A personal favorite of mine for hiking in RMNP, Lumpy Ridge is a go to all year long!…read more Enter the trail at the trailhead located outside of the park off of MacGregor Ranch. You will need to pass through some gates, and will pass through personal property- Pay Respect! There is some healthy ups and downs on the short circuit that loops you back to the parking lot, but the views are fantastic, the scenery and wildlife never disappoint, it's another beautiful day in the mountains!

We came in late to Estes Park and wanted to fit in a hike before dark. One of the locals…read morerecommended this trail, and after some research, saw it was highly rated for the area. It's a pretty easy hike, be warned it can be steep at times, but if you're mostly fit, you'll be able to do it. There were a few icy patches at times, but I was fine in regular boots. The views going up just keep getting better and better, they were all so beautiful. You HAVE to check out the bathroom near the top as that might be one of the best views the whole hike! The small lake at the top was pretty, especially iced over, but nothing compared to the views on the actual hike. It was a really awesome, cool trail in the middle of Estes park without having to pay to get into the Rocky Mountain National Park, and it was super easy to get to. I would highly recommend.

DId you know we have nesting Bald eagles right here in Fort Collins?…read moreSometimes up to 65 pair! this year I have seen at least 14. I enjoyed seeking a couple doing a mating flight. and then another time I witnessed two eagles try to get dinner by dive bombing a goose stuck out on the frozen lake. Fortunately the goose got away and slide to the safety of the near by grasses. The trails around the SE side of the lake is closed when the eagles arrive. So the viewing is only available form the lake dock straight down the walk way from the ranger station and restrooms. I was told from a knowledgable local that the best viewing time is at dusk when all the eagles return from the days hunt. The eagles arrive sometime in Dec and are around until their fledglings fledge, a few months later. So take advantage of this wonderful natural attraction, dress warm and bring some good binoculars. Thanks to the city of Fort Collins for having the insight to preserve these wonderful areas for all nature lovers to enjoy.

Fossil Creek Reservoir Area is easy to get to on the South side of Fort Collins off the Windsor…read moreexit and has lots to offer if you don't mind a little patience and lots of watching. This is a sanctuary for many animals so dogs aren't allowed. There are a few trails and an actual bird watching hut by the water. We love packing a picnic and sitting at one of the covered picnic tables listening to the sounds, we also love a quick walk on the looped trail to stretch our legs. If you do t feel like walking, some time at the dock viewing birds can pay off as once we even saw some otters and turtles. You never know what you'll see!

With the mandatory timed entry to Bear Lake Road, we got lucky to secure a time to explore this…read morearea of Rocky Mountain National Park. This was our first stop on our hike heading into the forrest and it was an easy climb. These falls are loud and proud plus incredibly pretty. The falls thunder down Glacier Creek due to the heavy snowmelt. It's definitely a favorite spot for many people as it's only 1.6 miles so it's easy to access. Remember to pace yourself due to the altitude. I witnessed lots of huffing and puffing from people having to stop and catch their breath. We stayed long enough to take some pics and watch the falls and then moved on. Plenty of seating all around the falls for everyone. It's great short hike for those that just want to feel like they are "out there". Views are truly epic as is the entire park. Parking earlier in the day can be challenging. I recomment arriving very early or come later in the afternoon to secure a spot. Remember to pack in, pack out and LEAVE NO TRACE.

We picked this hike on our 1 day visit to RMNP and it was a great choice. It's a short 2 mile…read moreround trip from the Bear Lake parking area. This was our first time in park and we came in late May so did not expect all the snow and the slush on the trail so that was really awesome. Lots of elevation change as you climb up and down the trail and several small bridges that traverse all the small mountain springs. We saw a few blooming flowers, blue jays,chipmunks, and we spotted a baby rainbow trout hiding in a little pool in one of the springs. Incredible views of the Rocky Mountains and one you get to the falls it's a nice place to take a nice relaxing break in the many rock formations. Great hike.

Beautiful state park! We did Arthur's rock hike and the views were amazing. We also stopped by the…read morelake but the beach was solely mud. We did the short walk to the waterfalls but due to the drought there was no water. Very pretty still!

We visited the accessible Homestead trail at Lory state park and it was lovely! There are a couple…read moreof accessible parking spots with access lanes right in front, and an accessible outhouse near the parking lot. The trail is wide enough for a wheelchair and is packed gravel/pea sized pebbles. My travel power chair did great on it, a manual chair might have trouble getting traction. It's about a half mile loop, there are informational signs throughout and benches scattered along the way if you need a place to sit. There are audio description devices available at the visitor center. There are also grills and picnic areas that are available when there is not a fire ban. Beautiful views!

Quick late morning hike, with helpful locals along the way, beautiful spots to stop and take a…read morebreather ...

Cute little local natural area with nice walking trails. There are many trailheads you can start…read moreat and a weave of directions that you can go. We parked at the trailhead that is on prospect just past the orthopedic center on the left (north) side of the road. There are trash cans at the trail head and also dog poop bags available at the trailhead. This is a leashed dog area. There are all kinds of people and dogs that seem to frequent this area. There is also a bunch of birds and can frequently see people out there bird watching. It is a beautiful little area and a nice local go to when you just want a walk or the hiking trails are closed due to mud.

This trail is a hard/difficult rated hike up the poudre canyon…read more "The trail gently rises for ¾ mile then divides. The left branch, Meadows Trail (#947), is the slightly less strenuous but longer, and rejoins the main trail about 2.6 miles later. The right main branch turns uphill for 1.7 miles where it meets the upper end of the Meadows Trail. From the upper junction an additional ¾ mile climb leads to the summit. Trailhead signs warn of Giardia in the water and poison ivy growing along the trails of Greyrock. Greyrock trailhead accommodates approximately 39 vehicles." Parking lot is on the left of the road. There is a pit toilet available. There are not however any trash cans or dog poop bags. You will need to pack out what you pack in, including dog poop bags. The trail is pretty rocky and if you are going to opt to go all the way up to the summit, it is some scrambling. There are a few options of routes to go -Summit trail out and back -meadow trail to the summit and down the summit trail -summit trail to summit - down the meadow trail This area was unfortunately impacted by the High park fire around 11-12 years ago and sadly the trees are mostly dead and burned for most of the hike. In the spring i am sure that you would be able to see green grasses and flowers growing underneath though.

We had so much fun strolling about the lake looking for moose and yay saw two. It made our day. We…read morespotted a lizard in the water which was also very special.

I enjoyed visiting Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only is it a pretty lake, it is a…read moregreat spot for bird watching and to see wildlife up close. The ground squirrels were fun and entertaining to watch. Because they are used to people feeding them, they come right up to you and beg. The short trail around the lake is easy and level. It is about 0.8 miles round trip and offers great views of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker and Twin Sisters. If you want something more challenging, you can jump on the Storm Pass Trail from here. Rocky Mountain Park requires a online timed entry reservation made in advance during peak season.

Edora Park is definitely one of the more quirky parks of Fort Collins. Sometimes there are a bunch…read moreof really odd characters hanging around in and around it. Like they may have come from the nearby detention center. That is besides the point too. There are also great quirks to it too.Like seeing that all Latino baseball team playing out in the field. Men really ARE great in uniform! Sometimes I wish my birthday(which is today, February 19th) would be in the summer so I can treat myself to this kind of visual gift. Heck I do it anyway. It is ok to look as long as you don't touch-mutal agreement I have reached with my partner. He was looking too!! The Spring Creek Bike Trail goes through this park as well. Definitely a nice little stop to make while biking through... or a nice detour... or distraction that is from your bike ride! Ahem!

So this was mine and my girlfriend's first experience at the famous Edora Park Disc Golf Course…read more Simply put, we were super excited to give it a whip. The first site of the course is heaven for disc golf. Numerous chained baskets in open grass meadows. How could it be bad. Whelp it was bad. The mass hoards of people make Johnny Roberts Memorial Disc Golf Course (normally the heaviest volume course on an average day in Denver Area) look desolate. Having been in tournaments and simply super heavy traffic days in the past I didn't let it get to me. What I did was the outright rude and often dangerous behavior of my fellow golfers. I mean I almost was scalped because the guys behind us just thought they could throw whenever met their fancy. GGGRRR. We had a talk...that's for sure. Having only gotten to play 14 of the 18 holes due to traffic jams and people throwing the disc maybe 10-15 feet at a time, I wasn't very pleased with this course. I will have to make a trip again to give it a second chance, but from what I've seen so far this isn't a friendly course. PS Disc Golf is supposed to be a friendly, at-leisure sport.