It's a tough thing to be from CO and recommend great trails. Coloradans naturally want to gatekeep…read morebeautiful secrets, but had to write a review for this incredible hiking trail (which I'm sure isn't really a secret). Took my 12 year old daughter backpacking on this trail and we had a fantastic time. There are plenty of areas to set up a tent along the creek for the first 2 miles. After that the elevation climbs and you have to wait until 4 miles or so and you aren't as close to water. There were hardly any mosquitos, but a lot of flies. The flies were relentless, and only one type seemed to bite. Some bug spray helped a little. The scenery was beautiful. Greener than a lot of spots in CO due to the creek and massive boulders everywhere. There's a lot of bird activity including humming birds. There wasn't a ton of foot traffic either. The trail is narrow but maintained. I do not suggest going on the unmaintained trail on the other side of the creek. We hiked the maintained trail in and the unmaintained trail out and there were several spots that were difficult with a 40 lb backpack on due to loose dirt and gravel. Just stay on the main trail especially if you have kids packing in. The water level was pretty low in some areas and the only fish we saw in our spot were tiny ones, so it's probably not great for anglers. The road leading there is a long dirt road and goes down to a single lane in some spots so take it slow. One driver was being very irresponsible and driving as fast as possible and taking turns quickly so as to spin out and nearly hit us! You can't see around curves and there are steep drop offs, so please drive cautiously. There's no cell service out there (AT&T), so remember the turns you made driving and landmarks like campgrounds and ranches. Beautiful spot. Would recommend.

I did this as part of a larger loop last weekend. The trail conditions for this segment were really…read moregood. It's a long trail, but not too difficult for a reasonably in shape person. Usually, you can walk two abreast and the river crossings are not hard. Lots of nice campsites every mile or so, visible right next to the trail. Once you get away from the trailhead, firewood is plentiful. Some camp sites are right next to water, so you can filter it and you're good. Others, you may have to carry water there. We did have some wet weather, which wasn't bad if you have good raincoats. Naturally, if you go to higher elevations, the rain comes down as snow, or hail, even in June. If you're just doing Goose Creek, within the first 7-8 miles, it's super easy to follow. However, good maps are available for free from the USGS web site. We also had a good map for Lost Creek from Amazon. Not too hard to get to the trail head, although you do have to drive about 15 miles of windy dirt road. It takes about 45 minutes for that part, especially if you have to back up to let someone go the other way on one of the single lane parts.

Nice park for a hike or run! Good elevation gain if heading up the Old Ski Run Trail. Kid friendly…read moreas well for the smaller loops. It tends to be more shaded. Currently there is some snow, ice, and mud on the trail - as well as a few downed trees - so be careful! Otherwise a nice quiet forest hike.

Closer to the city, yet far enough away to feel like you're getting a break from it all. Sledding…read morehills for the super snowy times, a variety of trails for all others (hiking or snow shoeing), and decent bathrooms for the non-winter months. Parking can be muddy, and even a bit off a challenge on really nice days, but it's a good option for a quick hike.

This area is just a grand area to Hike, Backpack, Snowshoe, and see the Autumn Colors...and yes…read moreI've done all. Part of the CT, Kenosha pass can give you many options: You can do the easy east part with a gentle slope of 400 feet and two miles, go the West and do a nice 10 mile hike/snowshoe, visit Chair rock, Little Scraggy peak, or Hike all the way down to the North Fork South Platte River ( Great fishing too). Two nice parking lots and easy to get to from Denver.

Absolutely gorgeous weekend this past Saturday to see the leaves. All the lots were so crowded but…read morewe managed to find parking. Everywhere was so crowded but still worth it to see the beautiful leaves. Definitely recommend in the fall.

Easy to get to just off 85. Easy hike/snowshoeing as well…read more Just got back from hiking the full 11.5 miles. It's a very quite lightly trafficked location. As of today not enough snow to snow shoe and not enough to wear spikes as well. So we decided to get rid of both. About eight or more short switchbacks and a gradual uphill nothing strenuous. When you enter the Pike National Forest you're about halfway to your destination. Trail is well marked and only horses and hikers are allowed here. Solitude and enough length of trail to keep a hiker happy.

Awesome trail for snowshoeing. It is well marked on Hwy 285, with parking along the road. It…read morestarts quickly on an incline with switchbacks to accommodate the climb, but levels off after a while. Within a few minutes we were far enough up the trail that we did not hear any traffic. From there on out, it was just us. No animal sightings, but we did see tracks and scat. It was a windy day, but once in the trees and after working just a little bit, we were amply warm and happy. I felt like we could have hiked for hours and never seen another person. It was the perfect first time experience at snowshoeing. I think the Lost Creek Wilderness would be great during any season. In fact I learned of this hiking/snowshoeing destination from an REI employee who helped me find the right snowshoeing shoes. He got married in this forest preserve. I envy him that beauty and experience. The Ben Tyler trailhead is at 8260ft elevation and over 11 miles in length. The link I provide is of a map. Each trail name is linked to a history and description of the trail.

Flying J Ranch Park is close enough to my house to be easy, but mentally it feels worlds away…read more That's the whole trick. You don't have to make a big Colorado production out of it. Drive to Conifer, get out of the car, and let the city brain loosen its grip. It's also not overrun. Parking is limited, and honestly, that may be part of the charm. It keeps Flying J from turning into one of those Front Range hiking scenes where the parking lot feels like a Subaru convention sponsored by REI. The bathrooms deserve their own mention. They are the cleanest park bathrooms I have experienced. Bring a wipe for your hands and you're good to go. The main walk is Shadow Pine Loop, which is about three miles and easy enough for anyone who wants a real walk without signing up for punishment or humiliation. Go left to right, clockwise, east to west, or whatever directional language works for you. I give directions like a city kid, you'll figure it out. The trail draws a mix of people: parents with young kids burning off energy, older folks, meaning older than me, on group walks, and lots of doggies. Please keep your dog on leash. I know, I know, your dog is friendly. So is everyone's dog... The only subculture to watch for is the occasional bike bro who treats right of way like a personal trail system. Most people are great. A few roll through with a festival-bro confidence level that feels wildly unnecessary on the peaceful trails. The park has changed in recent years. Prescribed burns, thinning, and fallen trees have opened up parts of the forest, so there is more sun than there used to be. Some spots look a little rough. Then you notice the new seedlings coming in, and suddenly you're thinking about forest cycles, renewal, mortality, and why you came here without coffee. Wait. Where were we? Come back. Flying J is not flashy. That's the point. It's easy, close, calm, dog-friendly, and natural enough to help change your headspace. Not every hike needs to conquer something. Sometimes it just needs to hand your brain back in better condition.

Beautiful park in Evergreen with a easy trail. Right now it's great for spikes or snowshoes. The…read moresnow was packed and more slushy and icy so we used spikes instead of the snowshoes and they worked great. The views are pretty and not too crowded at all. There was a ranger at the parking lot and it seems to be checked up on quite a bit. The parking lot isn't too small and there's good space. Highly recommend in the winter because it makes the trail more interesting.

*edit-I don't know why Inspirahike is on my review title. I have no idea what inspirahike is. I'm…read morestrictly reviewing this hike/trail. I can't believe we didn't know about this lovely trail sooner! It is under construction, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the part we were able to explore. It was a good 2 mile walk with options to stop at a couple places to take in the view. It's dog friendly, horse friendly, peaceful and mostly clean. You will need to be cautious while walking due to horse droppings. But overall we enjoyed walking here and taking in the breathtaking front range views, and will be back to check out the rest of the trail.

Nice walk along the trail. We chose the Gus's gulch trail green loop after taking a look at the old…read morehomestead. It's a lovely set of buildings which harken back to the old days. Some farm machinery left behind made for interesting viewing. The open space is a network of 4 miles of unpaved trails suitable for hiking and mountain biking. We started at the Allen Street trailhead but there's another option to park off Mountain Vista Way. We could see Founders on one side and there are houses on the other. Open spaces and wooded areas with bird houses set up on the trail we were on. We took the easier trail as I wasn't feeling well and just wanted some fresh air. Nice, quick walk.

Nice campground facilities near a lake with plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities including…read moredeer, heron and a large variety of birds. Only dislike is the daily park pass at $8.