Rich Creek Trail is a moderate hike in the Buffalo Peak Wilderness near the town of Fairplay. This…read moreparticular trail is on the outskirts of the Weston Pass Campground, with the small trailhead parking lot just prior. A fairly simple out and back trail it may be, however the majority of the trail sits alongside Rich Creek. So for the duration of the hike you hear the wonderful sounds of the rushing creek. Absolutely splendid! With all the rain we've gotten this season, it's no surprise that nature is putting on a show earlier than normal. The abundant evergreens are looking more like summer than mid spring. The vibrant trees definitely added an extra pop of color during the hike and I certainly wasn't complaining. The trail is well marked, and at one point you will have to cross the creek. Be prepared to add some extra wood to the makeshift bridge, because it was on its last leg as I crossed. Tread lightly. I did see some stunning bluebirds during my time out here. Otherwise no major wildlife to be found. 5.5 miles roundtrip. 1,161 ft. elevation gain. 2.5 hours total. For a Memorial Day Weekend hike, I was very content with this trail. I bet this trail is even more beautiful in the Fall. Saw about 9 or 10 people the whole time. Parking lot has 7-8 spots, so if you're going on a Summer weekend it might fill up. Hiking season has begun!

This review is for the total Buffalo Wilderness Trail....as I am too lazy to create a new Yelp…read morepage. Amazing 11 mile loop with great places to camp along. Fishing, birding, plenty of Wildlife....even spotted a few beavers near a small lake. Sure the unpaved path in will beat up your car...but it is worth it. Highly recommended for an easy 2-3 day backpacking excursion.

Wonderful trail wow! We saw so many mountain goats! The views of the lake were incredible. Would…read moretotally come back!

Take the 850 road which is unpaved to the 1st parking lot with a lake to the south side. Here you…read morecan see the waterfalls in the distance. You will have to cross the river which has no bridge. Either take off your shoes or skillfully traverse the river by rock hopping across. If you have poles you stand a better chance of not falling off the stepping stones. After the falls you can drive all the way up to the dam and park there. Mountain goats do walk about there to lick the dust off cars or lick the roads there for salt which was left over from the salting of the roads during winter. If you are lucky you will be able to see them up close. Apparently they are there frequently. The views are spectacular in this glacial valley.

The lakes were beautiful and the falls were also very beautiful. The hike was challenging but…read moredoable and not too hard. Good shade in a lot of places but lots of mosquitoes as well you need bug spray for sure! Really crowded but less crowded than a fourteener.

I arrived close to 8AM, and the parking lot was full but I still parked pretty close to the…read moretrailhead. The hike up was quite shaded for most of it, and it wasn't too bad until the steep section about halfway into the hike. Views were pretty with mountains in the distance and being surrounded by trees, and the waterfall was small but pleasant. The lakes were pretty as well, and there were lots of places to sit around it. Good hike! I didn't (know to) go all the way to the last lake, just went to Upper Mohawk Lake which took me 3.5 hours round-trip not including time spent at the top.

Recently visited Loveland Pass on our way back from Breckenridge. We drove to the top instead of…read morehiking. On the way up, we saw some light snow flurries, and by the time we reached the top, it was actively snowing. The scenery is absolutely stunning definitely a must-see if you're in the area. Just a heads-up: it can get icy and slippery, so be careful while walking around. Overall, it's a beautiful spot and perfect for enjoying the snowy mountain views! Plus it's free!

Each stop on our full day was momentous. The clouds touch the mountains and it's breathtaking…read more Pictures do not give justice to the view. Wear weather appropriate clothes and shoes. We were not able to make it to the top of the steps but still happy we got to explore this place for a bit!

Incredible 360 views where you can see Denver, Pikes Peak, many other 14ers…read more It is a unique view of Colorado from above since Devils Head is kind of isolated from other mountains. The trail I think is the perfect length, it does feel a little longer than 2.8 miles out and back. I'd say this is a moderate hike. You can bring dogs on this trail. I don't think it is super friendly for young children. I personally would get pretty exhausted if I had to backpack up my toddler. But for the older kids it would be a good one. Definitely add this one to your list! I think it is my favorite hike I have done so far on the front range!

Plenty of parking space and an overflow lot. Trail is well maintained and it's a quick in and out…read morehike. The views at the top are gorgeous.

Spring canyon is an amazingly beautiful space with a small lake and multiple wooden bridges. There…read moreare around 10 picnic tables and a couple picnic benches. The lake is available for fishing and small paddle boats. The space is private but I didn't learn of this until after exploring it. There is also a trail with marked numbers and a trail map to guide you. I wasn't able to explore the trail because the snow blocked the path. The area is about 3 miles away from Cottonwood Lake (take the left road when you see the split to get to the lake rather than Spring Canyon).

it's the best way to spend time with your family and the Lord…read more it has activities for you and your family.You can go to service while your kids go to a smaller group!

I'm quite addicted to hiking and Quandary is still in my memories and I'm determine to do all the…read moreCO 14'er as result. Go out there and create your own adventure!

My first 14er!! And apparently it's a common gateway hike. Information on the website is clear that…read moreparking can be reserved two weeks in advance, which is what my friend and I did. We stayed overnight at an Airbnb in Breck to make a weekend trip out of the adventure, leaving at 6am to make it to the top of Quandary by early afternoon. There was a volunteer standing at the base of the ascent to warn everyone about clouds coming in. It did get chilly at the end of August and sprinkle quite heavily by the end of our hike. So glad my friend had hiking poles, because I wouldn't have survived without them. The views are beautiful at the top, and we even got to see adorable mountain goats!! Haven't decided whether or not I'll do another 14er, but at least I did one. Definitely consult friends or the internet for advice if this is your first. It's a struggle if you have weak knees like I do, but take your time and start early if you can. Then take a picture with the sign at the top so you can show off on social media afterwards, obviously.

Welp it's a long drive for just a day hike....but…read more.. If you want to backpack for a night or two it is an amazing place to explore. Fantastic hike to the lake: Roughly 2.8 miles with about 2000 feet of elevation gain. Lovely vistas and streams the whole way. Wildflowers abound aplenty all along the trail if you hit it right. Great campsites ( please pack out everything and no wood fires). Great hike to Electric Pass with slight exposure. Dogs are allowed on the trail. Smallish parking lot Last mile is on bad road and a small car might have problems....just saying

Such a gorgeous hike that's worth it 100%! Still snowy and having spikes and poles would make it…read moreeasier and not as sketchy, but we did see people in sneakers making it. Amazing views of cathedral peak and other mountains. At the lake there were backpackers that camped out over night to hike cathedral peak. Definitely a climb only for experienced people especially with all the snow. The parking lot is small and up a dirt road that low clearance cars can reach. The path is hard to find in the snow at the top but we just followed footprints and the sound of the water. There is no service on the road and ok the hike. Highly recommend this hike, especially when the lake isn't iced over.

I did this as part of a larger loop last weekend. The trail conditions for this segment were really…read moregood. It's a long trail, but not too difficult for a reasonably in shape person. Usually, you can walk two abreast and the river crossings are not hard. Lots of nice campsites every mile or so, visible right next to the trail. Once you get away from the trailhead, firewood is plentiful. Some camp sites are right next to water, so you can filter it and you're good. Others, you may have to carry water there. We did have some wet weather, which wasn't bad if you have good raincoats. Naturally, if you go to higher elevations, the rain comes down as snow, or hail, even in June. If you're just doing Goose Creek, within the first 7-8 miles, it's super easy to follow. However, good maps are available for free from the USGS web site. We also had a good map for Lost Creek from Amazon. Not too hard to get to the trail head, although you do have to drive about 15 miles of windy dirt road. It takes about 45 minutes for that part, especially if you have to back up to let someone go the other way on one of the single lane parts.

When Spring hits Colorado snow is most likely still in the mountains... but towards the end of…read morespring there is one wilderness that most locals know will most likely NOT have snow, and that is why the Lost Creek Wilderness becomes so popular. People want out of their homes and into the mountains and they want it now, so they all go. This is a great trail to either take a short hike on or a trek. I did a one night day/trek and saw my first bear in person! I am still so excited to this day that I tell people about seeing my first bear in person. He saw us first and was walking away from us, but I was scared the rest of the trek. We found the most amazing camp site under these beautiful grove of Aspens and by a nearby running river. At that particular time, we were allowed to have fires, so we made a nice controlled fire, had an amazing dinner of burritos and rice and enjoyed ourselves as the night grew cooler. You better bet your booty that we hung all of our food, wrappers, and trash in a high high tree, far, far away from our tents... You are not a true hiker if you don't! Make sure to see the shaft house.. The short mile hike will grant you awesome sites of gigantic boulders and rock formations... A sure different view then the rest of the hike. * Star one for my first bear sighting ** Raise your hands tall or talk low star two is for learning what to do if a bear approaches you talk that lasted a mile *** Wow this is old star three is for the old not-in-use shafthouses that are a perfect short trek off of the main trail **** Fire fire star four is for the first mile which shows you in person how a much a forest fire rips apart a wilderness... But the star is for the new growth... I am so cheesy! 239.

Arrived at 5:40 am. Only a handful of cars in the parking lot. Lot is not very big. There is no…read morebathrooms in the lot and also no trashcans. If you need to go to bathroom pop over to elbert or one of the bathrooms along the road/way to get to the trailhead. Otherwise be sure to plan on packing out what you pack in. Trail is actually 14.5 miles per 14ers.com. So be prepared that this is longer than what all trails states. This is the standard route for this peak. This trail is well maintained and in good shape. Trail is currently in summer conditions. Basically this is just a REALLY LONG trail with a lot of elevation gain. There is nothing technical about it. When you get to the ridge there is still a pretty well defined trail. You will have to step over some rocks but nothing bad. The inclining meadow leading up to the ridge though seems to go on forever! Bring plenty of water, food, O2, and be prepared. If you are bringing your dogs. Pack out their poop bags! Also keep them on a leash! Saw pica, marmots and some birds i had not seen before. No goats though. I did this in 6 hours total hiking time but was moving at a fairly fast clip.

Okay I do dumb things sometimes…read more.. Welp trying to hike Massive in the winter ranks high up there. We started at the Leadville Hatchery and the weather looked gorgeous...and then it didn't, Lack of any trail made matters shall we say a tad more difficult. Did not summit but did not die...win win??? Will do in the summer when sanity will prevail.