This area is just a grand area to Hike, Backpack, Snowshoe, and see the Autumn Colors...and yes…read moreI've done all. Part of the CT, Kenosha pass can give you many options: You can do the easy east part with a gentle slope of 400 feet and two miles, go the West and do a nice 10 mile hike/snowshoe, visit Chair rock, Little Scraggy peak, or Hike all the way down to the North Fork South Platte River ( Great fishing too). Two nice parking lots and easy to get to from Denver.

Absolutely gorgeous weekend this past Saturday to see the leaves. All the lots were so crowded but…read morewe managed to find parking. Everywhere was so crowded but still worth it to see the beautiful leaves. Definitely recommend in the fall.

This is a great hike not too far outside Denver. I found out about this trail thanks to my "60…read morehikes within 60 miles" book. An aside-- I found that book in Barnes and Noble and impulsively decided to buy it. It's been a fabulous purchase! Some of you CO natives are probably rolling your eyes at me, but I've found a ton of lesser known hikes (as well as some very common ones) thanks to this book-- the most recent of which being Hell's Hole. Hell's Hole trail leads into Mt. Evans Wilderness about 30 min into the hike. About 20 minutes prior to this, there's a little stand where you must self register for a wilderness permit. There is no fee for this, it's basically just a way for the park service to keep track of info. The trailhead is off CO-103 on a pretty obscure road, West Chicago Creek. It gets pretty sketchy towards the end (very narrow road winding up a steep mountain with no guardrails...as long as I live here I'll never understand CO's aversion to guardrails in places like this) but it's well worth it. There's a campground near the trail head as well. The hike itself is a great workout with shade in the beginning and gorgeous views towards the end. Horses and dogs are welcome on the trail; mountain bikes are not permitted. The book I have estimated the total hike time to be 4.5 hours but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it only took me 3 hours, including a 30 min break at the turn around point and a couple photo/water opps. Obviously the hike time will vary for everyone; I guess the important thing to know is that it's 9 miles round trip. Though the hike is relatively long, it's not incredibly difficult. There are definitely some fairly steep portions, but a lot of it is at a relatively gentle incline. It seems like a fairly lightly used trail-- in the whole 3 hours I ran into about 3 other couples. It was really nice to enjoy the solitude, but also somewhat reassuring to know there were people somewhat nearby-- if you're hiking alone, like I was, it's always good to be aware! The trail ends in an open field with a creek nearby. It's around the treeline and you can see a couple fourteeners towering over you in this beautiful post-glacier valley. Definitely an ideal picnic spot! This trail is out-and-back, so once you've had enough of the scenery, it's time to pack it in and do it all over again!

Absolutely beautiful. Fairly populated trail so I wouldn't feel anxious going here alone. Road up…read morethe the trail head may be a bit difficult to find, just google it, the road is a little sketchy but I made it up in my little Toyota Camry just fine.

When people talk about heaven on earth I'm pretty sure they're talking about Chautauqua Park. I…read morefeel so lucky I got to experience this beautiful place! Our hike was extra special because it was led by Maria the Park Ranger. Maria's knowledge and passion for Chautauqua was incredible to witness. You can tell these mountains mean so much to her! We learned about the landscape, wildlife, Natives, and so much more. Our hike was simple but we saw so much along the way. The views of the flatirons are hard to beat. The path was busy but it was a beautiful saturday morning and it still didn't feel overly crowded. We saw lots of doggies, runners, and families and friends meeting for a morning hike to kick off their weekend. It was pure magic. I hope I get to come back one day!!

I feel like if I lived in Boulder I would go elsewhere since this is the more popular,…read moreclose-to-town option that pulls in tourists and the like. Well guess what? I'm a tourist and the like and I enjoyed it! We lucked into parking on a beautiful, busy Saturday morning. They have very nice restrooms at the Ranger station, and more overflow port a potties around if needed too. The nearby trail is highly accessible and it doesn't take long for some views to pay off. It's a decently steep incline, but nothing crazy at all. Once you're into the trees the shade helps against the thin air and the sun, and it's so quiet and serene. No mosquitoes like I'm used to back home. Loved all the birds (shoutout magpies) and also seeing everyones' dogs.

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.

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.

What's iconic about this Centennial State is the fact that it has numerous and stunning alpine…read morelakes. That's why we Coloradans feel lucky to have close access to these crystal clear lakes only a short drive away from our homes. Well, after living in the state for 28 years, I belatedly had a chance to climb up to see the beauty of Mohawk Lakes just several days ago. Due to the unprecedentedly low snowfall the past season (2025/2026), the lower Mohawk Lake's water level was quite low. This was by no means a disappointing view in any way; it still was emitting the beauty of a clear lake image that calmed us the hikers. We got tempted to sit right by the lakeside and start reading a great book although we didn't have one (lol). Two beautiful waterfalls treated us on the way to the top which we, of course, took advantage of by walking around them and snapping photos. Watching the rushing waters invigorated our spirits. Upper Mohawk Lake was the absolute treat to state the least. This lake deserves far better expression than "beautiful" or "stunning" as those words were quite ordinary for it. "Splendid" might be a bit better to use to describe its incredible depth of the character and the charm. Well, you will have to see it for yourself; mere words or even well-taken photos don't justify how gorgeous it is. Late August was a bit too late for the colorful wild flowers and yet it wasn't completely devoid of them as we saw some dark pink and white on the way. The trail gets a bit confusing during the 4.5 miles walk. You might feel a bit lost due to the lack of signs (we did too) especially when we got closer to the lakes (so I would say the last 0.75 miles or a mile) but we kind of followed other hikers to stay on the road. Don't worry; you'll get there! The Canada Jays or Gray/Grey Jays, fluffy mostly white with some black, were quite friendly! They flew over to us where we almost got to pet them! When they come close to you, stick your index finger. They might come and lightly and playfully bite it but it won't hurt. They are absolutely adorable and made our hike so memorable.

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.

It's a tough thing to be from CO and recommend great trails. Coloradans naturally want to gatekeep…read morebeautiful secrets, but had to write a review for this incredible hiking trail (which I'm sure isn't really a secret). Took my 12 year old daughter backpacking on this trail and we had a fantastic time. There are plenty of areas to set up a tent along the creek for the first 2 miles. After that the elevation climbs and you have to wait until 4 miles or so and you aren't as close to water. There were hardly any mosquitos, but a lot of flies. The flies were relentless, and only one type seemed to bite. Some bug spray helped a little. The scenery was beautiful. Greener than a lot of spots in CO due to the creek and massive boulders everywhere. There's a lot of bird activity including humming birds. There wasn't a ton of foot traffic either. The trail is narrow but maintained. I do not suggest going on the unmaintained trail on the other side of the creek. We hiked the maintained trail in and the unmaintained trail out and there were several spots that were difficult with a 40 lb backpack on due to loose dirt and gravel. Just stay on the main trail especially if you have kids packing in. The water level was pretty low in some areas and the only fish we saw in our spot were tiny ones, so it's probably not great for anglers. The road leading there is a long dirt road and goes down to a single lane in some spots so take it slow. One driver was being very irresponsible and driving as fast as possible and taking turns quickly so as to spin out and nearly hit us! You can't see around curves and there are steep drop offs, so please drive cautiously. There's no cell service out there (AT&T), so remember the turns you made driving and landmarks like campgrounds and ranches. Beautiful spot. Would recommend.

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.

The Village Loop trail is one of the easier trails which is good for families or someone who…read moredoesn't want to go on a strenuous hike. It is slightly elevated so there is not a lot of uphill hiking. It goes around the Beaver Creek resort so you will see some nature along with buildings while walking below the ski lifts. This is also used as a bike trail so it is good to be aware so you can share the trail. The trail is pretty thin so at times it is challenging to get out of the way. It is preferred you stay on the trail to prevent erosion. The trail isn't too far from restrooms , restaurants and shopping since it is so close to the resort. The village loop is a little more than a mile long

This is actually a service road that goes to North Peak around a lot of the ski lifts. Running…read moreabout 10-11 miles, I think this would be a good all day hike for families who also want to get a peak at some wildlife. Otherwise it's about 5 hours. Most of the trail goes along a creek with a ridiculous amount of beaver dams. I don't know if they're all "natural" or not but if they are, man you must have a beaver issue. F*@king beavers... The day I went up was after it had some snow, which led to some interesting pics. I don't know if it's really worth going up when there's snow on the ground (I'm sure there are way more scenic hikes in the area) but if you just want to stay close to the resort or too much a pussy to take the Fusion rental out for a drive on the snow, this is a decently rewarding hike.

Easy to get to just off 85. Easy hike/snowshoeing as well…read more Just got back from hiking the full 11.5 miles. It's a very quite lightly trafficked location. As of today not enough snow to snow shoe and not enough to wear spikes as well. So we decided to get rid of both. About eight or more short switchbacks and a gradual uphill nothing strenuous. When you enter the Pike National Forest you're about halfway to your destination. Trail is well marked and only horses and hikers are allowed here. Solitude and enough length of trail to keep a hiker happy.

Awesome trail for snowshoeing. It is well marked on Hwy 285, with parking along the road. It…read morestarts quickly on an incline with switchbacks to accommodate the climb, but levels off after a while. Within a few minutes we were far enough up the trail that we did not hear any traffic. From there on out, it was just us. No animal sightings, but we did see tracks and scat. It was a windy day, but once in the trees and after working just a little bit, we were amply warm and happy. I felt like we could have hiked for hours and never seen another person. It was the perfect first time experience at snowshoeing. I think the Lost Creek Wilderness would be great during any season. In fact I learned of this hiking/snowshoeing destination from an REI employee who helped me find the right snowshoeing shoes. He got married in this forest preserve. I envy him that beauty and experience. The Ben Tyler trailhead is at 8260ft elevation and over 11 miles in length. The link I provide is of a map. Each trail name is linked to a history and description of the trail.