At over 11,500 feet, the air at Hoosier Pass is crisp and invigorating. Surrounding peaks create a…read moredramatic backdrop. Easily accessible, yet wild and remote. Driving, hiking, or stopping for photos, Hoosier Pass offers a memorable glimpse into Colorado's rugged alpine beauty.

I was nervous to drive on this from Breckenridge to Colorado Springs because it started snowing in…read moreBreck that morning. We arrived at the pass in 10-15 minutes and fortunately it was clear and sunny so no threat of ice. The views are amazing from the lookout.

Great marked looped trail and the views at the top are stunning. Trail is well marked with blue…read morediamonds on trees. It is fairly rocky so just watch your step. Slow elevation rise. I would say dogs and kids would do well on it.

Pika Trail is on the outskirts of Fairplay and Alma. Roughly a 20 minute drive from either town…read more It's a small, but mighty loop clocking in just over a mile. I hiked here the morning of Memorial Day. My advice for anyone hiking around this time of year in the mountains is to download a map in advance. Even for a super short trail, it's incredibly easy to steer off course when it's still snow packed. I nearly made a wrong turn at the very beginning! Once you get to the top, you get amazing panoramic views of the mountains. It's a wide open space at the top, and I think you're able to connect to the Pennsylvania Mountain trail if desired. I will say the trail was marked impeccably well with blue markers sitting high on the trees. It's very easy to get off track during this woodsy hike. When you arrive at the trailhead you'll find only a handful of parking spots. 1.2 mile loop 259 ft. elevation gain 35 minutes to complete (in summer, longer if snow packed) Contrary to the name, I didn't see many pikas. Assuming they'll be more present during the summer months. Nice little trail for all ages and difficulty levels. Great views!

Another amazing CO 14'er hike to satisfy my wanderlusting! I am floored by the absolute beauty…read morethat is out there that a camera or video cannot capture. Please come and create your own adventure.

Colder and snowier than I wanted it to be in June, it was about what was expected. The main trail…read moreis straightforward, having only three or so major turns. I recommend starting before sunrise so you have decent parking and can see the sunrise, but this day we started a bit later. For the first time, I had to glissade down the snow because, even though I tried not to, I ended up slipping and going for that ride anyway. It was very controllable, so no issues. The walk is very very rocky and people struggle to breathe, which is to be expected. Views from above include a lot of the surrounding mountains, Leadville, some lakes/reservoirs, and more.

One of the great turns to Aspen. Nice place to stay for a while and enjoy the sight of water in…read morethis splendid land-locked state.

Beautiful lake full of hiking and camping areas. We did dispursed camping, there are ton of spots…read morewith fire pits on highway 82 on the right across from perry peak campground. No reservations required, first come first serve but every time we have come we never had a problem finding a spot even on a holiday weekend like labor day. We played in the lake with our dog Daisy, she absolutely loves swimming for toys and the water amazing! It was cold but not freezing, we want to bring our paddle boards next time. We park at mountain view overlook, be sure to pay the fee to park or you will get a ticket! We love coming here, the views are amazing and it's never too crowded. Highly recommend stopping by or camping here.

Awesome Section of the Rio Grande Trail! We enjoyed it . Was partly shaded so it wasn't too hot !…read moreParking lot was easy to get in and out . We will come back and bring our bike!

One of my favorite Aspen hikes! A great workout with a rewarding beautiful lake at the top! Dog…read morefriendly and lots of shade.

As I continued on my goal of hiking once a week in Aspen, I saw friends posting pictures of…read moreAmerican Lake. I absolutely loved hiking to Cathedral Lake a few weeks ago, and this trail is just two miles before Cathedral Lake. However, I could not find anyone else interested in this hike so I decided to go by myself. This was one of the clearest trails I have hiked all summer, and I felt 100% safe hiking this one by myself. If you are a first-time solo hiker, this is a great one. This hike seems like it will start out easy, as you jump a stream and cross a meadow. However, you almost immediately get to 45 minutes of switchbacks. The switchbacks were steep enough, and the Aspens do not provide complete coverage from the sun. While I did not need to take a break, it was a very intense way to start a hike. Once you get through the switchbacks, the hike flattens out quite a bit with just a few more hills. The remainder of the hike is mostly shady, which also meant that starting at 10:25 AM was just fine. You hike through many more pine trees and a few meadows. When you come up on the lake, it is just beautiful. There are some trails around the lake, but you should also look for fish in the lake because it is very clear! The hike down is very easy and fast as well because there are very few rocks on this hike. I am usually slower down than up, and I sped down this mountain. I started this hike at 10:25 AM, reached the lake at 12:00 PM, and I was back to my car at 1:40 PM, after spending a little over a half hour at the lake. My biggest issue with this hike is that there are flies EVERYWHERE. Having a fly by your ear for 3.2 miles each way is rough. People also do not pick up after their dogs, and there is dog poop everywhere. So while the actual lake is gorgeous, I found the journey up to Cathedral Lake much more fun and enjoyable. This hike is worth doing if you have the time, but it wouldn't be on my top 5 list in Aspen either.

We go here every year love the area always clean and nice host, But for the third year now there's…read moreno water always saying being repaired. Is it really??

This place is just gorgeous. The pics I took don't even do justice to seeing it in person so you…read morehave to see this place yourself if you are ever passing nearby. It is part of the national parks system and you can reserve spots and get all that extra good details like mountain heights and all that cool geeky stuff here: http://www.recreation.gov/camping/white-star/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70791 I decided to chance it without a reservation with hopes to still be able to grab a spot or at least sleep in my truck up in the mountains. There are a lot of camping spots, but it can get busy even in late summer and weekdays. I don't think all the spots on the Sage Loop are on the online reservation system. This place has 3 "walk-up" sites. Only #36 has a real walk to the spot. 37, and 38 are just over a small Ridge where you park. These 2 have gorgeous views! I stayed at 37 and 38 is just a little higher. All the spots have a ground pit or a stand up grill with a grate. I saw some grills even had a flat griddle on it. Drinking water is on the lower loop where most rv people stay. I think some of those areas have electric hookups, but not sure. Restrooms are septic tank hard building "vault toilets", with no running water. Bring wipes as the toilet paper is not great. Baby wipes are a vital must in any proper camping list! $19-$20 for camping spots. About $6 for day use. It's a self pay envelope system. That being said, the host does not check on people until after 9am, usually more around noon. Important for those on the road not looking to leave a mark and don't want to spend much or can't spend anything. I understand how camping and traveling goes and sometimes you arrive late and leave early without any fuss to anyone. I will also note that even if all the spots are taken on the top loop, or lower loop, you can still pitch a tent in the top loop in the center or by the #36 walk up area. Pack up early and you won't get a slap on the wrist for doing the wrong thing. :) If you stay here. Get up early and see if you can catch the mist coming down the valley. You can arrange canoe, kayak and jet skis for lake use. The camp host is super helpful. The mountains literally around this part are the tallest 14,000+ mountains in all of Colorado! Enjoy!

Alma Playground and Park is the perfect place to stop for lunch followed by playground time for…read morekids and or a walk on the picturesque trails circling the ponds. The picnic areas and the pit toilet are clean and well maintained, as is the playground. The surrounding mountain views are stunning.

Beautiful spot right by town hall! We loved throwing rocks in the river at the sandy riverbed,…read moreriding our toddler bike along the gravel trail, and then coloring the playground!