This trailhead is a hub with access to many other trails. I wanted to climb Flagstaff Mountain and…read morethere are multiple options to get to the top. I started with the GC trail and created a loop with Rangeview and Flagstaff. Rangeview delivered an amazing view of the Rockies. GC is on an incline so you get to look down into the creek and canyon. The western side also offers views of the adjacent Chautauqua Park. Flagstaff summit was not as dramatic, and upon the descent you look out onto Downtown Boulder. I inadvertently took Crown Rock trail, which I do not recommend. It has a lot of loose rocks and gets slippery. Trails were easy to follow and major intersections had clear signage. Only six parking spots! However, you can park for free with some off-road spots on Baseline Rd. I regret starting at 9:30 as trails were pretty sunny. Rangeview offered some needed shade.

Wow what a marvelous trailhead! The other reviewer was right, you could get to all of Boulder…read moreMountain Parks from here. I arrived around 11am on a weekday and the lot was about half full. There's a few trails that all connect up to Green Mountain, so take your pick. It too me about an hour to summit. The trail was beautiful and in better shape than the Bear Peak trail. It's less steep, but still pretty long and can be an adventure. You get some amazing views, better than Bear I think. Seeing the first flatiron above the fog was so pretty. The summit sports a register and a lot of chickadees begging for food. Don't feed them! Enjoy the mountain air and sunshine, and the fact your so close to town after your hike!

The Aquarius Trailhead is an access point on the Lafayette/Louisville town line for the Coal Creek…read moreTrail. There's parking for a dozen or so cars, some signage about the surrounding nature, and a small picnic shelter. Very popular spot with runners, walkers, and bikers. Conveniently located but the traffic can be a bit fast going by. Excellent spot for sunsets and western views into from Pikes Peak very far south, Boulder and the Indian Peaks to the west, and north to Longs Peak and Wyoming. Lots of wildlife including bald eagles, prairie dogs, and coyotes.

As a visitor to Longmont this was a great well developed and beautiful little find behind our hotel…read moreand connecting to downtown Longmont. Beautiful new and well developed paths and a nature exploration area along St. Vrain Creek. Great for walking, running and biking. The Nature Area featured purpose built nature play structures which were creatively and naturally playfully designed. There was an area with parking for tubing and water explorations for kids and kids-at-heart. Perfect!

Dickens Farm Nature Area is an ok place to walk, bike, run, etc. within town. It is right behind a…read morestrip mall with a bridge leading from the strip mall to the nature area. Many people visit to take a dip in St Vrain Creek, some on tubes. My dogs definitely loved splashing through the area. There is no playground equipment for kids if that's what you are looking for. There are stumps and logs to climb and explore. There are not too many shaded areas, so be aware during the heat of summer. There are a couple of covered picnic tables available. Be aware of your surroundings when visiting. There was trash left around part of Discovery Island & tent in some bushes. During one morning visit, I was followed, harassed and cursed at by a homeless man. I reported it, but I don't think it was taken seriously. During another visit, we saw someone who appeared to be some type of security, but we saw that he only visited the parking lot - that's not going to deter much. This place would be five stars if it was safe and you didn't have to watch your back when visiting.

Seeking to spend a day out in nature and catch-up, Kristin M and I chose to make our way up…read moreNederland ways and check out Forsythe Canyon. Here are a few tidbits to ensure that you have a "fan experience" during your visit to Forsythe Canyon: ++ While they do offer parking at the trailhead, it is a bit of a mess. Since it is near Boulder (and all trailheads in Boulder fill up quick) I highly recommend arriving early to ensure you don't have to wait to park. Also a high clearance vehicle isn't really necessary, but be careful of the rocky areas that may cause your vehicle bottom out. ++ The trail its self is well marked for the most part making it easy to just enjoy your day in nature. Bonus is that it follows a small stream most of the way to Gross Reservoir making it quite cool on a warmer summer day. ++ There are several really great photo spots including: various spots along the creek, the rocks above the small waterfall, below in front of the waterfall, and lastly at Gross Reservoir. ++ Bring some snacks for a little picnic by the reservoir. There's some great areas along the banks to recharge and relax before heading back to the car! While I wouldn't say that Forsythe Canyon is an absolute must see; it was a pretty enough hike that I'd recommend it to anyone looking for the following: a simpler short hike, not to far from the Denver/Boulder area, water and lots of foliage! It easily checked those boxes for me! **Pro Tip(s): Do not park along the road leading to the trailhead - unless it is in a designated area. Residents further up the road appear to get very frustrated by the congestion caused by parking on this narrow dirt road. Leashed dogs ARE allowed. So go ahead and bring your furry friend along for the adventure, but please respect the leash requirement.

This land is part of the Town of Superior open space trail system. There is adequate parking for a…read morebusy Sunday morning. It is well used by walking visors as well as cyclists on mountain bikes. We walked along the Meadowlark Trail, from the start point almost to the crest of the hill. We were part of a group led by a member of the Open Space Board, accompanied by a retired CU biology presser who spoke to us about the wild flowers we were seeing. It was a bit warm and windy today and near the end of the spring native flower season. It was quite dry already. If you want to in a self guided way, I would suggest several weeks earlier. Though if you go too early there will be mud, I learned from some locals. Share the trail , there are plenty of bikes and they were all courteous riders and we stepped aside for them too. A very nice place to visit. The trailhead has a bathroom facility and also serves the Coalton Trail which runs both east and west from the trailhead. It is clearly marked at the traffic circle on McCaslin.

The Coalton trail head is located in the town of Superior by the round-a-bout at the intersection…read moreof Coalton and Mccaslin rd. At this location you will find a parking lot, a small pavilion, and a restroom. A primitive dirt and gravel trail starts here and traverses through many open fields and has a easy to medium difficulty level depending on your fitness level. The Coalton trail also connects with many other trails that lead to more rough and rocky terrain that heads down to Boulder. This is popular with hikers and mountain bikers.

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 the (or one of the) steepest hiking trails in Denver (probably similar to Shadow Canyon)…read more According to my GPS, it gained around 2000 feet in 1.1 miles. The last 0.3 miles becomes pretty steep and is just loose rocks and scree. But, it's really fun and it's the most direct route to Bear Peak, if you park at NCAR.

Calm beautiful country park outside Longmont almost to Hygiene. So peaceful and the trail is flat…read more Lots of geese and ducks. Dogs allowed on a leash. What a lovely place to chill outside with the view of the mountains in the distance. Definitely worth it. Lakes are on both sides of the county road. Epic.

This is a wonderful small park and hill near Boulder. With parking for about a dozen cars and a…read moreloop trail, it's a great place for a chill hike! You can even get above the clouds on some days with this location! Beautiful flowers, birds and trees here and usually very quiet.

This scenic area is just west of the Boulder city limits, heading up Sunshine Canyon to Gold Hill…read more I have hiked the 1.6 mile loop in the summer but never snowshoed it in the winter before. It was quite fun, an easy stroll, but a bit windy at the top, though the views were nice on this sunny day. It can be very hot up there in the summer. Some of the forest around it burned in the big FourMile fire of Sept, 2010, but the tree cover for the hike itself is intact and the views still quite picturesque. There is convenient parking at the trailhead.