AWESOME!!!!! This was the perfect hike for a quick trip to Boulder. It took us about 4 hours…read moregoing super slow with lots of breaks and a nice lunch stop. The trail was well maintained and the rangers in the visitors center were super friendly. During the summer Sunday we were there, the park had a free shuttle back to town which was super helpful.

One of my favorite trails in Boulder located in Chautauqua park. It's a little over 3 miles with…read moresome elevation, but I think it's relatively easy. My friend who was visiting from sea level who doesn't hike much was able to do it with no problems. It's a beautiful hike through tree line, nice vertical and stone steps and a unique arch at the top! There are big rocks to sit on and enjoy the stunning vistas and observe sweet chipmunks running about.

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.

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!

Fern Canyon is the name of the northern of two routes to get up Bear Peak (Shadow Canyon being the…read moreother) Access is varied with many points such as the Cragmore Connector, NCAR, or even the Mesa Trail. I prefer the NCAR way since it has good parking, however you have to climb back up at the end! The actual Fern Canyon Trail starts off the Mesa Trail roughly a half mile up from Bear Canyon. The trail is rocky, rooty, and icy for half the year, a true adventure! It's definitely one of the hardest city trails and not for the faint of heart. It's up-up-up, relentless until you reach the rocky peak of Bear. Much of the trail is forested aside from a nice col between Nebel and Bear, and the top sections which are open talus steps followed by class 2 climbing. There is much nature including the namesake Ferns as well, especially in late summer/fall. Happy Trails!

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.

Great trail. 7-18-26 Rainy but great weather overall. It says around 4 miles, but that is rather…read moredifficult because there are so many mini trails to explore. I ended up at the end around 6 miles. They shut down the road as parking was full near the trail and they had a free shuttle that took us up. You park at the high school below. The shuttle driver was lovely and even stopped so we could see a moose. Trail is not for someone with weak ankles as it is very rocky. The views are phenomenal.

The Hessie Trailhead leads to many great hikes. Hikes of all difficulty…read more Parking is a bitch and you now have to ( unless you get there at some ungodly hour) park at the high school and take a school bus to the trailhead. Fun Hike is Lost Lake ( snowshoeing or hiking in the summer). Magical place.

Sugarloaf Mountain is an excellent close front range option for a scenic hike. Parking is fairly…read moreeasy off Sugarloaf rd, really not far from downtown Boulder! It's an uphill and sometimes steep drive on dirt, but nothing a small car can't do. The hike itself starts unmarked but easy to spot the wide gate and uphill trail. You're in the woods for about the first third, then get some great views after some switchbacks. The top is denuded from a fire over 30 years ago, the Black Tiger Fire. Many large trees and stumps can be seen. This is a fantastic view and you can see in 360 degrees. It's particularly great for mountain views, sunrise, and cool clouds. The trail is pretty short 1.5 miles and around 300ft gain, with a broad open top. It's a great trail for most any skill level!

Colorado residents and visitors should make the time to take in this Rocky Mountain experience…read more This is a moderate hike for those in decent shape, just remember if you're not acclimated, you are hiking roughly from 7900ft to 8900ft. Sugarloaf Mountain is about a half hour outside of Boulder. It is easily seen from the plains-it's the mountain just behind the foothills that is uniformly cone shaped. Let me cut ahead to the pay-off before I fill in the details: A hike up Sugarloaf Mountain from the parking area pays off with magnificent 360 views. The Continental Divide is spread out before you in spectacular fashion. Long's Peak (one of the 14teeners) views are fabulous. To one side are steep drops down talus slopes into Four Mile Canyon. Turn around and you can see Denver and on a cool, clear day, probably Kansas. (not really but it seems that way). I have knocked around the high country quite a bit and been to the top of several peaks, and for the accessability and proximity to Denver and Boulder, Sugarloaf Mountain has some of the best panoramic views. Some of my personal highlights from Sugarloaf hikes: -Watching an eagle glide along on thermals, sometimes above me, sometimes below. -Waving at people in a glider and actually being able to hear the wings of the glider whistling through the air. -Watching the sun set below the snow-capped divide (you can see the Indian Peaks and Never Summer range from here) while sitting in adirondack style chairs made from loose slabs of stone on the western facing side of the peak. Drive west out of Boulder on Canyon (toward Nederland). About 5 miles. Turn right on Sugarloaf Rd., follow it about 4 miles to a right, watch for signs. Trailhead is just a dirt lot. Trail starts with gravel/dirt, becomes very rocky as you climb. Not very steep or challenging if you take your time. Also views of forest fire damage from recent years in surrounding foothills. Just don't do what I did with a visitor: Hiked up sugarloaf one day, biking the next day, on the third day of their visit (they were visiting from an elevation of 600ft.) we went to play racquetball in the morning. Ten minutes into racquetball my guest says "Are the lights in here flickering? Wait, I think I might pass out..." Oops. Altitude.

I was only in the Denver area for a week, so wanted to keep it lowkey with the hikes and went to…read morethe Flatirons to do so instead. Given that the Flatirons essentially sit at the base of the Rocky Mountains, this is a much more doable area for those who are just visiting and haven't acclimated to the change in elevation! There are a ton of hiking trails that stretch for miles and can be explored all throughout the Flatirons, but the best part of the Boulder Flatirons is its proximity to the city of Boulder! Boulder literally sits at the foothills of the Flatirons, so its a quick jaunt from the mountains to the city in this area and the city of Boulder has a great downtown, college town, and just generally a ton to offer to tourists and locals alike! A must visit when you're in the Denver area!

Absolutely breathtaking views from the top. It's so high up and was a challenging hike up to the…read more1st and 2nd Flatirons. Highly recommend if you're in the area.