Love Skunk Canyon for easy close hikes! This is a collection of a trailhead and large grassy…read morecanyon. It's more a large gully than canyon, but has a ton of nature and wildlife. The trailhead is not great but not terrible. There's room for three cars of Vassar drive. You can street park, park at Ncar, or bike in like I do. There's a lot of branching trails here, and you can make some easy loops of around one to three miles. I would estimate around 500 ft of gain to connect to the Mesa trail above. About an hour hiking or half hour run. There's a ton of trees, flowers, birds and views! The lower trails are mostly sunny and open, and can bake up very hot in summer. The upper parts are treed and much cooler when the wind comes in. Enjoy connections on the Mesa Trail, or get to Woods Quarry and down for a loop!

This is a backdoor entry to the Flatiron Mountains. It is a gradual climb and not a very difficult…read moretrail. It has very little shade so plan accordingly. No parking lot, just park along the residential neighborhood.

This was an amazing trail near boulder! We decided instead of trekking the beginning we drove to…read morethe top of the mountain instead for the vantage points. It was high up (over 9000k ft) and I've never experienced elevation like that before so taking a few steps made me out of breath very quickly. The views were incredible though! Seeing the valley of Denver and the Rocky Mountains on the other side were breathtaking. There wasn't much snow for March as you could only see it on mountains that were much farther west and taller. It really gives you an idea of how high up the mountain is when you see people and trees look like the size of ants. The drive to the top was also wild with a twisty road that definitely felt like something that would be extremely difficult if it were icy out which thankfully it wasn't when we visited! Highly recommend checking out if you are in the boulder area.

This easy loop trail is great if you're looking to get out into the mountains but don't want to…read morehike anything hard. Its a mellow trail that is great for letting your dog run and play without being too exhausting for you. Just drive 5 minutes past the crowded Chautauqua parking area up Flagstaff Road (look out for deer!) and park at Realization Point. The best part is I went here on a Saturday afternoon and hardly say anyone except some deer.

We planned to do the first and second flat iron hike while passing through Boulder on our way from…read moreGolden to Estes Park. Unfortunately, we were the day after the big September snow storm (that shouldn't be a thing). We didn't want to just sit around though, so we decided to still do the hike. It was kind of icy in the snow, but it wasn't terrible. It was pretty in the forest with all of the snow. It was very foggy, so we really couldn't see any views. We ended up turning around a little before the top because I couldn't feel my feet (my shoes were soaked and it was 30 degrees) and there were no views to see anyway. I'd love to come back to Boulder sometime and do this hike when I can enjoy the views and feel my toes!

An absolutely STUNNING trail!! Parking was free for us because we went during the off season on a…read moreweekday. Pay for parking from memorial day to labor day plus weekends. We went on a wednesday in September and did not pay! Make sure to stop by the ranger house to get a map! The ranger who helped us was super helpful in recommending trails that would fit our level. She warned us that first flatirons is one of the more challenging trails but you get a great view, so we took the challenge. There were some other options, including one where you can see stone furniture! The park is large and there are many trails overlapping and out of the way, so make sure you know before you start! We used the AllTrails app and it was super helpful in knowing which split in the trail we were in. The beginning uphill looks easy and not too steep, but.... it got us. It was a bit disappointing to see how out of shape we were, given that we werent even on the trail yet. If you feel exhausted before getting to the trail, DONT GIVE UP IT GETS BETTER. The next hardest part were the rocky crossings we had to do, but it is exciting and the trails are so well maintained it is safe and steady. The views are absolutely stunning and the flowers are so beautiful all throughout the trail. Theres also a loop you can take on the way down for a view of Boulder! Even if you arent a master hiker, I would definitely recommend it!

One of my favorite trails in Boulder located in Chautauqua park. It's a little over 3 miles with…read moresome elevation, but I think it's relatively easy. My friend who was visiting from sea level who doesn't hike much was able to do it with no problems. It's a beautiful hike through tree line, nice vertical and stone steps and a unique arch at the top! There are big rocks to sit on and enjoy the stunning vistas and observe sweet chipmunks running about.

The hiking conditions at Royal Arch turned out to be a lot more intense than I had expected - a…read moregood thing :-) Tip: While the hiking in intense, the views you experience while you hike aren't anything to write home about - quite disappointing. This is the kind of hiking trail that I'm not unhappy about having done once, but I really can't see myself coming back to repeat the experience.

Nestled high in the Westminster foothills lies Stratford Lakes Park. A hidden gem that I found…read morewhile exploring the neighborhood. Stopping here will afford you spectacular views of the Colorado front range mountains. A true unspoiled vision that has inspired so many of us to venture forth into Colorado to begin with. Along with the view, be sure to also visit the surrounding lakes and other amenities such as the playground, basketball courts, picnic area and pavilions.

This is a local attraction in Boulder Canyon that I have visited occasionally since 1974 but…read more probably not in the last 20-30 years. With out of town guests who wanted to see it, we went up with them today which was hot even by 9am. Not ideal for me. There was adequate parking in a small lot on the south side of the Canyon, just before the crossover to the entrance to the short but steep hike.Being a Monday morning, not very busy. Be aware that weekends are extremely busy and not enough parking. I believe that the trail has been improved some over the years from our past memory of it. There are actually some steps cut into the steepest of the rock surfaces and some heavy duty chain handrails in the areas with he steepest drop off. We saw little kids as well as grandparents. so if I can still do it, many others can. Cooler weather would have been nice. The waterfall is quite pretty. It was roaring even in a drought because of a few heavy rains last weekend and such hot weather in this climate change era that the snow pack in the mountains is melting too quickly this summer. A must see if you are visiting this area. A many athletes do visit too.

Beautiful water fall. Totally worth the fairly short drive from Boulder. Parking on the road or…read moresmall open lot across the street. Easy 10 minute walk & hike to the waterfall. Allow a little time to take photos and then free up space for other visitors. Glad we came.

Great local park to cool off. My dog especially loves it here because being by the creek, it's…read moreusually ten degrees cooler than in the city. You can approach off Arapahoe Ave. There's parking for about a dozen cars, and more up on the top of the hill. There are plenty of picnic tables, and I think only once on July 4th I've seen them all used at once. There's a ton is spots for creek access for swimming, kayaking, tubing, or fishing! I love the nature as there are a ton of beautiful big trees. The creek path runs through the park so you can walk, bike, or hike for several dozen miles in each direction. There are a few houses less folks but I've never had an issue with anyone at this park. Everyone is typically very nice and having fun.

A lovely neighborhood park along a bike trail. Picnic tables and playground and spots to just hang…read moreout. Limited parking spaces.

I was only in the Denver area for a week, so wanted to keep it lowkey with the hikes and went to…read morethe Flatirons to do so instead. Given that the Flatirons essentially sit at the base of the Rocky Mountains, this is a much more doable area for those who are just visiting and haven't acclimated to the change in elevation! There are a ton of hiking trails that stretch for miles and can be explored all throughout the Flatirons, but the best part of the Boulder Flatirons is its proximity to the city of Boulder! Boulder literally sits at the foothills of the Flatirons, so its a quick jaunt from the mountains to the city in this area and the city of Boulder has a great downtown, college town, and just generally a ton to offer to tourists and locals alike! A must visit when you're in the Denver area!

Absolutely breathtaking views from the top. It's so high up and was a challenging hike up to the…read more1st and 2nd Flatirons. Highly recommend if you're in the area.