So convenient to Denver and one of the nicest trail heads I've been to...clean bathrooms with…read morerunning water? Yes please! There are a lot of different trails to choose from and the park does a good job trying to control hiking v mountain biking traffic with a even/odd day system.

Well maintained trail with some nice variety. Was pretty crowded but overall it didn't seem like…read moretoo many people and also the parking lot is huge. One of the main trails has an alternating schedule between bikes and no bike days. On the bike days you can't hike on that one so check the schedule before going. The other trail allows both bikers and hikers all the time.

Long on views and uniqueness short in hike!…read more This is a local favorite. A place that is easily accessed, has a year round snow field and is just plain fun. Lake front. Fishing. Glisading. Skiing. Boarding. Hiking. Views and blue sky are all in abundance at St Mary's Glacier. It's great fun to tromp through the snow in summer time. Watch crazy boarders sail down the small ice field living their best lives in shorts and tank tops. Adventure above the snow field and find above treeline terrain and majestic views and a hike to the top of James Peak. Parking is a bitch. Weekends are crowded and it's always busy but worth the time. Definitely a fun place to bring folks from out of town!

I just did the short trail from the trailhead to the lake. It took maybe 20 to 30 minutes with snow…read moreboots. When I visited in February 2026, some places were icy and slippery. It was still covered in snow. The lake was iced over. The glacier looked beautiful. We talked to a family whose young son hiked up the top and then snowboarded down by himself! We parked in the small lot just across the trailhead. It was $20 and you pay by scanning the QR code. There was one porta potty there. There were other lots that were charging $10 but farther from the trailhead.

Beautiful hike today. Never been here but I have a webcam link to see the summit. So when I saw a…read morecloud inversion, I came as fast as I could! The "trail" is really just a dirt service road, in good shape though. You can drive up a bit more to the gun range, my highlander was ok but really low cars might have issues. The trailhead is a bit loud with the gun range. The .22s are one thing and only moderately freak my dog out. Some folks bring large caliber weapons and those can take away from the scenic value a bit. You can hear them from the fire tower too. The hike is uphill but never very steep. However it's a bit unrelenting, and you can skid on the loose dirt. It's only a long straight way then two switchbacks, and you're there. Not too many views except at the summit cone. The last few hundred yards are well constructed rock steps. Then you're at the fire tower! Views abound in every direction. The tower was occupied but you can still wander the base. There's a lot of communication things, which was funny to me since you have no service the whole hike. It took me around half an hour to climb to the top. There's some fun rock scrambles around as well if you're up for that. Overall, a pretty basic hike with a great payoff! I think it would be awesome for a sunset or sunrise.

"We have ways of getting you to the summit," said my high school pal with a smile and wink, who…read moreinsisted it was an easy, 2-hr hike up Chief Mountain. Bad News: Chief Mountain was closed on Memorial Day because of too much snow. Good News: We didn't know it until after we thought we'd hiked to the top. "Damn, the trail head must be here somewhere,"....."hmmm, ah...the hell with it. Let's just bushwack this and go straight up." And, we did. My high school pal and two other intrepid Boulder locals revealed to me that it had been 5 years since they'd done this "hike," and they couldn't exactly remember where trail head was located. The consensus of the group: start climbing. OY! It was steep, even traversing. My Chicago wind and stamina didn't fail me, but oh, boy, did I ever feel it. I wasn't gasping but I was ... well.....sucking wind big time. It was beautiful, too. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. There were birds everywhere. I saw a Blackbird, a Cormorant, an Oriole, a handful of crows, doves, ducks, geese, hawks, a grouse, a Great Blue Heron, a hummingbird, a mountain pelican and a woodpecker. We saw jackrabbits, squirrels, deer, scampering pikas, two wily foxes, and we were pretty sure we saw elk in the distance. The skunk: meant to be smelled and not seen. There were running streams and snow drifts. There was a hearty breeze that dried my sweat, which became profuse toward the top as we covered a jagged boulder field on all fours. The Summit: 11,800. Views of the front range, Mt. Evans, Pikes Peak, and the plains. Perfection and supreme exhaustion. We ate p&j sandwiches, and oranges. We took pictures and relaxed. We marveled at how simple, cleansing, and energizing a thrill knocking yourself out can be. We were exhausted. We chose to walk down the fire road we found off the back of the summit. We walked down a bit and saw the sign: "Squaw Mountain, Summit: 11,800." Ha! We weren't even on Chief Mountain and my local pals didn't even know it. If you want to walk up the back fire roads rather than macho out like we did, here's where to find the SQUAW MOUNTAIN trail head location: From the intersection of CO-74 (Evergreen Parkway) and CO-103 (Squaw Pass Road), go west for approximately 12 miles. Just after you pass the turnoff to Echo Mountain Ski Area, there is a dirt road on the left side of the main road. Park here or, if the parking area is filled, continue up the hill and park at the intersection with the old Squaw Pass road. You will have to hike back down the old Squaw Pass road to meet the other road. Got that?

Talk about well maintained trail with some nice scenic views along the way and nice diversity of…read moretrails to choose from lots of elevation gain to moderate. It outside of Denver not sure exactly time cause here only for race weekend. We decided to meet up with trail running group one day. Only Emily ran with the group while Ashley and I exploring walk. Base before start nice they have map of different trail routes, free pamphlet exact routes, and nice warnings for bears. Thankfully not cross one. lol. We started with the group cause different loops some intersect but most start base loop. Some parts single track but most part all pretty wide. I love taken care of see pine tree fell over they cut it down clear the path. There even few bench saw chill and soak up nature. Busy trail runners, walkers, bikers, and groups. If love outdoors and looking for great trail. Elk Meadow Park is winnah!

Elk Meadow to Bergen peak is a lovely hike that will keep you in shape…read more It can get tedious doing it over and over again...but it is close to Denver and the facilities are top notch. Dogs are welcome. Great mountain biking Great trail running.

It's a bit of a shame that there isn't more signage on Main Street to direct visitors to this…read morebeautiful site. The river walk is nicely done, clean, and the fall is so pretty (although noisy from I-70's traffic). We sat on one of the benches for a while and enjoyed watching the river rafting tours go by while sipping on our ice coffee.

Very cool area Nicely kept…read more Beautiful scenery We walked our dogs down to the wheel it was quite fun! Loved the read. Geocache if you know you know

It's a fine trail…read more I've been here a couple times in the summer and it hasn't been much to write home about. The falls have been minimal and parking is scarce but it's a fine trail to take in the nature. I havent been here on the wknd due to the reviews I've seen with crowds but due to the lack of parking, it's ideal during the week if you're looking to get away from people.

We arrived at the upper trailhead parking lot and immediately saw four fire engines and a rescue…read morevehicle. Someone had gotten lost but, fortunately, they were found. I don't normally believe in omens but I do now. This is a beautiful trail. We saw deer and moose. Unfortunately, the falls were non-existent because of the drought. Yes, you can get lost here. You can get lost if you venture off the trails. And you can get lost if you stay on the trails. You think you can't get lost on a loop, right? Well, now. The signage on the trails sucks. Period. We exited the forest at the wrong trailhead. Getting back to the correct trailhead parking lot was a separate adventure. Beautiful trail. Moose and deer. Falls...sometimes. And better luck to everyone following the signs.

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!

Easy access from Boulder for visitors who want a gentle introduction to hiking in the Rocky…read moreMountains. Beautiful vistas, and many restful bench stops. I was greeted by a friendly hostess before starting the 5K loop around the Canyon Loop Trail. No bikes allowed Wednesday and Saturday. With close proximity to Boulder, it's a crowded trail, and bikes would represent something of a challenge for those hikers not fleet of foot. But I bet it's a fun mountain bike track!

I really, really enjoy Betasso. It is so beautiful - rolling hills, loads of trees, and well shaded…read moreonce you are in the woodsy portion. There are multiple parking lots and bathrooms! Not to mention, picnic tables near some of the trail heads. This area is open for use sun rise to sunset. Sorry, no campers permitted. The best days to go as a hiker or horseback rider are Wednesday and Saturdays (when bikes are not allowed on the trail). When visiting on the other days definitely watch your back (and this is where the three star removal comes in). I was visiting the morning of the 4th to give the good old walk jog routine a spin (having recently improved mobility), and boy did it feel good to get out. There are "right of way" signs sprinkled throughout the preserve. While about 10% of the bikers actually bothered to slow down or yield for me (these were the families and older bikers) most I had to physically jump out of the way of. If you've been here you know the trails can be narrow in some spots. So tree hugging, slope slipping, and ankle busting I did, just to avoid being collided into by a rowdy biker. It was really quite upsetting as we all have the same goal - being outside and moving around in nature. I'll definitely be back but will make my best attempt to go on the non-bike days.