One of the most beautiful hikes we have ever gone on. 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 read more

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So effing beautiful. Let's just start there. Like the whole way up. Views of trees and mountainous views. 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. read more

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Eldora, CO is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The hikes around the Fourth of July Campground aren't perfectly labeled on Yelp so, to be clear, I'm reviewing the Fourth of July Trail to Arapohoe Pass (this hike: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/arapahoe-pass-and-lake-dorothy-trail) Again - it is SPECTACULAR. I was just making a Colorado bucket list for a friend when I started digging around for this hike and couldn't find it. I must have forgotten to Yelp since there's 1) no cell service there, and 2) it probably wasn't on Yelp at all then. It's a 7-ish mile out and back, which means it's an any-mile hike, really. Feeling sluggish? Turn around sooner. Feeling adventurous? Soldier on! We made it a 7.5mi trek with some roaming around at the top; the views are out of this world, and we were only turned back by the wind (it's a tornado up there!). Bring plenty of water and some snacks. This hike will put you to work! We saw some pooches doing it, and all of them had booties to protect their feet. The road up to the trailhead is also incredibly bumpy with potholes that could swallow a small child. (This is perfect Subaru Outback/Crosstrek territory - aka the Colorado State Car.) Drivers, beware! That said, I couldn't love this place more and still dream of it often. The landscape is magical and varied. Sunflowers, mountains, forests, streams...it's all here! read more

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Officially my favorite hike in Colorado! I was wanting to check out the leaves before they all wither away and found awesome reviews for Diamond Lake Trail so I decided to venture out of my normal hikes and check it out. I went with a friend and we were at the trailhead by 830am and ready to go! By then the parking lot (free parking woot woot!) was getting to be full and by when we left at 1pm, it was full plus cars along the bumpy and pothole filled road. When people say taking a 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive is best, they aren't kidding. I've had my Forester for 3 years and have never been on a road that bumpy so props for feeling like a true Coloradoan and using my Subbie! The trail starts pretty steady, then steep with a lot of switch backs. There are some beautiful babbling brooks (hi alliteration) along the water and immense number of photo opps. There's a fork that's not labeled, we took a left and thankfully that was the right way to go. You'll pass a creek with a gorgeous waterfall where you can sit and enjoy a snack before you get to the lake. We even grabbed some water in our bottles and it was some of the freshest water I've had in awhile. All in nice then it gets steep again as you near the lake. We definitely had to stop and catch our breath more than a few times but once you get to the lake it is absolutely stunning. When I think of stereotypical Colorado sites with pine trees, mountains and water, this is what I think of. This would be a great place to sit, pack a lunch and enjoy a cold one while taking in the scenary. There was definitely more people coming up to the lake on our second half of the way back to the car so it's probably best to go early. I will definitely be coming back here again, how have I NOT known about this place?? PS-one of the best parts....bathrooms on site! read more

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Heaven on earth - I think that it's practically impossible to not fall in love with these hikes. A couple notable things for those not so familiar with the area... AWD or at least a decent car and a driver with experience on roads that aren't the traditional paved ones; it's not bad at all in my opinion but visitors disagree lol so just be prepared for that, and more importantly the elevation. I think it's really easy to forget that even just flat ground in the area is well over a mile than what most are used to, so I'd heavily recommend lots of hydration, a solid amount of lip balm, lotion, and using sunscreen. Yes, I'm a mom lol ;) read more

This is a fabulous hike, however, getting to the start of the trail may be a challenge car wise. If you have a car with good road clearance, then you'll get through the 4 miles of rocky terrain and tons of pot holes needed to get to the start of the trail just fine. Parking is limited once at the start of the Fourth of July road to Diamond lake with at least 25-30 designated parking spots. Intensity of the hike is moderate with occasional change in scenery (i.e. small waterfall, open view of mountains, streams of water). The hike has a great amount of shade and sunny sections, gradual ascending, descending and level sections. The hike is 2.5 miles in and 2.5 miles out (5 miles total but it felt longer). Once at the lake you'll bask in the beauty of why it might be called Diamond lake. The reflection of the sun off the water makes it appear like diamonds are sparking in the water. Packing a hardy lunch once reaching the lake is highly recommended - a great reward for a wonderful hike. Stay hydrated and take lots of pictures. The boyfriend actually packed a fishing rod for the hike but unfortunately we did not scout the entire lake to find a good spot to cast. Perhaps next time. We'll be back. read more

Diamond Lake Trail - Diamond lake - Hiking Near Me

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This is a little over a five and a half mile trail and was actually our first hike ever that we've taken. We're from NC, so the elevation really got to us. Nonetheless, the trail was really beautiful, offering some really great scenic spots along the way. There are beautiful clearings, where you can see across the way into the mountainside. You'll come across beautiful streams and at one point there was a gorgeous waterfall. There were a number of other hikers and their dogs, but not too many and we were by ourselves for most of the hike. The lake at the end is absolutely beautiful as well. I enjoyed taking in the sight of the sun shimmering off of the water. The weather was perfect when we went on Saturday afternoon. Slightly chilly, but a shirt and leggings was enough for us. All in all, good hike, but totally exhausted haha. read more

This is my favorite hike in Colorado! It's beautiful anytime of year, but if you have the opportunity, make a trip there during wild flower season. Okay, first things first: I'll start with the drive. The trailhead takes about an hour and a half to get to from the Denver area. It's a beautiful drive and there's lots to look at along the way. The last 5 miles of the road in are completely off-road so make sure that you take a 4WD vehicle. It gets super bumpy and gets the adventure started before getting to the trailhead. Parking is limited so getting there early is a must. The trail itself is gorgeous with views of the surrounding mountains, far off waterfalls, and of course the abundant wild flowers in July and August. This trail has water crossings and even rock hopping across the base of a giant waterfall! The hike all the way to the lake is about 3.5 miles each way, but the views of the lake when you get there are worth the hard work! I highly recommend this trail and consider it my favorite day hike near Denver! read more

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LOVE LOVE LOVE this hike! It's not a 14er but definitely one of the prettiest hikes I've been on in Colorado! I went last year later in the summer or maybe even the fall. It was chilly and rainy that day but the flowers at the lake were so worth it!! Now going on a beautiful day in June is completely different. It was sooo gorgeous hiking up and the waterfalls were raging from the snowmelt. Speaking of snow, there was snow still at the top so we lost our way a little bit because the trail disappeared but we found the lake! It's so crazy to be walking around in shorts and a tank top when there was snow everywhere still. The water was freezing and amazing and the view was astonishing. I promise you it's worth every second! The road up to the trail is a little crazy so make sure you are prepared. It's really bumpy and narrow and if you're afraid of heights like me, it's scary! I'm not going to describe this anymore because you just need to go. 6.1 mile round trip. Worth every second! read more