Reaching the 11,780-foot lake begins from the Longs Peak Trailhead. Mount Falcon Castle Loop Trail is one of the most scenic hikes in Colorado. A little more than 6 miles in, you will turn onto the, . Photo Credit: Steven Bratman. Weather, accessibility, hike difficulty, length, and elevation gain are all factors to consider when choosing a hike in Colorado. Plan your next outdoor adventure to one of 4,595 routes with waterfalls or scenic . Rocky Mountain National Park is a truly breathtaking area and a great introduction to Colorado. This hike is for experienced hikers only. For killer views of eastern Colorado, Pikes Peak, and the Rocky Mountains check out Devils Head Lookout. Beautiful waterfalls seep into the brightly colored lake. Sharkstooth Trail is a great day hike in a region of Colorado many overlook. Photo Credit: Breanna Sneeringer, OutThere Colorado. After completing the Palmer Trail, you will turn briefly onto. When she isnt running, she works as a trail content editor for Trail Run Project, where she now gets to spend her day dreaming about trails and adventuringthe perfect job since she cant run 24/7. Photo Credit: twildlife (iStock). This trail is dirt and has some stairs to help with erosion, so if you prefer to stick to the paved path, you can bypass this trail and stay on the Perkins Central Garden Trail. One of the best hikes in Colorado is the iconic Mirror Lake. Leave it better than how you found. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Nothing from Ouray or Cheyenne Caon? Take in the history of the ruins while enjoying the scenery of the mountains and the city of Denver in the distance. Most segments fall within the moderate to upper end of difficult. With staple 14ers like Pikes Peak and Mount Evans towering above the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains to the west, the views on a clear day are astonishing. A lighter snow season will allow for earlier season hiking. Located about one hour from Denver, this popular hike leads to an extraordinary destinationDevils Head Lookout. Be sure to park in the designated overnight parking lot. You will need to watch your footing on the slope of Grays as you climb to the summit at 14,270 feet. Photo Credit: Breanna Sneeringer, OutThere Colorado. For more information, please visit the town of Glenwood Springs website. This hike is mostly on the valley floor, passing multiple lakes on the way to the final pair of the Chicago lakes. Many hikers are turned around by high country weather. (Photos Credit: Hiking Project Contributor Nick Wilder). Tucked away in Rocky Mountain National Park, the hike to Alberta Falls is an easy, out and back trail that will take you to some stunning falls in the park with incredible views. Once you are done enjoying the rewards of your climb, retrace your steps back down the saddle to connect to the main trail and return to the trailhead. Be Truthful. Looking for a bit of a challenge while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park? It is tough to narrow down the best Colorado hiking trails and hikes, but you definitely cant go wrong with any of these ones. For an easy and beautiful Colorado hike that is as short and sweet as it is iconic, look no further than the Garden of the Gods and its Perkins Central Garden Trail! Explore the high country with a triple alpine lake ascent to Mowhawk Lakes via Spruce Creek Trail. For this reason, it's best to always keep pets leashed. A few miles from downtown Boulder, CO. 30 minutes NW from Downtown Denver. Hopefully by 2023 the park will have permission to start . Once you are done enjoying the rewards of your climb, retrace your steps back down the saddle to connect to the main trail and return to the trailhead. Grays and Torreys are so commonly hiked together that many refer to the two 14ers inseparably. Open today: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM. The trails tend to be snow-free and the roads are open. Colorado Maroon Bells - Crater Lake Reflection Horizontal. It also depends on the snow year. Photo Credit: Adam-Springer (iStock). , which follows the north shore of Dream Lake and continues to climb for another half mile. There are plenty of hiking trails for all abilities from the parking lot at Chautauqua. For the purpose of this article, we will divide the state into different regions and look at some of the best hikes in different parts of the state. You have permission to edit this collection. You won't be disappointed with this hike; especially if you love the wildflowers. . The altitude combined with lots of elevation gain makes for a tough hike. Colorado is the headquarters of hiking in the US, so it's not surprising that it has some of the most beautiful hikes in the country. While the park is popular enough that you wont have the trails to yourself, there are miles of trails to explore so you can pick and choose your own route to either escape the crowds or follow the well-used paths to the popular viewpoints. Most high alpine roads will open up in June each summer. Photo Credit: ablokhin (iStock). Please be sure to visit the RMNP website for more information on the current permitting process for parking and entrance to the park. Prepare properly for scrambling a Colorado 14er and understand the risks you are getting into. Even for someone that lives in Colorado, anyone can get altitude sickness when hiking up high, most commonly above 8,000 feet. Photo Credit: Breanna Sneeringer, OutThere Colorado. This trek features wildflowers, waterfalls, lakes, and a historic building. If you are in the area for this hike, it is worth it to drive to the summit of Mt. Opt to get their early or make it an overnight to get more time. (Photo Credit: Hiking Project Contributor. Season: June, July, and August. Dont stop here, as another singletrack trail on the west side of Mirror Lake heads on to Crater Lake and reveals the even more stunning view of Lone Eagle Peak and Mount Achonee towering above the lake. Rise early to catch a mountain sunrise guaranteed to leave you speechless. Dogs are welcome to use the trail but must be kept on leash. In just under a mile, this trail gains an astonishing 905 feet in elevation. The trail reaches its peak elevation around 7,800 feet at 2.5 miles with noteworthy views to the south. As the slope increases, you will climb toward the ponderosa pines and wooded slopes of the Boulder foothills. and reveals the even more stunning view of Lone Eagle Peak and Mount Achonee towering above the lake. Crestone Peak and the Crestone Needle, two of Colorados most famous 14ers (peaks above 14,000 feet high), create a beautifully dramatic backdrop. One of the best times to go is for the July wildflower bloom. How many trails have you hiked? The west end of this narrow lake is framed by Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain. Start your hike at the East Portal Trailhead near the Moffat Tunnel. Join once, enjoy forever. Hike along the seven bridges and check out the beautiful waterfall. Be Nice. Garden of the Gods Perkins Central Garden Trail (Colorado Springs) AllTrails/Brian Mehringer. Enjoy them, but do your part to make sure that someone a year, a decade, or a century from now can enjoy the area too. This road is only open in the summer months. The magnificent Maroon bell mountains tower over Maroon lake. Just stay calm. As one of the best hikes in Colorado, its worth the effort to be the tallest thing around! This ridge is a segment of the Dakota Hogback, a distinct, fin-like ridge that marks the edge of the mountains and the plains. Photo Credit: Matt Vincent. The 9.1-mile out-and-back trail, which is rated as hard, rewards hikers with incredible views. For more information about hiking in the Boulder area, check out our article on the best hikes in Boulder. Photo Credit: James Walton. Distance: 8.2 milesElevation Gain: 2,870Difficulty: DifficultRed Tape and Local Tips: This hike becomes impassible in winter due to avalanche terrain and steep ice. Photo Credit: John Fielder. Lone Eagle Peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The 4.5-mile path will lead you to a historical mill that now sits abandoned above the Crystal River in Gunnison County. Located in Roxborough State Park, this is one of the best easy hikes near Denver that takes you on a fun trek past some of the best scenery in the park. Once you reach the fire tower, which is situated at 9,748 feet, the 360-degree views are fantastic. The trail heads deeper into Tyndall Gorge until reaching Emerald Lake, which is tucked under the rocky summits of Hallett and Flattop. A little more than 6 miles in, you will turn onto the Crater Lake Trail. With trails ranging from less than a mile (1.6 km) to as many as 12 miles (19 km), you can take either a point-to-point or a loop route to some of the most scenic hikes in Colorado. Maroon Bells in the fall. While summertime is the best time to venture into higher altitude hikes in the alpine, the summer also has its dangers. When it comes to hiking in Colorado, there are year-round options. Expect this hike to take 10-15 hours. Longs Peak. This is my favorite place to take out-of-town visitors on a scenic jaunt. Mount Bross has been closed to the public in the past check with the current rules before summiting this peak. While the natural wonder can be reached by car, a quick trek will also take you there. This section is the most challenging part of the hike, with loose switchbacks and rocky stairs to navigate. From here, follow the Buckskin Pass Trail back to the trailhead to complete the loop. Near the southern end of the loop, you can branch onto the Sleeping Giant Trail, a short loop off the main paved path that leads to the base of the Sleeping Giant rock formation. Outdoor equity, climate action, places we love. This stunning hike brings one to one of the few remaining glaciers in Colorado. : Snowmass Village, CO, in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, 11 miles southwest of Aspen, : An immersive multiday experience in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, This 27-mile loop is most commonly backpacked as a three- or four-night trip. Cotton can cause hypothermia, even in summer. The journey toChasm Lakeis a must for any hiker seeking the mountain's tranquil beauty. Located inside Rocky Mountain National Park outside of the town of Estes Park. You'll need reservations to explore the iconic alpine wonder. Not only is it a popular backpacking route in Colorado, but this hike will take you around 4 hours to complete and will take you past Timberline Falls by way of Glacier Gorge Trail. You then connect back to Perkins Central Garden Trail to return to the trailhead. Be Proactive. If you are looking for the quintessential Indian Peaks hike, the out-and-back to Crater Lake from Monarch Lake offers a great mix of scenery and terrain, as well as a stunning destination. (Photo Credit: Hiking Project Contributor Evan Ovalle). Photo Credit: Melissa Woolf (iStock). Longs Peak (Estes Park) Every peak bagger should add the 14,259-foot summit of Longs Peak to their bucket list. Spring can be a tough time to hike, depending on the conditions. Quandary Peak is one of the most hiked 14ers in Colorado. The road is rather rocky and a 44 car is recommended. Inside this guide youll find tons of info about the most scenic Colorado hikes and how to visit them without the crowds. Location: Northern Front Range. North Cheyenne Canon is a very rugged hiking destination with access to gorgeous windy roads through the mountains. Photo Credit: Breanna Sneeringer, OutThere Colorado. Due to the popularity of the hike, you must have a permit to hike the trail between May and October. The shaded trail passes through conifer forests interspersed with rock formations and outcroppings. From the Bear Lake Trailhead, start on the, . Note that from mid-June through September between 8:30am 5:00pm, a shuttle is required to take to the trailhead. ROYAL ARCH TRAIL 1. In the summer, wildflowers are abundant. Don't Threaten. Photo Credit: MizC (iStock). Pro Tip: If youre into hiking up peaks, this trailhead offers access to some of the best 13ers in Colorado. Threats of harming another Colorado has some of the most incredible hiking in the country. The trail climbs gradually for the first 2 miles, heading south around Kelso Mountain before turning west, where you will spot the two 14ers and the saddle connecting them. It also serves as a highly visible landmark the notch in the ridge. Backdropped by beautiful peaks, the sandy "mountain" rises 699 feet off the ground. This is another great 14er hike to do in the I-70 area. The easily accessible trails at Bear Creek are some of the most popular in the area, for both locals and visitors. Its hard to select just one town in Colorado with the best hiking. Generally speaking, the high country is referred to as the area at 9,000 feet and above. Be sure to check with the local land manager for the most current trail conditions. Location: I-70 corridor, not very far from Denver. You may spot deer and coyotes in the area as well. , Quandary makes a great first 14er to tackle. The hike then loops back north along the Red Rocks Trail to return to the trailhead. This short loop packs a scenic punch as it passes some of the largest rock formations in the park. Afterward, check out the sights in nearby Dillon, Frisco, and Breckenridge. Hikes here range from short walks in Boulders Chautauqua Park to hiking Longs peak, a 14er. This is one of the best hikes in Colorado that sits just outside of Boulder meaning that it is only about a 30-minute drive away from Denver. Photo Credit: kwiktor (iStock). This area is also prone to lightning storms so be sure to start your hike early (like 4:00 am early) to avoid them. Because the hiking is on the sand, there isnt much of an established trail. Towards the summit there may be a few rocky sections, be on the lookout for loose rocks. There are several parking areas located along Gold Camp Road and while none are very large, you will have a few lots to choose from. Location: I-70 corridor, outside of the town of Aspen. Maroon Bells, near Aspen, are two of Colorado's most famous mountains and are well known for their views. This section of the hike passes through a verdant high-alpine meadow where the wildflowers are plentiful in season. If you can, try to time your visit between late May and early June since this is when the waterfall is at its best. Towns like Telluride, Silverton, and Durango will be nearby for hiking in this region. This article will mainly focus on some of the best day hikes. Micro-spikes can useful when there is snow on the windswept trail. Follow the signs to Rogers Pass Lake (pictured), a destination youll encounter just before reaching Heart Lake. Be sure to arrive early to find a parking spot as space is limited and the trail is busy during the summer. best practices. The view from the summit of Mt. If you like rocks, this place fits the bill. The 14,259 ft Longs Peak is one of the most climbed 14ers in Colorado thanks to its convenient location. The Mount Evans wilderness area is a great place to make for a full day of hiking and driving up to some spectacular exposed views. Its quintessentially Colorado and home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in the state. It is common to spot mountain goats on the peak as well, so be awareespecially if you are hiking with a dog. This loop combines The Palmer Trail to Buckskin-Charlie, Niobrara, and the Bretang Trail to make a tour-de-garden. Also, dont attempt the climb if there is a chance of a thunderstorma fairly common summer afternoon occurrence. Here are the regions we will use. Even in the winter, the Front Range sees plenty of mild and sunny days when the trails dry out enough for a hike. Colorado has some of the most incredible hiking in the country. Being on an exposed ridge top on a late summer day is one of the most dangerous places to be while hiking. Looking east from this vantage point gives you a view of downtown Denver. 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