This hike was suggested to me by several friends who went to school in the area. It is pretty easy…read moreto find and parking wasn't too horrible. As much hype as this trail got before we did it, I can tell you that we all agree that this might be our favorite hike in Colorado so far. The trail is so lush and covered in wild flowers, knowing that it could have been the time of year, too. I loved that a lot it went through wooded areas before opening up above the tree line. It seemed that once we got above the tree line that there were amazing views everywhere we looked. We saw some mountain bikers but the trail wasn't too crowded overall. The summit is just under 13,000 feet but it is a great hike to get out of Durango for the morning and then to enjoy the afternoon back in town. Here are the directions to get there: Head North on Hwy 550 past Purgatory toward Silverton. Coal Bank Pass is 35 miles north of Durango, 13.5 miles south of Silverton, on Route 550. There is a parking area and restroom facility on the east side of the road at Coal Bank Pass (but don't park there). Just north of that, turn onto a road on the west side(opposite the rest area) which goes to the Pass Creek TH in under 200 yards.Slow down after mile marker 56 (it's between mm 56 and 57), you will see a rest area on the right and about 30 yards from that there is a small dirt road on the left - turn in there. It is hard to see, so slow down. Park at the end of the road on the side of the cul-de-sac. You will see the trail head heading north, and start there. Make sure you have plenty of water, a sweatshirt, and some rain gear. It should take 4 hours to casually hike up and back.

This trail is amazing, the wildflowers were incredible. It's a medium challenging trail up until…read morethe base of the mountain, then it's shale all the way to the top. Amazing views of mountain ranges even if you just make it to the fields. I went late July beginning of August and it was just the perfect temperature and I still can't get over all the wildflowers!

Durango was never on my radar until my fellow hikers recommended it. It is a quaint city and this…read moreriver trail is nice for a stroll or a 9+ mile bike ride. It is mostly in good condition with about 20 percent with cracks that will give you a jolt. The final down river section has two modest inclines. Nice crossovers over wooden bridges. No bathrooms. Thank goodness for Albertson's right off the trail. Parking around Downtown is metered. About five-six blocks away from the river is free street parking. The white water launch park (in one of the photos) has a parking lot with a steam engine locomotive. Free or not I am unsure. Placards along the trail to note the development of the city. Stop for lunch in one of the many options on Main St.

Beautiful trail. A must-see if visiting or living in Durango. This trail is long so we started at…read morethe main point where there is a park with swings and benches.

Beautiful Mountain Biking, Hiking trail just outside Durango. Moderate to Hard 7 mile loop. This…read moretrail also meets up to the Colorado Trail for a full day hike.

So a local told me this was the best view in town. At the top you get a view of Downtown Durango…read moreand the mountains. At four hundred steps you get some benches. Keep going to five hundred and you are near the end reaching the college. A nice way to keep off the freshman weight gain. On the way up an elderly woman was coming down. I saw her again towards the bottom to do it over again. I smiled and said, "Once is not enough?" She replied, "Not quite." There's hope for us all. There is another option to go on the dirt switchback path. The view going up isn't very exciting until you reach towards the top, but if your goal is exercise, get stepping.

Handies peak is a beautiful and easy class 1 in the San Juan's. My group and I did this one the day…read moreafter Redcloud & Sunshine, so it was nice to have a shorter day. It's less than 3K elevation and I clocked 6 miles round trip, granted the elevation builds quickly during those 3 miles to the summit. It was so beautiful that my two friends declared it was one of their top three favorite 14ers that they've done! The view at the top is stunning, with gorgeous scenery and breathtaking vistas along the way. You can make a very short detour and even visit a lovely alpine lake. The hardest part of the hike is accessing it. We were already parked along cimaron pass at our campsite, but it took an additional 40 minutes or so to drive from Redcloud trailhead to Handies. I made it in my Crosstrek but there were a couple of truly sketchy spots and a very very bumpy ride. No bathrooms at the trailhead and not much coverage to duck into the woods so keep that in mind. A must do for every 14er fanatic or ambitious hiker!

Handies peak! I have dreamed about hiking this one for several years in the summer when…read morewildflowers are blooming but distance kept me away. Planned a 5 day stay up in the lake city/san juan area so we could knock it out. I finally did it and it did not disappoint. We took the Handies via grizzly gulch which is the non standard route and it is longer than the american basin route. The road getting to grizzly gulch from lake city was rough. lots of pot holes and jutting rocks. Also narrow stretches with drop offs on the side. ATVs and jeeps like to zip down the road at the speed of light and there are not a lot of pull offs along the way. I made it with my honda pilot but it was SLOW going. plan extra time for this road. (cimmaron pass) We were initially going to go to american basin but after the long drive to get to grizzly gulch i just didn't have it in me to do another 4-5 miles on even rougher road. There is a bathroom at the Trailhead. There are no trash cans or dog poop bags however so be sure to pack out whatever you pack in (including your dog poop)! This trail is a class 1. Though that does not mean it is "easy" by any means. However we did enjoy the first half or little more of the trail that had dirt trails and step ups. The trail was very well maintained. Currently in july there are fields of lovely wildflowers that are so abundant and in a variety of colors. Also there is a stream for a chunk of it that you will walk near. As you ascend further up, it begins to get rocky and there is scree near the top. As you merge on to the peak, you will meet up with all the hikers from american basin standard approach which is substantially more. So the peak may seem a little crowded. On our trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people. The flowers along the way and then the view at the top was all breathtaking! So thankful to have finally gotten to complete this peak!

Bridal Veil Falls Trail is absolutely amazing...It's not too advanced...making it perfect for most…read morehikers...but still offers a great workout (my legs are sore...but it was worth every step!!!)...The trail is filled with beautiful sights and wildlife -- I spotted several birds and some adorable chipmunks along the way. There are three breathtaking waterfalls that are truly the highlight of the hike...Reaching the top feels so rewarding...and you even have the option to walk back using the road...which we did for an easier descent. I highly recommend this trail for anyone looking for a scenic adventure that's not overly difficult but still feels like a great accomplishment!!!

Lovely hike at the end of downtown Telluride! We arrived mid-morning on a Saturday in June and…read morethere were a few spots left in the parking lot (outhouse in lot). The views from the parking lot were super cool! The hike itself was fairly mild with several awesome waterfalls along the way. Although the hike to the top was only a tad over 1 mile and didn't have very high elevation gain, it took us a bit longer than expected -- relatively narrow, rocky trail that requires some attention to footing. Highly recommend some rain gear to get closer to the falls when you get to the top!

$10 day pass fee for paddle boarding. Not a lot of amenities on the weekend. Cleaner than expected…read more Will be back!

Mancos is about a 7 hour drive for us, and that itself is an exhausting trip. Luckily for me, and…read morefor anyone who decides to check this baby out, there are camping huts everywhere!! My favorite part of this trip for me was the laaaarggggeeee, expanding lake. It's very romantic to take your sweetie out for a walk and circle around that lake. There is lots of wildlife, so I suggest you don't carry a jar of honey, or you'll die. Nothing much to say, but it's definitely better than everyday activities. Hiking and Boating is a gift that doesn't happen everyday unless you're lucky enough to have that access. I love it, and hope to come back a second time. Otherwise, I do have crappy cellphone signal here.

Great hike when you want to feel like you did something but don't want to commit to a full day…read more Suprising amount of people on this trail, especially because the road to the trailhead was rough. Happy I have a high clearance vehicle. Beautiful wooded hike with several water crossings at this time. 4.7 miles roundtrip 1312 ft elevation gain.

We only stopped to take a peek at the falls. We had already summitted mount sneffels that day and…read moreour legs were tired. But a friend who is a local said we needed to stop there to see it. The falls were beautiful and amazing. It was definitly worth the short stop. The trail was nearby and easy to access. If i was in the area id definitely stop to do the entire hike.

Bear Creek Preserve Trail is a must-do hike when visiting Telluride…read more You access the trailhead at the end of South Pine street, right in town. This beautiful and well-marked wooded trail ends with a waterfall and an unbeatable view of the town of Telluride. The hike is 2.5 miles one way to the Falls, with an elevation gain of 1,050 feet. You should plan between 1 hour and 1 hour 1/2 from the trailhead to the falls depending on your pace. 5 miles round trip, so it's perfect to start the day!