A friend of mine had told me about this place and said we should give it a visit when in Colorado…read more We tried to do that the last time we were there, but it had already closed for the season. This trip, we were a week or so earlier, so we decided to try again. Fortunately, most of the area was still open. Only the very top was closed. Timed entry passes are required here, just like in many of the National Parks. I'm glad one of our group thought to get it. After a very nice drive up from Idaho Springs, we showed our permit and headed up. Part of the fun of this trip is that it's the highest paved road in North America (14,264 ft). We made it all the way up to one of the alpine lakes, and it was cold. I'm glad we were prepared for the cold and wind. We didn't see any wildlife at the lake, but we did see some on the way up. The area is full of deer, big horn sheep, and mountain goats, and we got to see 2 of the 3. Will I return? Definitely. However, if you want to see it all, you better go in the summer.

Beautiful. Loved this hike…read more Come early. parking lot may fill up. We arrive at 6 am on monday 6/27/2021. summit lake lot was around half full. There are bathrooms available at the lot for use. Bring $5 cash to pay to park when you arrive. there is an envelope to fill out over near the bathroom for parking. Take the trail that doesn't go down close to the lake and then you will hang a left. There is some signage before you really start to incline. the elevation gain from the parking lot to mount spaulding was fairly intense. There are a lot of rocks. Would make sure you have good boots for this hike. Once you get up to mount spaulding you will start to DESCEND. the trail up to mount spaulding is relatively well laid out. however after you get down from mount spaulding. Well there is a rock area that is not marked at all. Take a peek at 14ers.com so you can see some pics of where you should go. once you get over the hump and down. Stay around 25 feet down below the ridge and look for the CAIRNS. Rock piles. These will help guide you to where you should be going. Thankfully all trails did pull up for me when we were in the spot that is absolutely not marked. just be prepared for that stretch. From spaulding on up to the summit was a lot of climbing around on rocks. It was fun but be prepared for that. There were not many folks on the actual trail. but once you hit the summit parking lot at the top there will be a fair amount of people up at the summit as a lot of people drive up there. They do have bathrooms at the top, that is actually kind of a nice treat. I really enjoyed this 14er. I would definitely be up for doing this one again.

It's a bit of a shame that there isn't more signage on Main Street to direct visitors to this…read morebeautiful site. The river walk is nicely done, clean, and the fall is so pretty (although noisy from I-70's traffic). We sat on one of the benches for a while and enjoyed watching the river rafting tours go by while sipping on our ice coffee.

Very cool area Nicely kept…read more Beautiful scenery We walked our dogs down to the wheel it was quite fun! Loved the read. Geocache if you know you know

I just did the short trail from the trailhead to the lake. It took maybe 20 to 30 minutes with snow…read moreboots. When I visited in February 2026, some places were icy and slippery. It was still covered in snow. The lake was iced over. The glacier looked beautiful. We talked to a family whose young son hiked up the top and then snowboarded down by himself! We parked in the small lot just across the trailhead. It was $20 and you pay by scanning the QR code. There was one porta potty there. There were other lots that were charging $10 but farther from the trailhead.

Long on views and uniqueness short in hike!…read more This is a local favorite. A place that is easily accessed, has a year round snow field and is just plain fun. Lake front. Fishing. Glisading. Skiing. Boarding. Hiking. Views and blue sky are all in abundance at St Mary's Glacier. It's great fun to tromp through the snow in summer time. Watch crazy boarders sail down the small ice field living their best lives in shorts and tank tops. Adventure above the snow field and find above treeline terrain and majestic views and a hike to the top of James Peak. Parking is a bitch. Weekends are crowded and it's always busy but worth the time. Definitely a fun place to bring folks from out of town!

Easy trail with steady incline. Following the trail was fine using Alltrails...without it, it could…read morebe confusing as there is a lot of splits and shared with mountain bikers. The trail was well maintained and definitely dog friendly with a couple poop stations at the start.

Loved this trail. I stayed at a hotel just a mile away. It was easy to find and the single track…read moretrail was super pretty.

This is a great trail in summer & winter. Minimum is 7 miles with 1800 ft elevation, slightly…read morelonger to explore around any of the lakes more than the shortest trail provides. It's easy to reach in all seasons: due to the train tunnel, the dirt road to the trailhead is kept well maintained and plowed. Definitely way way more crowded on summer weekends than in winter. Several little waterfalls and tons on wildflowers even in late August made it a rewarding trail along the way, not only payoffs at the lakes. The trail from the lower two lakes to the upper lake is much steeper, but worth the added effort. Just note that when you first reach what you think is the upper lake, it's actually the drainage (albeit also lovely, see my attached photo); you need to go just a bit further over the boulders & through some bushes to reach the final upper cirque.

James Peak Wilderness area is one of my favs close to Denver. That and Indian peaks wilderness…read more Crater lakes is a moderate hike to 5 fantastic lakes that you can hike, camp, backpack, fish at. Last time I was there I saw two amazing Moose...just gorgeous. Area gets insane on the weekends with tons of peoples and dogs. Last three times I have been there I have been in thunder and hails storms after 1 pm. So if you are planning to hike getting off the mountain before might be a good idea. You can also take the more strenuous Heart Lake trail which is also fantastic and if you really want to kick your ass go up to Rogers pass for beautiful vistas. Great parking.

Golden Gate Canyon is a park for all seasons. If I'm being honest I don't find any of the trails or…read moreviews to be epic or spectacular, but due to my first claim in this review, 4 stars fits the bill. Winter, spring, summer, fall, Golden Gate has it all. +Winter you gaze over frozen lakes and ponds, while still being able to hike some of the trails. +Spring the flowers bloom and the aspens begin to turn. +Summer you can mountain bike and blaze all corners of the park. I've never camped here before and would be interested in doing so someday. +Fall is one of the more sought after destinations for leaf peeping and fall foliage due to its close proximity to Denver. Talk about an ideal location for a Christmas card! From old desolate cabins to rushing streams to jagged peaks to countless activities, Golden Gate Canyon is a reliable option when you need to get out of dodge.

Located about 45 minutes from downtown Denver, Golden Gate Canyon State Park is such a great place…read moreto hike, fish, and is a easy getaway from the city. Numerous trails, plenty of parking spots available as well as bathrooms. Every time I go to the park I discover something new. Visitor center also has a really cool trout pond outside, with so many of the swimming around that you can also feed with food from the vending machine. One of my favorite places outside of Denver to get outdoors!

Es dificil a veces saber a donde ir o que llevar cuando tienes ganas de viajar. Viajes Colorado me…read moredio una experiencia magica. No me tuve que preocupar de nada, llevaban ellos equipo, sabian las mejores zonas, tomaron las mejores fotos, me llevaron por excelente comida. Una experiencia relajante y aventurera que 100% recomiendo.

From the owner: Driven by a solution-oriented mindset and a commitment to customer satisfaction. Christian is…read morededicated to doing whatever it takes to help you create the best memories possible, ensuring that your experiences are both special and memorable.