This is a super lovely and quiet trail. Lion Gulch Trailhead is located on Hwy. 36. Thirteen miles…read morewest of Lyons and 8 miles east of Estes Park. From Estes Park travel to the 8-mile marker on Hwy. 36. It has a smaller parking lot probably could hold 10 cars. It starts off with a pretty steep climb, but there is a fair amount of shade and some water crossings along the way. This is a great trail in my opinion if you have dogs especially on the warmer sunny days. There is a bathroom at the beginning of the trail but there is not however any trash cans, so when you go you need to go with the intention of packing out all the bring you in. Including your dog poop. I can't remember if there were dog poop bags at the trail head so if you have a dog be sure to pack some with you (and then take them out with you) There are lots and lots of ways to go on teh trail and a variety of old homesteads to see. It is really quite cool. There are signs with some of the history along the route as well. Right now about half the trail is covered in ice, so if you dont have yak traks or spikes it would be best to not go until later as there are parts that are a sheet of ice.

Beautiful area for a hike. I did the trail to snow and than sheep mountain. It was a moderate…read moreascent over 6 miles with stunning views and great rock formations Nice parking lot with pretty good toilet at the trailhead

This area is a lovely spot. it sits right across the road from sheep mountain or round mountain…read morehike. It is a great spot to cool pups off after a hike. I went there with my girl scouts today, not to cool off but for our bridging and end of year party. There is a fair amount of parking. There are bathrooms at the parking lot. There are picnic tables and a nice covered picnic table area. There is a large bridge and also some area to walk around. This is a lovely spot for a picnic or a group gathering.

While visiting Red Feather Lakes, I really wanted to stop by at least one hiking area to check it…read moreout. The weather was beautiful, and I loved the green expanses near the trailhead. Honestly I didn't make it very far before having to turn back and continue my drive home, but I definitely recommend cruising along this 7.3 mile out-and-back trail that seems relatively flat. Parking is straightforward, and it was not crowded.

Mount Margaret Trail is a 7.2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Red Feather…read moreLakes, Colorado that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from February until November. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail. This trailhead has a small parking lot. There is a bathroom at the trailhead. There is not however a trash can or dog poop bags. This trail is thankfully one that is not usually over populated. Its 7.2 miles and 540 feet of elevation gain. So its rated easy. Its beautiful in the fall and winter especially! There are lots of aspens in the area and it is a great hike to see fall colors. In the winter the snow contrasts the trees. There are frequently moose sightings in the area. SO just be cautious. Especially if you have your dogs.

This trail is a hard/difficult rated hike up the poudre canyon…read more "The trail gently rises for ¾ mile then divides. The left branch, Meadows Trail (#947), is the slightly less strenuous but longer, and rejoins the main trail about 2.6 miles later. The right main branch turns uphill for 1.7 miles where it meets the upper end of the Meadows Trail. From the upper junction an additional ¾ mile climb leads to the summit. Trailhead signs warn of Giardia in the water and poison ivy growing along the trails of Greyrock. Greyrock trailhead accommodates approximately 39 vehicles." Parking lot is on the left of the road. There is a pit toilet available. There are not however any trash cans or dog poop bags. You will need to pack out what you pack in, including dog poop bags. The trail is pretty rocky and if you are going to opt to go all the way up to the summit, it is some scrambling. There are a few options of routes to go -Summit trail out and back -meadow trail to the summit and down the summit trail -summit trail to summit - down the meadow trail This area was unfortunately impacted by the High park fire around 11-12 years ago and sadly the trees are mostly dead and burned for most of the hike. In the spring i am sure that you would be able to see green grasses and flowers growing underneath though.

"The trail follows a stream and an old stock trail up the gulch for about two miles before leaving…read morethe stream and passing through woods and meadows. A stock watering tank may be seen on the left just above the meadow. The upper portion of trail provides several panoramic vistas. The trail ends at Salt Cabin Road, a forest road that loops north off Crown Point Road (forest road #139). This is a multiple use trail and is a favorite of mountain bikers and horseback riders as well as hikers and backpackers. Lower Dadd Gulch trailhead accommodates approximately 15 vehicles." This trail is a 7 mile out and back with around 1482 feet of elevation gain. It is a steady climb up from the start. Most of this trail is through the trees and a lot of water crossings. The last half mile is through a burn scar. But it is very refreshing to be out and in nature and away from the city. It is a little quieter trail as its around an hour out of fort collins. Moose are frequently sighted out on this trail.

We visited the accessible Homestead trail at Lory state park and it was lovely! There are a couple…read moreof accessible parking spots with access lanes right in front, and an accessible outhouse near the parking lot. The trail is wide enough for a wheelchair and is packed gravel/pea sized pebbles. My travel power chair did great on it, a manual chair might have trouble getting traction. It's about a half mile loop, there are informational signs throughout and benches scattered along the way if you need a place to sit. There are audio description devices available at the visitor center. There are also grills and picnic areas that are available when there is not a fire ban. Beautiful views!

I visited Lory State Park for the first time today. Daily admission fee is $10.00…read more If you have the annual parks pass from registration renewal, there is no need to get a paper pass or placard from the Visitors Center to put in your car or hang on the rear view mirror. Your car license plates are sufficient. Park Rangers will check your plates to ensure you have the annual pass. The gentleman (volunteer) at the Visitors Center shared this information with me. I loved that he had a good sense of humor and was personable. We shared some good laughs together. I recommend going inside the Visitors Center to check out their wildlife display and to get helpful information for your visit to the park. There is also a small gift shop area to purchase books, maps and souvenirs. Staff will give you a free map of the park. There is also public restrooms at the Visitors Center. There is also a nice telescope inside the Visitors Center and a nice viewing deck with historical signage. I always enjoy reading this information for its historical value. I always learn something new. The roads in the park are all dirt so plan ahead for washing your car later. There are various parking lots to park your car before wandering off on trails. There are a lot of lovely views around. Have your camera or phone ready to take those landscape or perhaps wildlife photos. I didn't see any wildlife in the park today. I would've hiked various trails but I've been recovering from some injuries. Next time! I would love to return here. I very much enjoyed my visit to Lory Park. If you haven't been here, visit before the next snowfall! The weather was nice today so I felt fortunate. So glad I stopped here.

We came in late to Estes Park and wanted to fit in a hike before dark. One of the locals…read morerecommended this trail, and after some research, saw it was highly rated for the area. It's a pretty easy hike, be warned it can be steep at times, but if you're mostly fit, you'll be able to do it. There were a few icy patches at times, but I was fine in regular boots. The views going up just keep getting better and better, they were all so beautiful. You HAVE to check out the bathroom near the top as that might be one of the best views the whole hike! The small lake at the top was pretty, especially iced over, but nothing compared to the views on the actual hike. It was a really awesome, cool trail in the middle of Estes park without having to pay to get into the Rocky Mountain National Park, and it was super easy to get to. I would highly recommend.

This was a beautiful hike we did with our twin boys who are 12. It was a bit longer than we…read morethought, we are fairly fit but from Texas so we were easily winded and took breaks. It is a pretty easy hike BUT there is a lot of steep parts, lots of steep steps. There were a few icy patches as it was winter when we were there. The views are amazing on this trail. The lake is small but still pretty at the end! Going down is always easier haha. We enjoyed this one since Hollowell Park in RMNP was closed.

Twin sisters is a 7.5 mile 2500 feet elevation gain round trip hike. From end of may to mid…read moreoctober you will need a time reservation permit if arriving between 9 am to 3 pm. The parking lot is small. Lily lake is across the road and that also has a small lot. You can park up the road a bit closer to the TH on the right hand side of the road but there is also not a ton of parking on the road side. If you are in decent shape i would call this to be more moderate. It is a steady incline. The first stretch is in the shade. Once you get above treeline you get some really amazing views. Also above treeline the trail is very rocky. Be sure to wear good shoes. The views at the top are stunning, definitely worth it. The only sad part of this trail, and only reason i will not be back anytime soon is because no dogs are allowed.

Great trail! Definitely steep and difficult in some parts and moderate in others. The parking lot…read morewas surprisingly not full around 9 am on a Saturday. Beautiful views and nice trail for all the people but not too crowded. There are lots of bugs so definitely recommend bug spray at this time even though there isn't any water on the trail. Some shade but can get hot so wear lots of sunscreen.