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    Eldorado Canyon State Park

    4.7 (90 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Eldorado Canyon State Park Photos

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    08.10.23
    Harlee S.

    An awesome state park not too far from Denver. There's not a ton of parking, so the earlier you arrive the better. There are a few hiking trails, some that are short and some that are longer. Rattlesnake Gulch. This was a great trail with a decent amount of elevation gain. Go earlier in the day so you don't get caught in the heat. The end result is stunning and definitely worth the "climb." All in all, this place is beautiful and offers a lot of wonderful views!

    Continental divide overlook
    Craig A.

    One of my favorite hiking areas continues to delight. Well known for the climbing, Eldorado Canyon also offers great hiking for the average person. Rattlesnake Gulch (I have never seen one there), is a pleasant 45 minute hike to an old hotel site that burned down long ago. Hikers will enjoy a well trod path that gradually climbs, with no undue exertion. Another ten minutes walk beyond the hotel site will get you to the Continental Divide overlook that offers magnificent views. There is a charge for access -$10 per vehicle and weekends and holidays require reservations. The road in is narrow and a bit rough, but your average 4WD vehicle will do it without breaking a sweat. There are bathrooms. The Canyon should be on everyone's list to visit at least once. It's about ten minutes outside Boulder.

    Visitor center and trailhead for eldorado canyon trail aka God's stair master
    David G.

    Okay it ain't a secret...especially on the weekends but Eldorado Canyon State park is just pure heaven. A bit of a drive from Denver but worth it. Plenty of great trails: I especially recommend Eldorado Canyon Trail to Walker Ranch loop and Rattlesnake Gulch trail ( which has great views of the Railroad. Amazing Rock climbing here: Everything from beginner to stuff that can get you smushed ( and that did happen last year). Get there early as the lots fill up quick.

    Plying chess at Eldorado
    Tammy S.

    One of my most favorite places on the planet. It's so beautiful and makes me feel like I'm really getting away when I'm only 20 minutes from my house. We have gone here twice this week and will be back throughout the summer. The staff is always friendly! Hikes are amazing and the picnic spots are lovely. If you picnic and someone has their stuff on a table it's fine to use the other tables but so not ok to just take over the trash able with other people's stuff on it. It's so rude. This happened to us and we tried talking to the family/group who moved their stuff to our table but it didn't do any good. So sad. Just be kind! We never get tired of going here. Note there is timed entry on weekends and holidays during the summer

    Eldorado Canyon State Park (5/29/20)
    Matt C.

    Eldorado Canyon is the finest state park I've been to in Colorado. The remoteness, the breathtaking scenery, and the challenging trails made Friday's early morning trek one I won't soon forget. $10 to get in and boy am I glad I came here early. As other Yelpers have mentioned, parking isn't all that plentiful compared to other parks at the trailheads. I arrived at 7:45am and was one of three cars in the lot. When I left at 11:30am there were at least fifteen cars. Eldorado Canyon Trail - this was a doozy. I've been living in Colorado for almost a year and am in good shape (good, not great). And the beginning of this hike kicked my butt. It's a steep incline at the start, with stairs and rocky terrain. Check out my selfie, I was sweating like an animal! The hike itself is between 7--7.5 miles roundtrip. The difficulty lies within the elevation changes. Pretty much you have to go up to go down, since the canyon is your destination. Back and forth between shade and sun most of the way. However, when you begin to hear the rushing current and make eye contact with the bridge, you know you made it to a Colorado treasure. Making it to the canyon was incredibly rewarding for me. There's nothing like earning the scenic views right in our backyard. Pro tip* when you cross the bridge, I recommend climbing over the big pile of rocks to snag the best views of the canyon. I can wax poetic all day, but this is one worth seeing for yourself. For me, this was a strenuous and rigorous hike. One of the most difficult I've done acclimating to the elevation spikes. AllTrails said the trail would take four hours, and I knocked it out in 3 hours 15 minutes, including a break at the base of the canyon. So maybe I did something right? Go here!

    Cool drives!
    Matt C.

    What a beautiful park for so many uses. With high towering cliffs, a raging mountain river, and crisp evergreen trees, it's an oasis only a half hour from downtown Denver or Boulder. From the tiny town of Eldorado Springs, you drive up an easy dirt road to the visitor center a few miles up. There's sightseeing on the way and lots of spots to rock climb or hike. We only had a few hours to cook but I'll be back soon to do more! You can take trails from here both to the Boulder parks or south to Golden. I love the wildflowers and gift shop! Hope to go back in the fall.

    Alisa J.

    Great hiking trails and ample parking! We did the Eldorado trail and it was a great trail. Very nice and scenic. There's also shade and it's not too steep. Very pleasant hike in a nice area. Would go back!

    Ryan D.

    I am an experienced hiker who fully supports state parks and always will. However, my hiking experience at this particular park was not pleasant. We had the Eldorado Canyon trail loop mapped out as our hike. When we got to juncture #5 listed on the posted trail map, the marker was not labeled properly. With only one officially marked path to take, we took it. Because if this, we ended up hiking over seven miles out of our way and arrived at the Crescent Meadows parking lot completely lost and disoriented. As avid hikers, we were prepared, but this could have been a terrible mistake for someone who was not prepared. This needs to be fixed asap so others do not make this potentially dangerous mistake. Aside from this, the park is beautiful and has some stunning sweeping views facing the continental divide and surrounding canyons. I'm going to take a break from this location for a while, but I encourage you to visit.

    NeverMonday S.

    Easy gorgeous hike with my grandson. Absolutely stunning. Plenty parking and great staff.

    Eldorado Canyon State Park
    Kyana M.

    Eldorado Canyon State Park is one of my favorite parks in Colorado. It is so beautiful. There are so many hiking trails, opportunities to climb, a nature center, and a river. It's beautiful in the winter and summer. My favorite trail, especially with kids, is the Fowler trail. It's pretty flat but has gorgeous views, especially at sunset. There's also a small cave to explore near the entrance to the park. We come here over and over again because s it's just so beautiful.

    Continental divide overlook
    Maura M.

    This area is such a hidden gem! We arrived in evening and wanted to get that "Instagram" photo from the continental divide overlook by taking the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail. This trail says it's moderate but I'd say it's easy. There are areas that have loose rocks on the path which might be why it's considered moderate. It took us 40 min to get up (although we were going at a fast pace to beat the setting sun). I highly recommend for any hikers who just want to gorgeous view near Denver. How to get to the Instagramable site: go up Fowler, turn right on to rattlesnake gulch, cross bridge, after two hairpin turns you'll take the right at the fork. Parking: it is $10 and there's a restroom at the entrance parking lot. This is not the only parking lot. In fact there's a road that is about 3/4 a mile up to the Fowler parking lot. There are also many parking space along this road. Park closes 1hr after sunset.

    Brianna G.

    Beautiful views right from the initial parking lot. We didn't even make it up the first hill before we hopped out for a hike. There are marked trails and the scenery competes with those from a national park. The drive to the is park ROUGH. If it's wet you will not make it through unless you have a vehicle equipped for extreme dirt potholes and gravel roads. We will definitely be back!

    Emily M.

    Beautiful views!! Driving in was a little sketchy, parking is very limited. In the snow the trails are pretty slippery and dangerous. But a fun hike none the less worth the views at the top!

    Beautiful area! Great for experienced rock climbers. .

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    Ask the Community - Eldorado Canyon State Park

    Review Highlights - Eldorado Canyon State Park

    We opted for the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail that led to Crags Hotel Ruins and the Continental Divid Overlook.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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    The Spot Bouldering Gym

    The Spot Bouldering Gym

    4.1(58 reviews)
    6.8 mi

    Overall: Helpful staff from what I've experienced and a good variety of climbs. It's a meh on the…read morefacility. Vibe: Chill for the most part. A lot of serious climbers with a sprinkle of novices the times I've been. Space: Grungy. The air circulation in there is either very poor and/or the mats and place doesn't get deep cleaned enough. It smells like feet moreso than other gyms I've been to. The place is compact for the amount of climbs it has. Climbs: Nice variety of climbs that are fun and challenging. I like the natural wall in the back. Holds could be cleaner (i.e. some holds are so dirty you might mistake it for another color, feels extra greasy). The climbing tape markings are not well maintained (i.e. missing start tape so you're not sure what's considered the intended start).

    I was visiting from out of town and my family and I wanted to do some climbing. We climb multiple…read moretimes a week at home and have been climbing for 4+ years now. I think this gym is highly underrated. It is mostly a bouldering gym and features a more compy style as well as tough out door feely boulders. The gym features crack climbing as well. The lead wall was temporarily shut down, but was used as another bouldering/crack climbing wall. The setting is 9/10 easily. I would definitely recommend this gym to anyone who is interested or new to climbing. The staff was friendly, helpful, and interacted with us! Overall I'd say the gym was 9.5/10. Only reason it isn't 10/10 is that the gym was pretty warm. I'm there than that, one of the best gyms I've been to!

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    The Spot Bouldering Gym
    The Spot Bouldering Gym
    The Spot Bouldering Gym

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    Boulder Rock Club - lead + auto belay + top rope

    Boulder Rock Club

    3.7(25 reviews)
    7.0 mi

    BRC deserves more than the 3.5 average it has right now…read more I can't comment on hearsay about managers or "uninspired" climbs (I am not a route-setter nor do I claim to be one) but BRC is pretty solid. The gym area is really nice, far surpassing The Spot Boulder (the other climbing gym BRC is usually being compared too). And unlike Movement Boulder, BRC has auto-belays so you don't need a partner to rope climb. BRC also has a small lounge area where you could theoretically work from (free WIFI) and free coffee and tea for members every morning until 11am. The biggest downside to BRC I'd say is that it's really a rope-climbing gym. The bouldering area has a lot to be desired if comparing it to The Spot (which in BRC's defense is a bouldering-specific gym). And though there are auto-belays, there's only about 1/2 dozen (I think?) so unless you have a partner to climb with most the climbing is inaccessible to you. On a side note, I do find the crowd at BRC about 20'ish years older than that at The Spot too. I received a free week at BRC after taking one of their belay classes and thoroughly enjoyed my time.

    There are three main climbing gyms in Boulder and this is undoubtedly the worst of them…read more First and foremost, they offer the worst product at almost the exact same price. While Movement and The Spot have several gyms within driving distance of each other, the BRC charges nearly the same price for their single location. That means that members here are paying for less product than they would receive at other gyms. Second, the management is bad. The general manger exudes a kind of psycho energy as he stares at climbers through the front desk window. Multiple BRC youth team members have said that the managers make them feel uncomfortable. This has been going on for years and as far as I know they have done nothing to address it. Finally, the climbs at this gym are uninspired. There are a couple talented route setters on their staff, but the majority are inexperienced kids with an inflated sense of importance. It's truly amazing that a company that only needs to set a few routes per week is somehow putting out worse climbs than their competitors with 3x-5x the amount of setting.

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    Boulder Rock Club - Bouldering

    Bouldering

    Boulder Rock Club - Auto belays + top roping

    Auto belays + top roping

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    The Spot Climbing Gym - The Spot offers youth programs for all ages and abilities, including camps, clubs, and teams.

    The Spot Climbing Gym

    4.3(27 reviews)
    9.7 mi

    We were visiting family in the area so we brought our kids (age 8 and 10) on a hot day outside, and…read morethey had a blast. The staff members were so helpful and kind, they showed the kids what to do safely, and then let them go at it on the appropriate courses. I don't know the technical terms but the ones that allowed them to clip themselves in and come down when they were ready was amazing. They treated the kids like any other climbers, and they were absolute naturals. My husband and I just watched (supervised) in awe. We took a short dinner break across the street at John's restaurant and bar (AWESOME) and then they went back to climbing until almost 9pm. It was truly one of the best days we have ever had as a family. Oh and then they begged to go back the next day so we went (equally amazing!). Their confidence skyrocketed and they are well on their way to being lifelong climbers. The only issue was that any other gym we go to will pale in comparison to our experience here! Many walls are not that high nor are the gyms as friendly to kids. Really superior facility. Thank you to the whole team! We will definitely be back!

    My freaking gri gri got stolen and I've confronted the guys using it multiples times and they lie…read moreto my face!!! I have a custom carabiner and distinct scratches on it. Front desk has been rly nice and said they will also confront them next time I see them. There's good setting for each grade, moon board, spray wall, hang boards, weight lifting, and yoga classes. The turnover of setting could be better. It's February and there are still routes from October. Parking can also be really bad during peak hours.

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    The Spot Climbing Gym - The Spot Louisville has a dedicated yoga studio, plus weekly classes that are free for members.

    The Spot Louisville has a dedicated yoga studio, plus weekly classes that are free for members.

    The Spot Climbing Gym
    The Spot Climbing Gym - The Spot offers climbing classes for all ages and abilities, covering indoor and outdoor skills.

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    The Spot offers climbing classes for all ages and abilities, covering indoor and outdoor skills.

    Chautauqua Park - More excavators

    Chautauqua Park

    4.8(348 reviews)
    4.9 mi

    Things are changing here after 100 years. Chautauqua Auditorium is being renovated and winterized…read more It had been needed before this as another concert venue in Boulder would have been appreciated sooner but once Boulder won Sundance it became a necessity. But when you come in the summer it will still look the same. A removable heated tent will be erected inside and heated by geothermal heat from underneath that will be transferred underground from the dining hall kitchen's surplus stored energy. So modern in such an old structure. So when you visit this spring there is a lot of truck traffic and digging and detours around the building but you can see from the last picture, the green and the view of the Flatirons are undisturbed.

    I have been bringing my child here since she was old enough to crawl. We love Chautauqua Park. I…read morelove coming here and just running the trails of course very carefully and I've taught my daughter to run the trails of course very carefully. Today was especially fun because we brought her friend Vincent. My daughter has grown up in Colorado hiking skiing doing all the Colorado things and it's just so emotional seeing her finally making it up to the royal arch for the very first time . We've done Sequoia national Park trails and Yosemite trails but royal arch has so many different parts to it hike it is a lot shorter than a lot of national park trails but it's more challenging in. There are a lot of boulders to crawl up and down from and a lot of tight squeeze places to get to the most amazing view you have ever seen. Very worth it please come ! Unfortunately, this hike is not for unexperienced hikers to go alone please bring a friend who has done it before or has hiking experience. I would not recommend taking your very small children up here or elderly that are not athletic. They simply won't enjoy their time again. It's very challenging for a lot of people. Please do not let this discourage young adult adults that are healthy and whole. If you have never hiked before, but are an avid runner you will be able to make it up here. Just make sure you bring a snack and whatever you bring up bring down. Do not leave trash anywhere.

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    Chautauqua Park - More wall and door work

    More wall and door work

    Chautauqua Park - Audience on the Green

    Audience on the Green

    Chautauqua Park - Sunrise (2/26/23)

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    Sunrise (2/26/23)

    Eldorado Canyon State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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