Love Skunk Canyon for easy close hikes! This is a collection of a trailhead and large grassy…read morecanyon. It's more a large gully than canyon, but has a ton of nature and wildlife. The trailhead is not great but not terrible. There's room for three cars of Vassar drive. You can street park, park at Ncar, or bike in like I do. There's a lot of branching trails here, and you can make some easy loops of around one to three miles. I would estimate around 500 ft of gain to connect to the Mesa trail above. About an hour hiking or half hour run. There's a ton of trees, flowers, birds and views! The lower trails are mostly sunny and open, and can bake up very hot in summer. The upper parts are treed and much cooler when the wind comes in. Enjoy connections on the Mesa Trail, or get to Woods Quarry and down for a loop!

This is a backdoor entry to the Flatiron Mountains. It is a gradual climb and not a very difficult…read moretrail. It has very little shade so plan accordingly. No parking lot, just park along the residential neighborhood.

This trailhead is a hub with access to many other trails. I wanted to climb Flagstaff Mountain and…read morethere are multiple options to get to the top. I started with the GC trail and created a loop with Rangeview and Flagstaff. Rangeview delivered an amazing view of the Rockies. GC is on an incline so you get to look down into the creek and canyon. The western side also offers views of the adjacent Chautauqua Park. Flagstaff summit was not as dramatic, and upon the descent you look out onto Downtown Boulder. I inadvertently took Crown Rock trail, which I do not recommend. It has a lot of loose rocks and gets slippery. Trails were easy to follow and major intersections had clear signage. Only six parking spots! However, you can park for free with some off-road spots on Baseline Rd. I regret starting at 9:30 as trails were pretty sunny. Rangeview offered some needed shade.

Wow what a marvelous trailhead! The other reviewer was right, you could get to all of Boulder…read moreMountain Parks from here. I arrived around 11am on a weekday and the lot was about half full. There's a few trails that all connect up to Green Mountain, so take your pick. It too me about an hour to summit. The trail was beautiful and in better shape than the Bear Peak trail. It's less steep, but still pretty long and can be an adventure. You get some amazing views, better than Bear I think. Seeing the first flatiron above the fog was so pretty. The summit sports a register and a lot of chickadees begging for food. Don't feed them! Enjoy the mountain air and sunshine, and the fact your so close to town after your hike!

This area outside boulder is stunning with great trails. Lot of connections to various trails…read more Def get there early ( for parking and heat considerations)

Beautiful views. Trail is moderately tough. Brought our dog and he was great, but make sure to…read morebring waters. Some parts are narrow and treacherous so just be careful.

Golden Gate Canyon is a park for all seasons. If I'm being honest I don't find any of the trails or…read moreviews to be epic or spectacular, but due to my first claim in this review, 4 stars fits the bill. Winter, spring, summer, fall, Golden Gate has it all. +Winter you gaze over frozen lakes and ponds, while still being able to hike some of the trails. +Spring the flowers bloom and the aspens begin to turn. +Summer you can mountain bike and blaze all corners of the park. I've never camped here before and would be interested in doing so someday. +Fall is one of the more sought after destinations for leaf peeping and fall foliage due to its close proximity to Denver. Talk about an ideal location for a Christmas card! From old desolate cabins to rushing streams to jagged peaks to countless activities, Golden Gate Canyon is a reliable option when you need to get out of dodge.

Located about 45 minutes from downtown Denver, Golden Gate Canyon State Park is such a great place…read moreto hike, fish, and is a easy getaway from the city. Numerous trails, plenty of parking spots available as well as bathrooms. Every time I go to the park I discover something new. Visitor center also has a really cool trout pond outside, with so many of the swimming around that you can also feed with food from the vending machine. One of my favorite places outside of Denver to get outdoors!

Wow! It's so beautiful here. I enjoyed my solo take out dinner sitting on top of a boulder and…read moreenjoying the views of the lake and mountains. Plus, the lake is only. Short walk from the parking lot, so it is accessible to most. While on a short hike on the trail, I ran into a beautiful MOOSE and caught a few photos while he ate his dinner. Amazing experience!

Brainard NRA is stunning. I was surprised how fast the tickets go for this place during the summer…read moremonths - I went in mid September and the tickets for the morning times were fully gone within minutes after they dropped online a few weeks before I went Given RMNP tix go like that I was ready at 0900 for when they dropped, and actually within 1 min the 8-11a time slot sold out so I couldn't get it! But I did get the 5-8a slot which was fine. The area itself is very easy to find and navigate, and it is well maintained by the staff. When you arrive they do scan your day pass ticket and give you a pass to hang on your rear view mirror. The lot was plenty empty at Long lake trailhead (the start to get to Lake Isabelle) when I arrived around 0730. The day was fairly cool but not cold, and partly cloudy. It was absolutely gorgeous, the hike there was even more beautiful than the lake itself! I saw a moose along part of the trail too. The lake itself was surprisingly low, I'm not sure why the water level was that low but it looked much lower compared to the pictures/tiktoks I've seen online. That said, it is still very picturesque. There were lots of places to roam around the lake, and even tho it became SUPER windy when I got to the lake, I had a good time running around (but note - my nose was running like CRAZY, if you have allergies, come with tissues!). I did end up walking from long lake trailhead to the lake Mitchell trailhead and making the hike out there too; Isabelle is prettier imo but it was still a fun walk and the trailhead at Mitchell has plenty of parking too. There is a little trail, about 15 mins walk between long lake trailhead and Mitchell trailhead, although you do briefly have to walk along part of the road. Brainard lake itself is also lovely, I saw a moose hanging out right by this lake too!

This is one of one of my favorite trails to get away from Denver. The beauty here is untouched, I…read morecould get lost in my thoughts here every time. This trail changes its beauty for each season. So, check the weather and bring plenty of gear, water, and snacks. On these trails you may encounter horses, cows, dogs, moose, many wild small animals, and people on bikes. Stay on the path! This is a packed dirt trail. The perfect footwear is hiking boots, snow boots, or jogging shoes for mile high runners. At the trail head has restrooms, maps of all the trails, and a paved parking lot. If I wanted a small walk or jog my go to is the Juniper trail. It does have elevation, but the trail is flat for jogging, and the view is breath taking. This is a hidden gem.

We loved this hike, quick with lots of views. Stairs towards the top but overall quick and fun.read more

Great, relatively moderate way to access Boulder's high summits! There are several ways up Green…read moreMountain. Some start low and wind long around for a lengthy walk. This trailhead provides probably the easiest ascent of the peak. You can park along the road between the signs, or even start lower near Lost Gulch on the Greenman trail. This is not too much elevation gain, and around 1.5 miles one way. The terrain for half is rolling hills and pretty smooth, while the second part begins elevation gain in earnest up rock stairs. The trail breaks pretty fast and you can get excellent views. You can also connect to Bear Peak and other trails east. Happy trails!

What a great trail head! You can connect in all directions for lots of hiking fun! The Fowler…read moreTrailhead up the road is great too and gets you a bit closer to Eldorado Canyon. There's miles of trails for hiking and biking, including many views of the plains, mountains, and surrounding scenery. Love the flowers and many rock colors coming out. You can even see a section of ancient seabed coming out! This is definitely one of my favorite places to go hiking in Boulder, and it seems you can avoid some of the downtown Boulder crowds. There's also South Mesa parking across the road, and plenty of trails northward too! Happy trails!

Super fun, easy trail! Close to Arvada and Broomfield area. Fee to park is $5. I suggest you…read moredownload the ParkMobile app before getting there as signal comes and goes. Bikes, dogs and horses are allowed on this trail. You also get great views the entire hike!