An absolutely stunning trail where you can get into nature quick. It is my favorite place to bike that I have found so far since moving here. I highly recommend coming here to bike unless you are a serious runner who can do the 12.4 miles out and back. It's definitely worth it to go the whole trail because the farther you go in the prettier it gets and the dam at the end is pretty cool! If you are a serious nature enthusiast there are campgrounds at the end of the trail. The only thing that is a con for me is I still haven't seen any big horn sheep on this trail! I have seen deer here though and plenty of birds. Tips: no dogs allowed. read more

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My husband is a runner and goes here on a daily basis. He always has a wonderful time and it is a good place to run many different trails!! Well maintained there is horseback riding here, canoeing, windsurfing and much more!! When they let you see them the bright white horned goats are a treat to see... A lifetime memory for many when you get to see them. One season the bears came down and decided to take over the downstream River and from a distance you could see them splashing around and enjoying early summer in the river. Whatever you do do not forget to take your camera! We have seen the golden eagles and their babies in a nest, Hawks are abundant in the area as well as owls. A mature owl, will have a huge wingspan! Children love the area but you must be aware they shouldn't run and stay with you at all times as there are Rattlers especially in the grass. Stay on the trail do not go off the trail. Horseback riding is available nearby. Check with rangers about tubing and boating which are also nearby. We visit often at least four times a week for my husband if not five a great running area and you get to see wildlife as well!! Highly recommend it very clean and well taken care of even with the drought. . read more

If you're a biker I think this is a great trail to explore. Hikers and walkers - if you don't mind a flat, mostly paved trail that also serves as a service road for a portion, then you will like this as well. Not my favorite because of the flat, paved aspect but it is scenic once you're about a mile in. I've never seen wildlife while on this trail so it's luck of the draw! read more

Want to get some activity in without driving to the mountains? Waterton is your place! Not too much "hiking" per se but there's miles of pathways with gorgeous views where yo can stretch your legs. I feel safe any time I go here however, I do miss the company of four legged friends on this hike so if you're going to come here, leave the pups at home. Although gorgeous and peaceful with nice views season round, I would say the most stressful part of this place is crossing the street. Even though there's a light and cross walk, the good ole' boys in their trucks don't seem to be a fan of slowing down. Props to a huge parking lot and bathrooms along the trail as well! read more

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Four stars for the wildlife and ease of access, but note that it is a very low intensity hike (more of a walk on a service road). There were tons of sheep: some on the rocks and by the water, others on the path itself. They all seemed pretty accustomed to people being around. The water had some fun slots where it was flowing hard and others where it was calm. Parking was easy due to the massive lot and the trail started just across the street. The canyon is fun to walk through. read more

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Need a good easy fun beautiful bike ride to enjoy? This is the spot! I try make a trip here with my friend or kids once to two times a summer to bike ride up all the way to the waterfall and back down. There is a large enough parking lot that is never full nearby. Plus there plenty foot traffic with lots space you don't ever feel like it's to much. Best part is if you go right time you get to see all the stunning animals! read more

What an amazing trail right here in our own backyard. Hikers, bikers, and day trippers will love this walk along the river with lots of wildlife. Deer, Big Horn Sheep, Elk and even Beavers. Fisherman, break out the fly rod, lots of trout to be had read more

Waterton Canyon - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

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Stunning Colorado beauty that is accessible to most...an easy walk on the road. Will be back! read more

Waterton Canyon - Waterton Canyon - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

Great trail and fun place for a long walk. It's fun to see the creek and animals. There are also lots of picnic stations along the way. Plenty of parking. Not shaded at all so better to go when it's cloudy. read more

Waterton Canyon - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

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So relaxing and beautiful. It's a nice easy trail that is available to walk, run, bike, and fish. We walked the entire thing which was a very very long walk. We got over 13 miles in!! If you're looking for a relaxing, peaceful, scenic walk, this is the place to be! read more

Waterton Canyon - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

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Great cardio walk! Also you get to see the beautiful nature. If you're into fishing this is also the place to try it. read more

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Love this place ! Great place to see deer and rams. Keep going when you first start, not much to see the first mile then you walk into the beginning on the canyon it's beautiful! read more

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Beautiful park. Go during the week if possible. Gets super crowded on the weekends. Wide open spaces suited for bikers, hikers, runners and walkers. Super easy trail. Best part is the wildlife sittings! read more

Easy walk on dirt road. This is a busy road with bikers and walkers. Every time I went there I would see the Bighorn Sheep. The farther in you go the prettier it gets. At about mile 3 you can see a dam where water is diverted to end up in our Denver homes. read more

I'm new to the area, like from the Great Plains MidWest "new", and this was an amazing discovery. I'm not an "outdoorsy" person by any means, while my other half is the poster child for outdoorsy. That being said it's tough for us to find a common outdoor activity where there is a need for it to be slower paced and easy enough for me, while adventurous enough for him. Well, if you are in this type of relationship Waterton is the spot! I didn't understand the appeal of mountain biking - dirty, scary and rocky. Well I used my husband's mountain bike and now I get it. And this Canyon is the best place for newbies to start. It's about 6.2 miles to the large dam and although to me it looked like it was a relatively flat trail. It isn't it's a very gradual incline that you can't see, but you can definitely feel. I didn't understand why I was struggling. At one point I thought I was going to give up until I saw the geyser dam pushing out gobs and gobs of the drinking water that residents of the greater metro Denver area drink everyday. Pretty cool. A couple things to note, the pics on yelp DO NOT do this trail any justice. This trail is breath taking. Like ridiculous. You are sandwiched between two foot hills and the views are majestic. We never saw a sheep, but I heard they creep. So keep an eye out. They aren't aggressive but they are in the wild you are in the wild! lol. Second, there are tons of clean bathrooms with plenty of toilet paper. I was surprised when I entered the bathroom and didn't have the urge to vomit. There wasn't a place to wash your hands and some of the antibacterial gel dispensers in the stalls were empty. So you may want to bring a big bottle of water for drinking and rinsing your hands. Back to mountain biking, I still wasn't sold on it, because although we made it to the big dam (FYI, there are smaller baby dams along the way), I was pooped and I didn't know how I was going to make it back. I barely made the 6.2 miles. Well, well, well when we went back we were cruising with ease!!! At at least 18 - 20 mph!! OMG it was so exhilarating. It was like a roller coaster. At one point I was riding my break because we were going so fast. Now, I want my own mountain back and I get it, I get it you mountain biking enthusiasts. This is a pretty cool sport/hobby with lots of reward after all that hard work. Go on and feel that need, that need for speed!! read more

Waterton Canyon - The big dam and wild geyser! That's the water residents from Denver drink! - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

Wow. Just wow! I am an out-of-towner and my family recommended this spot to do a little "mountain biking". I use quotes because it's not really mountain biking. You have a nice, large, paved path and gradually ride up the canyon about 6+ miles to the dam. This is a great path for running, walking or biking. The views are just breathtaking - the creek follows your entire journey to the dam. It's incredibly quiet and peaceful. And, feels like a local spot, which I just loved. Plus, I hear you can see quite a bit of wildlife! We didn't that day, but I was not disappointed with those views the whole way up and down the canyon. This trail was one of the highlights of my trip. Get your hands on some mountain bikes and do this ride - I promise you will not regret it! read more

Waterton Canyon - Views certainly don't suck. - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

Highly contaminated dust and soil at the parking lot area. You really should avoid this area. Serious chemical contamination. Old businesses contaminated the Kassler Water Treatment plant. Dangerous and toxic. It is an EPA site. You should avoid this area. read more

Car broken into about 2pm by ring of pros and sire this area is a target and JEFFCO Sheriffs didn't care to take report or detail's despite major ongoing car theft ring at trail head. They are professionals so don't think your trunk is safe or anything have credit cards left in cars. Used some type of Fob remote copy to open or copy code read more

Lots of views of the mountains as you walk with a flowing river, incredible experience! read more

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This is an Awesome place for a hike or bike ride!! We loved every minute of our bike ride here.. from the canyon to the river to the big horn sheep! A fun way to spend a half day! read more

Waterton Canyon - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

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Amazing place to hike or bike and see amazing wildlife. Great family outing or alone time to bike or jog!

This place is a mini haven when you want to feel like you are getting out of the city! The scenery is breath taking with the river by your side the whole way you will be walking in to a gorgeous mountain canyon. Bring your bike or prepare for a long walk/run! Bring water or a snack as there is no place to get either of those. There are a few restrooms along the way and lots of wildlife to see. This is a great place to fly fish as well. The only downside about Waterton is the parking on the weekends. ..prepare to not find parking and plan on being around lots of tourists! read more

Waterton Canyon - 5/28/14 - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

Been here a couple of times. Nice, flat wide trails; good for biking. Can see big horn rams on the ridge. Trail is approximately 13 miles round trip. read more

Great easy walk through the beautiful canyon! Usually see tons of big horn sheep and their babies! It gets hot so take plenty of water! read more

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This canyon starts about 3.5 miles behind my house. It begins at Strontia Springs at the continuation of the South Platte river and Courses the river for 6.1 miles to the entrance of Chatfield State Park. Beautiful rock formations and peaks up to 7500 feet. Contains a herd of bighorn sheep that are rarely scared of humans. You can fish for trout along the course of this river. Canyon is crowded on nice weekends with hikers and bikers. read more

A cyclists paradise with almost no traffic except the occasional Denver Water truck or Dougco sheriff car! There is a parking lot near the entrance, bathrooms along the way. The incline is very gradual so it's almost flat. Coming back is slightly easier. We have seen bighorn sheep on most of our treks, there is a pretty river for stopping to fish or just relax! You can easily spend half a day here with biking or fishing, and you can get a good run or walk also! Head over to Rampart Range Road and Waterton for several restaurants nearby, including Waterton Tavern (and grill) or JP Asian. I recommend sunscreen and water, small amount of fishing gear! Oh, and to get there: Exit C470 at Wadsworth, turn S or away from the city towards the foothills. About 4-5 miles, make a left on Waterton. (If you get to Lockheed Martin gate, you missed your turn!) Go past the Audubon building. The parking for canyon visitors is on your left. Have fun! read more

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Consistently good wings! Love the sauce! Fries could be cooked a little longer though....

Great place to bring the kids or go on a long bike ride! Fishing is ok there too. Love seeing the big horned sheep. And walking along the river. The views are amazing and right now it smells so good because of the spring blooming bushes! The reason for 4 stars is because you have to cross a street at the start. A huge sign says cars must stop for you but I guess the park trucks don't have to! A guy almost ran me over today and just waved thinking he has the right of way! And the fact that they drive up and down the trail 100 times and too fast too! Just watch out for them. read more

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The main trail to the damn is nice but I would recommend riding a bike over hiking. The gravel is smooth and there isn't very much of an elevation gain, if any. Both times I have gone I've seen big horn sheep and deer so I would say that is the main attraction. Views are nice but the gravel road you walk on is a little bland. This is the reason I recommend riding bike over a slow walk. read more

Absolutely beautiful trail that solidifies why CO is perfect for the outdoors. See the river, big horn sheep, and more.

Do not follow google maps' directions to "Waterton Canyon" unless you type in the address to the trailhead!! It led us an hour and a half out of the way to a dead-end on private property when the location is actually only 20 min from our home. That was a bad move on my part! This spot is so near town and perfect to bring along people of any age. You can bike, walk, fish.. You name it. Park in the large parking lot that has bathrooms, and then cross the street and trek along several miles of dirt road. The walk follows the water, and the river is easily assessable to get down to and fish. So cool to see long-horned sheep along the way! They have picnic tables set up for a picnic. I loved how you're surrounded by mountains on either side and just feel like you're so far from the city. I'll be back soon. read more

This is a wonderful place for a beautiful hike! My husband and I hiked here last Sunday and loved it! We were looking for a hike we could take some out of town guests on that wasn't too strenuous. This one is perfect. Great views and it's relatively flat. Next time we will be taking our bicycles. read more

I really enjoyed my hike at Waterton Canyon yesterday! 7 miles of trail that make you forget that you aren't in the mountains. Great place to take your family. There are plenty of relatively clean bathrooms, picnic tables, & wildlife. Trail gets muddy, so be prepared, but it's an easy in & out hike! read more

Waterton Canyon - Bighorn Sheep sunbathing above the trail. - Hiking Near Me - Littleton, Colorado

Very flat, with a wide trail. Beautiful views. You can easily bring a jogging stroller if you'd like. It is fairly exposed with limited shade cover. There are bathrooms available at the trailhead. The sheer, steep canyon walls on either side feel larger than life and gave me the strange experience of feeling like I was in a cougar habitat at a zoo. We saw big horn sheep. Unfortunately there were a fair number of cars on the trail (park vehicles, I believe) but they were very courteous and drove slowly. Lots of nice pockets along the creek to take a break by a picnic table or covered shelter. You can make this as long or short of a walk as you'd like, by going out-and-back from the parking lot. read more

This trail keeps going and it is mainly for bikes. I did the mistake of not stopping until i saw the 5 mile mark so it was a 10 mile hike total. The rocks/sand gets in your shoes as you walk but the view is one of a kind read more

It's only for athletic people. My husband, my brother and I were riding up Waterton Canyon on our Pedego Electric bikes. We were having a wonderful time. We are all Senior citizens, with different issues that make riding normal bikes uphill unachievable. My husband is handicapped and is making the most of his life while he can still get around at all. Ebikes allow all of us to go places we normally couldn't. We were passed by all other bicycles on the trail that day as is normal since we are site seeing. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the beauty of the canyon and the wildlife. We were very close to the top, maybe a 1/4 of a mile left to go when a very rude man in the passenger seat of a white Denver water truck told us to leave. I've never felt so humiliated in all my life. He was totally discriminating against older and handicapped people. There are no signs and nothing online saying we weren't welcome with our bikes. I feel he was trying to impress the young girl who was driving the truck by bullying old people. I told him it was a place we had never been and asked if since we were so close to the top could we please just go and see it and he said absolutely not we have to leave immediately. My brother wrote to someone at Bicycle Colorado and they can't find anything saying ebikes are illegal in Waterton Canyon. Are they illegal and if so why? The demographics of ebike riders are people with injuries or age related ailments. It's not people riding like maniacs. The bike I was on is a class one and the other 2 bikes were class 2. Federal law and Colorado laws classify them as bicycles. They don't go over 20 miles an hour so many cyclist are much faster then we are and truth be known most of us don't go over 12 mph. We are getting outside, getting exercise and enjoying life. We are not a threat to anyone or anything. The people who have been helped by these bikes is amazing. I talked to a young woman whose husband and two kids go for long bike rides from their home in Castle Rock every Saturday. She couldn't ever go with them due to having Lupas, it makes her weak. She now has an electric bike and gets to enjoy the trails with her young family. People with fibromyalgia, neuropathy, arthritis, knee injuries, hip injuries, heart issues are all people who get to enjoy their lives due to these wonderful bikes. My husband and many others have lost a lot of weight with these bikes. Denying them access is disgusting. Our beautiful parks should not be only for healthy, athletic people. read more

it's an awesome easy hike with great views! very flat and easy on the legs! check their schedule before heading out because they are usually only open during the weekends around this time of year. read more