This area outside boulder is stunning with great trails. Lot of connections to various trails…read more Def get there early ( for parking and heat considerations)

Beautiful views. Trail is moderately tough. Brought our dog and he was great, but make sure to…read morebring waters. Some parts are narrow and treacherous so just be careful.

Great trail. Nice views. A little over 4 miles with a manageable, gradual incline. I'd say it's…read moremoderate but not particularly challenging. Saw a lot of people running. The trail is well-maintained and marked. The trailhead sign isn't readily apparent from the road so we had to pull over and check that it was the right one. The GPS did have the trailhead as slightly further down the road but we ended up in the right place. There's parking along the road, FYI. The trail will take you to the top of Mount Sanitas. Take a look at the map I posted -- there are multiple trails that take you to the peak.

Beautiful hiking trail just outside of Boulder. I freaking love this trail. I was in Denver and…read moreBoulder for a conference & to see friends. This was one of the short hikes I was hoping to squeeze into my busy day so that I could get that amazing mountain view that I don't get to see in the city. The trail itself is not too steep, and offers beautiful views all around, no matter where you are on the trail. When you are navigating to the trail, you will be driving uphill, and lose cell signal as you approach the base. There isn't really any signal on the trail in general. Parking is all roadside parking at the curved bend of a road. There are clearly areas to park for hikers. This trail when I was hiking was populated by locals either hiking solo or in a small group. Would definitely recommend for a couple hour hike. Only took me about 2 hours.

Great trailhead and general area for hiking and trail recreation. I group this along with Doudy…read moreDraw and Fowler TH since they are all pretty close, and you can hike to each within a few miles if parking fills at one. That said, it gets busy here even on weekdays, and except a tough search for a spot on a nice day. There's a fee for non Boulder Cnty cars. It's a great place to recreate, with access to likely a few hundred miles of trails. Many peaks to climb, like Bear and South Boulder make this a popular place to start your Boulder hike. It's a bit less crowded than something like NCAR or the flatirons, and there's a lot of trails that branch off. Do download a dedicated map application like Strava or alltrails, and pack some supplies. It's enough trails it can get confusing even to veteran hikers. Have a great time and happy trails!

I lived in CO for eight years and never knew about this trail space. It was the perfect place to…read moresee the Flatirons and enjoy some socially distanced hiking. I went on a Wednesday morning and there were minimal people and stoked to say everyone has masks on or ready and available (thanks Boulder county for putting logical laws and order in place!). $5 to park at the trailhead, cash, and by 10 a.m. it was full and people were circling. I saw a couple snakes on the hike so I grabbed my dog and went another direction. They have a trail where dogs aren't allowed but there were other trails to supplement. We spent about two hours there and there was plenty of shaded space to stop off and grab water or a snack. I would definitely keep this hike in mind for next time I'm in CO.

We started off with snowshoes but, it wasn't necessary. We ended up switching to microspikes. About…read morea 1 mile in we encountered a moose on the trail. We tried waiting her out but, she was determined to eat from the trees right next to the trail. Therefore, we cut our hike short and went back. It is a beautiful area, there were no cars in the parking lot when we arrive around 8:15am on a Saturday morning.

I love this trail, and one of the reasons why is the end-as you finish up a great hike or ride, you…read morearrive near the parking area and there are some nice warm boulders by the river-take off your shoes, sit and feel the warmth of the sun radiating from the rock, soak your feet in the icy water...life is good. The trail starts at 8300 ft. From the parking area the trail travels a cushioned gentle slightly downhill roll through woods along the banks above the St. Vrain. Most of the first mile+ is cool and shady even in the summer and the smell of the pines fills your senses. For bikers, there are a few bumpy sections, not a lot. Further on you will get to more technical stuff when you reach a 4x4 road-plenty of steep and rocky. From 36 follow Left Hand Canyon to the fork, take right fork to Jamestown, go through Jamestown, follow to end of pavement, keep going about 1.5 miles

Describing this trail is like Buddy the Elf describing his journey from the North Pole, "I passed…read morethrough the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel." The trails here are twisty, gooey, flowing single tracks that open into picturesque views of vistas, overlooks and meadows with rocks, flagstone and stumps acting as natural obstacles. When you cruise down the Wapiti Trail, you are zooming into the seven levels of the wildflower forrest and your tires are sticking like half "sucked-on" gum drops to the grippy, tacky trail surface...like pizza sauce clings to a white blouse. Your eyes start to tear from the breeze, and it's so quiet, you can actually hear the echo cries of a Canyon Wren and your stretching cheek skin as a smile rips across your face. Then you do it all over again.

I spent all day here on the Wapiti Trail and Ponderosa Loop, about 8 miles total, in mid-May. I…read morethink it is a great trainer trail close to Boulder, easy to get to to acclimatize and prepare for mountain trails. It was a beautiful hike, and we got to see some mule deer, which I had not expected. The downside is, despite all their bitching about how rocky the trail is, Wapiti is heavily used by mountain bikers, so you will quite frequently have to get off to the side to let them by. If you are looking for some peace, you may not find it as the avalanches of sweating and grunting macho bikers pump past you. I would use this as a training and exercise trail - save your bliss for the the real mountain trails where bikers are banned or unable to compete with hikers.

Sugarloaf Mountain is an excellent close front range option for a scenic hike. Parking is fairly…read moreeasy off Sugarloaf rd, really not far from downtown Boulder! It's an uphill and sometimes steep drive on dirt, but nothing a small car can't do. The hike itself starts unmarked but easy to spot the wide gate and uphill trail. You're in the woods for about the first third, then get some great views after some switchbacks. The top is denuded from a fire over 30 years ago, the Black Tiger Fire. Many large trees and stumps can be seen. This is a fantastic view and you can see in 360 degrees. It's particularly great for mountain views, sunrise, and cool clouds. The trail is pretty short 1.5 miles and around 300ft gain, with a broad open top. It's a great trail for most any skill level!

Colorado residents and visitors should make the time to take in this Rocky Mountain experience…read more This is a moderate hike for those in decent shape, just remember if you're not acclimated, you are hiking roughly from 7900ft to 8900ft. Sugarloaf Mountain is about a half hour outside of Boulder. It is easily seen from the plains-it's the mountain just behind the foothills that is uniformly cone shaped. Let me cut ahead to the pay-off before I fill in the details: A hike up Sugarloaf Mountain from the parking area pays off with magnificent 360 views. The Continental Divide is spread out before you in spectacular fashion. Long's Peak (one of the 14teeners) views are fabulous. To one side are steep drops down talus slopes into Four Mile Canyon. Turn around and you can see Denver and on a cool, clear day, probably Kansas. (not really but it seems that way). I have knocked around the high country quite a bit and been to the top of several peaks, and for the accessability and proximity to Denver and Boulder, Sugarloaf Mountain has some of the best panoramic views. Some of my personal highlights from Sugarloaf hikes: -Watching an eagle glide along on thermals, sometimes above me, sometimes below. -Waving at people in a glider and actually being able to hear the wings of the glider whistling through the air. -Watching the sun set below the snow-capped divide (you can see the Indian Peaks and Never Summer range from here) while sitting in adirondack style chairs made from loose slabs of stone on the western facing side of the peak. Drive west out of Boulder on Canyon (toward Nederland). About 5 miles. Turn right on Sugarloaf Rd., follow it about 4 miles to a right, watch for signs. Trailhead is just a dirt lot. Trail starts with gravel/dirt, becomes very rocky as you climb. Not very steep or challenging if you take your time. Also views of forest fire damage from recent years in surrounding foothills. Just don't do what I did with a visitor: Hiked up sugarloaf one day, biking the next day, on the third day of their visit (they were visiting from an elevation of 600ft.) we went to play racquetball in the morning. Ten minutes into racquetball my guest says "Are the lights in here flickering? Wait, I think I might pass out..." Oops. Altitude.

Now named "The People's Crossing" to emphasize the variety of founders, both indigenous and…read moreEuropean, this is a fine park situated across Boulder Creek from Eben G Fine. You can also connect to many trails north, west, and south! A true crossing of people. With massive Red Rocks and lots of nature, you can do a great amount of exploring here. There's two lots for parking, one off Canyon, or you park on Arapahoe and walk over. Most folks enjoy doing the rocky scrambles near the beautiful sandstone outcrops. They are similar to Garden of the Gods or Red Rocks Amphitheater! Several trails wind around the rocks allowing for plenty of views. You can even find an old foundation on a cliff! If you want to make an adventure out of it, try heading up Anemone Loop for a beautiful forest jaunt! It took me around 2 hours at a moderate pace with plenty of options for exploring.

This is an easy yet nerve-wracking hike. Sections of the trail are slick, so the entire time you…read moreare climbing up you're kinda concerned "how am I gonna get back down??" As it turns out, when you reach the top, there are other trails you can take down. The one closer to the creek is notably less slick and less steep. I unfortunately do not remember the name. Once you get to the top though, wow! Gorgeous views of Boulder and the surrounding foothills. Climbing on the rocks at the top is pretty fun too. Overall this was probably the most "scary" hike I did while in Boulder (but not the most demanding) because it is less maintained than the Eldorado Canyon State Park and the Rocky Mountain trails that I did. But it is still pretty easy, just a bit slippery. Use hiking sticks and you should be fine. I think this is a must do when in Boulder.

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

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