Lake
- The Loch
- Lake of Glass & Sky Pond
- Ouzel Falls & Ouzel Lake
- Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls
- Alberta Falls
- Gem Lake: summer, winter
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lakes
- Spectacle Lakes
- Chipmunk & Ypsilon Lakes
- Flattop Mountain
- Thunder Lake
- Lion Lakes & Snowbank Lake
- Fern Falls & Fern Lake
- Shelf & Solitude Lakes
- Spruce Lake
- Finch Lake
- Jewel Lake
- Arch Rocks/The Pool
- Mount Ida
- MacGregor Falls
- North Inlet Trail to Cascade Falls (west side)
- Timber Lake (west side)
Indian Peaks Wilderness & James Peak Wilderness:
- Lost Lake
- Diamond Lake
- Mitchell Lake & Blue Lake
- Lake Isabelle
- Heart Lake & Rogers Pass Lake
- Crater Lakes
- Forest Lakes
- Arapahoe Lakes
- Woodland Lake & Skyscraper Reservoir
- Clayton Lake
- Iceberg Lakes
- Rogers Pass (west side)
- Columbine Lake (west side)
- Long Lake
- Cascade Falls (west side)
State Parks:
- Roxborough State Park: Fountain Valley Loop, Carpenter Peak, South Rim Trail
- Eldorado Canyon State Park: Hotel ruins, Fowler Trail
- Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Frazer Meadows, Forgotten Valley
- Barr Lake State Park
- Chatfield State Park's Slocum Cabin, Littleton
Colorado Springs:
- Waldo Canyon
- The Incline
- Red Rock Canyon Open Space: Canyon, Quarry Pass & Contemplative Trails, Contemplative, Roundup, Red Rock Rim Trails
- Seven Bridges/North Cheyenne Creek Trail
- St Mary's Falls
- Pulpit Rock Open Space
Pike National Forest:
Summit County (incl. Leadville):
- Mohawk Lakes & Continental Falls
- McCullough Gulch & White Falls
- South Willow Falls
- Chihuahua Gulch
- Mayflower Gulch
- Eccles Pass
- Wheeler Lakes
- Meadow Creek Trail
- Mount Royal & Masontown
- Sallie Barber Mine & True Romance Mine
- Dexter House & Interlaken
Holy Cross Wilderness:
Glenwood Springs area:
- Hanging Lake
- Doc Holliday's grave site
- Storm King Memorial Trail
- Grizzly Creek
- Red Mountain/Jeanne Golay Trail
- Dotero Crater
Aspen area:
- Maroon Lake & Crater Lake
- West Maroon Trail to Cested Butte
- Independence ghost town
- Ashcroft ghost town
- Frying Pan Lakes
- American Lake
- Cathedral Lake
- Grottos/Ice caves
- Weller Lake
Northern Colorado including Steamboat Springs & Fort Collins:
- Zirkel Circle, Steamboat Springs
- Fish Creek Falls, Steamboat Springs
- Gilpin Lake, Steamboat Springs
- Horsetooth Falls, Fort Collins
- Horsetooth Rock, Fort Collins
- Mount McConnel, Poudre Canyon
- American & Snow Lakes, Poudre Canyon
- Kreutzer Nature Trail, Poudre Canyon
- Pawnee Buttes, eastern plains
Southern Colorado, near Silverton:
- Ice Lakes
- Ice Lakes including Fuller and Island Lakes
- Highland Mary and Verde Lakes
Grand Junction/Fruita:
- Trail Through Time
- Rattlesnake Canyon Arches
- Mount Garfield
- Monument Canyon to Wedding Canyon
- Flume Canyon
- Devil's Canyon
- McDonald Creek
Urban trails:
- Sloan's Lake, Denver
- Camp Rollandet, Denver
- Crown Hill, Arvada
- Van Bibber Park, Arvada
- Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Rod & Gun Club Trail
- Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge: east side, west side
Other areas:
- Judd Falls, Crested Butte
- Chimney Rock Archaeological Area, Pagosa Springs
- Waterdog Lakes, Gunnison
- Dillon Pinnacles, Gunnison
- Oak Flat Loop, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Animas Forks ghost town, Silverton
- Gibson Lake, Park County
- Kenosha Pass, Highway 285 (great fall hike)
- Pelican Mine site, Silver Plume
- Argentine Central Grade to Pavilion Point, Silver Plume
- Ludlow Memorial, southern Colorado
Waterfalls:
- Mohawk Lakes & Continental Falls, Breckenridge
- Hanging Lake, Glenwood Springs
- Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Alberta Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Lost Lake (& a secret waterfall), Indian Peaks Wilderness
- South Willow Falls, Silverthorne
- Fish Creek Falls, Steamboat Springs
- North Inlet Trail to Cascade Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Cascade Falls, Indian Peaks Wilderness
- Maxwell Falls, Evergreen
- St Mary's Falls, Colorado Springs
- McCullough Gulch & White Falls, Breckenridge
- Boulder Falls, Boulder
- Horestooth Falls, Fort Collins
- Judd Falls, Crested Butte
Homesteads:
- Meyer Ranch, Boulder
- Hall Ranch, Boulder
- Homestead Meadows, Larimer County: Laycook, Boren & Hill homesteads, Griffith, Walker, Irvin, Brown homesteads
- Dexter House & Interlaken, Leadville (not homesteads, but historic buildings)
- Independence ghost town, Aspen
- Ashcroft ghost town, Aspen
- Animas Forks ghost town, Silverton
- 17 Mile House farm park, Parker
Arches:
- Royal Arch, Boulder
- Harmonica Arch, Pike National Forest
- Rattlesnake Canyon arches (Grand Junction)
Fire lookouts:
- Devil's Head, Douglas County
- Squaw Peak, Jefferson County
Snowshoes:
- Mayflower Gulch, Near Copper Mountain
- Sallie Barber Mine, Breckenridge
- Brainard Lake, near the Indian Peaks Wilderness
- Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Mills Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Chasm Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Lily Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Lost Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness
- Gem Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
Odd/Interesting hikes you have to check out:
- The Incline, Colorado Springs
- Dotsero Crater, Dotsero (Between Eagle & Glenwood Springs)
- Dinosaur tracks at Dakota Ridge, Golden
- Triceratops Trail (dinosaur fossils), Golden
- Castle at Lair O' The Bear, Jefferson County
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