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!

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.

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.

Hiked with a bunch of friends up to the top of Hassell Peak via Herman Gulch…read more This is a really really beautiful hike...not a really easy hike. As you start at over 10k going to over 12k. Herman lake is gorgeous from all of the snow melt. Several stream crossings. Plenty of doggies on trail. Great parking lot with okay toilets.

Trail head starts right next to the I 70 and plenty of parking through out the area. When you pull…read moreinto the area, make the right instead of going up the hill. Overall, steep incline for 1st mile or so and rest of the hike is nice and leisurely hike while enjoying the scenery. Most of the hike is next to the creek and wild flowers (during the warmer season) and the trail is maintained very well. When I visited, there were no columbines but other wild flowers were abundant. Lots of mushrooms to admire at also. Depending on your ability, I would rate as easy to moderate. When you are ready to take the lake photo with the gorgeous background, try to do it at the junction closer to the lake.

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.

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.

Would be 5 stars if the bathrooms didn't smell like a litter box lol BUT at least they're there for…read morean emergency! Loves of picnic seating near the parking lot. The trail is so nicely paved and wide! Super easy and good for a first time Colorado trip. Definitely more of a walk than a hike! Would revisit immediately! The town of golden is also so cute and worth the visit!

Came here for Father's Day. Plenty of parking if you arrive early. By the time I left at 10am…read moreparking was limited. Tons of people having a picnic and fishing off the edge of the river. The water was extremely high and fast flowing because of all the snow and rain we have gotten so make sure to watch your little ones and pets. This trail does have an option that is paved and wheelchair friendly however there is limit shade. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. No tubing or prospecting allowed.

Beautiful hike today. Never been here but I have a webcam link to see the summit. So when I saw a…read morecloud inversion, I came as fast as I could! The "trail" is really just a dirt service road, in good shape though. You can drive up a bit more to the gun range, my highlander was ok but really low cars might have issues. The trailhead is a bit loud with the gun range. The .22s are one thing and only moderately freak my dog out. Some folks bring large caliber weapons and those can take away from the scenic value a bit. You can hear them from the fire tower too. The hike is uphill but never very steep. However it's a bit unrelenting, and you can skid on the loose dirt. It's only a long straight way then two switchbacks, and you're there. Not too many views except at the summit cone. The last few hundred yards are well constructed rock steps. Then you're at the fire tower! Views abound in every direction. The tower was occupied but you can still wander the base. There's a lot of communication things, which was funny to me since you have no service the whole hike. It took me around half an hour to climb to the top. There's some fun rock scrambles around as well if you're up for that. Overall, a pretty basic hike with a great payoff! I think it would be awesome for a sunset or sunrise.

"We have ways of getting you to the summit," said my high school pal with a smile and wink, who…read moreinsisted it was an easy, 2-hr hike up Chief Mountain. Bad News: Chief Mountain was closed on Memorial Day because of too much snow. Good News: We didn't know it until after we thought we'd hiked to the top. "Damn, the trail head must be here somewhere,"....."hmmm, ah...the hell with it. Let's just bushwack this and go straight up." And, we did. My high school pal and two other intrepid Boulder locals revealed to me that it had been 5 years since they'd done this "hike," and they couldn't exactly remember where trail head was located. The consensus of the group: start climbing. OY! It was steep, even traversing. My Chicago wind and stamina didn't fail me, but oh, boy, did I ever feel it. I wasn't gasping but I was ... well.....sucking wind big time. It was beautiful, too. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. There were birds everywhere. I saw a Blackbird, a Cormorant, an Oriole, a handful of crows, doves, ducks, geese, hawks, a grouse, a Great Blue Heron, a hummingbird, a mountain pelican and a woodpecker. We saw jackrabbits, squirrels, deer, scampering pikas, two wily foxes, and we were pretty sure we saw elk in the distance. The skunk: meant to be smelled and not seen. There were running streams and snow drifts. There was a hearty breeze that dried my sweat, which became profuse toward the top as we covered a jagged boulder field on all fours. The Summit: 11,800. Views of the front range, Mt. Evans, Pikes Peak, and the plains. Perfection and supreme exhaustion. We ate p&j sandwiches, and oranges. We took pictures and relaxed. We marveled at how simple, cleansing, and energizing a thrill knocking yourself out can be. We were exhausted. We chose to walk down the fire road we found off the back of the summit. We walked down a bit and saw the sign: "Squaw Mountain, Summit: 11,800." Ha! We weren't even on Chief Mountain and my local pals didn't even know it. If you want to walk up the back fire roads rather than macho out like we did, here's where to find the SQUAW MOUNTAIN trail head location: From the intersection of CO-74 (Evergreen Parkway) and CO-103 (Squaw Pass Road), go west for approximately 12 miles. Just after you pass the turnoff to Echo Mountain Ski Area, there is a dirt road on the left side of the main road. Park here or, if the parking area is filled, continue up the hill and park at the intersection with the old Squaw Pass road. You will have to hike back down the old Squaw Pass road to meet the other road. Got that?

My favorite hidden gem in Georgetown!…read more Every time I have been here there hasn't been another soul in sight. It's a beautiful and peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. It's a place where you can be surrounded by trees and nature. There's a beautiful pond where you can enjoy the serene quietness and whispers of the trees. There's also the lovely Clear Creek River which you can dip your feet into. This space is gorgeous if you want to see the changing autumn leaves and capture some great photos. Overall, I'm excited to share this place with my yelp community and hope that you enjoy it as I have and will continue to.

This place is terrible!!! Don't come here..I want it all to myself! It really is a tranquil spot…read morewith beauty.

I prefer Mt Blue Sky over Pikes Peak (Pikes Peak and Mt Blue Sky are the only 14ers in Colorado…read morethat you can drive to the top of). I think the views at the top are better. You can see a lot of other mountains from Mount Blue Sky and feel more in the wilderness. Fun fact, It is also the highest paved road in America! On our visit we got to see mountain goats. This was my first time seeing mountain goats in the wild. We did the quick walk up to the top of the mountain which was really cool and stopped over at summit lake. Make sure to reserve your timed entry! I actually do not mind that they do this because I feel like it would be hazardous if too many people were on the road up to Mt Blue Sky. There are no guard rails, cliffs off the side of the road, potholes, and the roads can be narrow in areas so not the ideal road to be busy. Very much a bucket list activity, though I definitely want to come back again vs just checking it off my list.

Although I've lived in Colorado for nearly 40 years, I'd never visited Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway…read more when it was still called Mount Evans because I'd heard the road was very steep. When I saw news reports about the name change, I realized the scenery was indeed stunning, and the road was entirely flat asphalt. Although most of the route runs along the edge of a cliff, if you drive slowly and pull over a bit when there's no oncoming traffic, it probably isn't as heart-stopping as the legends suggest. I was just planning to go when, unexpectedly, the scenic byway closed for two years. So as soon as it reopened--while there was still snow on the summit and road conditions were good--I hurried over. Driving from the city on I-25, then taking Highway 6 and connecting to I-70, it took about 40 minutes to reach the small town of Idaho Springs at the base of the mountain. On a Sunday afternoon, the town wasn't too crowded. While there are restrooms further up the mountain, they aren't as clean or convenient as the ones at the town's visitor center, so many tourists take care of business here before heading up. The visitor center also houses a paid museum where you can learn more about the history of this mining town. Across the street from the visitor center stands a statue honoring American pilots from World War II, modeled after the famous comic book hero Steve Canyon. This is also the last place before entering the mountains where you'll have a stable cell phone signal; once you're in the mountains, the signal disappears. The 14-mile drive from Idaho Springs to Echo Lake--located at an elevation of 10,600 feet just before the scenic byway entrance--follows a lush forest road that's a pleasure to drive. Since fishing is free in Colorado this weekend, there are quite a few anglers at Echo Lake. With its rippling turquoise waters and the lush, layered mountains in the background, the scenery is truly breathtaking and refreshing. There is an outdoor picnic area next to Echo Lake, and if you find the sun too strong or the weather unfavorable, you can take a break in the picnic area inside the stone building nearby. Less than a minute's drive from Echo Lake, a right turn leads to the Scenic Byway ticket booth. The attendant will tell you about the wildlife you might see on the mountain that day and remind everyone to just watch them--do not feed or touch them. The drive from the entrance to the Mount Goliath Natural Area at 11,540 feet is about 3 miles. Although the road follows the cliffside, towering pine and evergreen trees line both sides. Except for the final stretch, the valley is only faintly visible for most of the journey, making it a relatively easy drive. Looking out from the rest area, you'll see endless, layered mountain vistas. There's a trail through the tundra nearby that leads to the summit of Mount Goliath. After passing the Mount Goliath rest area, it's 6.2 miles to Summit Lake at an elevation of 12,830 feet. The entire route consists of tundra and mountain roads with no guardrails on one side--just a sheer cliff. Since the road winds around the mountain, the route runs half on the inner side and half on the outer side of the mountain, and it's very winding. It's fine when you're on the inner side, but when you're on the outer side, the cliff is right there. Fortunately, everyone drives slowly, but it's still quite nerve-wracking. Just before reaching Summit Lake, there's a patch of snow that hasn't melted yet by the roadside. Set against the western ridge of the summit, it looks as if you're on a glacier--it's a whole new world. Not far from there is Summit Lake, a high-altitude glacial lake. A short walk from the parking lot leads to the lakeshore. The surface of Summit Lake is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the snow-capped ridges with such clarity that they appear to be exact replicas on the water--truly a scene of icy mountains mirrored in the water, ethereal and crystal-clear. The 5.3-mile stretch from Summit Lake to the summit at 14,264 feet is steeper and more rugged than the previous section. Many visitors turn back at Summit Lake, and I, too, didn't have the confidence or fortitude to drive another 10-plus miles of mountain road round-trip. So, after taking in the scenic beauty of Summit Lake, I headed back as well. Although it's only about 9 miles from the ticket booth to Summit Lake, the speed limit is no more than 20 miles per hour, so the round trip takes roughly an hour. Adding in the time spent at the scenic area, the total trip takes a little over two hours.