Easy trail with steady incline. Following the trail was fine using Alltrails...without it, it could…read morebe confusing as there is a lot of splits and shared with mountain bikers. The trail was well maintained and definitely dog friendly with a couple poop stations at the start.

Loved this trail. I stayed at a hotel just a mile away. It was easy to find and the single track…read moretrail was super pretty.

A friend of mine had told me about this place and said we should give it a visit when in Colorado…read more We tried to do that the last time we were there, but it had already closed for the season. This trip, we were a week or so earlier, so we decided to try again. Fortunately, most of the area was still open. Only the very top was closed. Timed entry passes are required here, just like in many of the National Parks. I'm glad one of our group thought to get it. After a very nice drive up from Idaho Springs, we showed our permit and headed up. Part of the fun of this trip is that it's the highest paved road in North America (14,264 ft). We made it all the way up to one of the alpine lakes, and it was cold. I'm glad we were prepared for the cold and wind. We didn't see any wildlife at the lake, but we did see some on the way up. The area is full of deer, big horn sheep, and mountain goats, and we got to see 2 of the 3. Will I return? Definitely. However, if you want to see it all, you better go in the summer.

Beautiful. Loved this hike…read more Come early. parking lot may fill up. We arrive at 6 am on monday 6/27/2021. summit lake lot was around half full. There are bathrooms available at the lot for use. Bring $5 cash to pay to park when you arrive. there is an envelope to fill out over near the bathroom for parking. Take the trail that doesn't go down close to the lake and then you will hang a left. There is some signage before you really start to incline. the elevation gain from the parking lot to mount spaulding was fairly intense. There are a lot of rocks. Would make sure you have good boots for this hike. Once you get up to mount spaulding you will start to DESCEND. the trail up to mount spaulding is relatively well laid out. however after you get down from mount spaulding. Well there is a rock area that is not marked at all. Take a peek at 14ers.com so you can see some pics of where you should go. once you get over the hump and down. Stay around 25 feet down below the ridge and look for the CAIRNS. Rock piles. These will help guide you to where you should be going. Thankfully all trails did pull up for me when we were in the spot that is absolutely not marked. just be prepared for that stretch. From spaulding on up to the summit was a lot of climbing around on rocks. It was fun but be prepared for that. There were not many folks on the actual trail. but once you hit the summit parking lot at the top there will be a fair amount of people up at the summit as a lot of people drive up there. They do have bathrooms at the top, that is actually kind of a nice treat. I really enjoyed this 14er. I would definitely be up for doing this one again.

One of the most beautiful hikes we have ever gone on…read more Wildflowers, streams, waterfalls and an amazing lake to top it off. High elevation and quite tough going up but so worth it!! Took us about 4 hours total. Stop in Nederland on the way down for early dinner or lunch. Fantastic day

So effing beautiful. Let's just start there. Like the whole way up. Views of trees and mountainous…read moreviews. My legs hurt and I was dehydrated as shit because my moron friends didn't want to stop for food / water beforehand (big mistake). This wasn't the end of the world though due to the natural streams throughout the trek. Just dip your head in for some of the coolest most refreshing water you have ever tasted. Seriously, it beats the hell out of a bottle of Poland Spring or Fiji or whatever your posh ass is used to. I may retract that statement in a week when I have a tadpole making a nest (or whatever tadpoles do) inside of my stomach but for now ... yeah ... refreshing :) Get there early and have a car that you can beat up a little / SUV since there is about 4 miles of hilly dirt roads to get to the trail-head. I recommend hiking boots but I was fine in sneakers. Definitely take snacks / water and if your friends convince you otherwise just poke them hard in the gut with your hiking poles / stick (yes you probably want these too) until they cave in and stop the car for you. The trail is easy to follow. There is a split after about 1 - 1.5 miles up that has you chose between Apache Trail and Diamond Lake. We went for the lake. You will know you are there. If you miss it, congrats, you will probably be some giant grizzly bear's dinner that night. It was one of the more beautiful hiking sites I have bore witness to. For an added bonus and guys if you don't mind your balls retreating up into your stomach for warmth, take off those shoes and climb onto that rock in the center of the lake for some incredible panorama photos. The area surrounding the lake is great for a nap, a picnic, a read, etc. On our way down we stumbled across a man who sprained his ankle about 2 miles in. As a 9 person bachelor party we helped carry him 2 miles to the bottom. Humanitarian mission of Colorado has been complete, sites have been seen, and headache from altitude sickness is quickly on-setting due to lack of nutrients and H20. Despite hunger and a pounding headache, I definitely want to get back to the area and try a few other trails. Such an amazing escape from my normal city life.

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.

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.

This is a Beautiful hike , about 8km round trip. It is a shared trail with bikes, so you need to be…read moreaware of bikers coming down or up the hill , but it was not a big deal. The views and wildlife opportunities are worth it and you get a workout to go along . Plenty of parking options at the beginning of the trail too.

I went this past Sunday. I had previously visited early in the pandemic in June 2020. I walked…read morearound the Mesa in 3hrs recording 7 miles with dew people hiking. This time I went to Golden Cliffs trailhead on the south side. There were two trails (0.4 & 0.8 miles). The shorter looked more difficult indicating a steep climb to the rim. I chose the longer one. I was wrong. The 0.8 mile trail was less used and I had trouble finding the trail. I took several dead-ends that brought me to the base of the cliff for climbing routes using ropes & pitons. I eventually made the entire distance in 1.5 hrs. The trail map at the trailhead said most difficult and it was right. Once on top I took the North Table Loop trail 0.3 miles to Tilting Mesa trail. I hiked another 0.3 miles to Rim Rock trail (1.7 mile) which is a big loop going to the north rim. Weather was rolling in with heavier clouds and wind. On a clear day it would be hot. I took a video at the north rim at the 2nd highest spot on 6,551 ft. The highest is Lichen Peak at 6,552 ft. I finished the loop and headed back west. There are no restrooms/porta potties or water on the mesa top. So I descended to the west parking lot. The 0.4 mile segment is probably at 6-8% grade. I looked at the trail map. I could go back up to the top and negotiate the steeper route (0.4 miles) to the Golden Cliffs trailhead where I parked my car or take a circuitous trail (1.3 miles) along the west and south side. Very scenic and the trail was clearly visible. I startled a mule deer. So if your looking for a good hike, start on the west side and get to top for a level hike. Several trails go down the east side to access other trails including one that takes you to New Terrain Brewing.

I used to bring my family to Winter Park every Summer to enjoy the fun, but affordable Summer…read moreactivities such as the Scenic Gondola Ride, The Alpine Slide, etc. Apparently Winter Park is trying to be Vail now because affordable is no longer in their vocabulary. No option to ride the Alpine slide one time with your kids to experience the slide, now its $63.00 PER PERSON regardless of age for the full day with no one time slide option. The Gondola is $41.00 PER PERSON regardless of age. Winter Park is NOT VAIL and is no where close to worth what they are charging. We will be shifting gears and recommend shifting gears to Breckenridge for all of your Colorado adventures...Winter AND Summer

We visited Breckenridge for the day in early August. We just wanted to check out a 'ski resort…read moretown' while on vacation. At the center of town, there is a large parking lot ($10 for the day). Adjacent to that is the free gondola station. You might ask yourself why the gondola is free? The answer is: because it takes you to a place where you can spend money rapidly. At the end of the 10-minute gondola trip is a large hotel/lodge. Behind it is the base of the ski slope. In summer, they have to find other ways of attracting crowds, so they have several options. There is an Alpine Slide (where you ride a controllable cart down a concrete / plastic chute dug into the hillside). There also appeared to be a 'mountain coaster', which substitutes metal rails instead of the chute. My daughter and I opted for the Alpine Slide, as neither of us had ever tried one. My wife opted to grab something to eat. The lodge has one or more food vendors and you can eat on the patio under shade-umbrellas. The main drawbacks to the ride are price and time. I think it was $28 each when we went. Normally I might have balked at that, but this was likely to be a rare opportunity, so we splurged. You first wait in line (and sign a waiver) for the initial ticket / wrist-band. That took about 10 minutes. Once you are banded, you go and get in another line to wait to ascend. This took at least 30 minutes. You then get to ride a chair-lift up the mountain a ways (which was a nice experience in itself). You get to the upper station, exit the chair-lift and...wait in another line to get a cart. They separate you into groups of about 25 and let you get a cart and line up for one of the 3 chutes. The only difference in the chutes was that 2 allowed 2-persons (adult and child) rides and 1 was solo only. Once you get a start, it is a nice ride. You can go as fast or slow as you like, via the hand-brake. If you want to go fast you may catch up with the person in front of you, though. It was an enjoyable ride and I'm glad we did it. I'm not sure I'd need to do it twice, though.

I had a random Monday off and finally made my way to Guanella Pass after being in my bucket list…read morefor so long. When you first exit Georgetown, there are so many signs to guide you to Guanella Pass (also unlike a lot of places, this is free with free parking as well). This is a drive so be kind and share the road. This is also a paved road so driving was quite easy. There are lots of curved spots to park your car if there's a view you are interested in. Drive at your own pace. Take your time and drive slowly because the views are amazing, especially in Autumn. There are lots of lakes so if you see a sign for picnic area, make a stop. Drive up to the top of the summit. It's chilly but the views are wonderful. My little fur baby had a blast.

Gorgeous. Guanella…read morePass is certainly a fan favorite, especially for those seeking the fall colors a short drive from Denver. Plus it's a paved pass so that's a plus. Along the route are a ton of pull outs and scenic stops which are well occupied and used. There are also some campsites for those wishing to stay longer and check out some of the hiking trails. Absolutely a must see if you're scouting out the fall colors or looking to climb Mount Bierstadt.