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.

What a great trail head! You can connect in all directions for lots of hiking fun! The Fowler…read moreTrailhead up the road is great too and gets you a bit closer to Eldorado Canyon. There's miles of trails for hiking and biking, including many views of the plains, mountains, and surrounding scenery. Love the flowers and many rock colors coming out. You can even see a section of ancient seabed coming out! This is definitely one of my favorite places to go hiking in Boulder, and it seems you can avoid some of the downtown Boulder crowds. There's also South Mesa parking across the road, and plenty of trails northward too! Happy trails!

Super fun, easy trail! Close to Arvada and Broomfield area. Fee to park is $5. I suggest you…read moredownload the ParkMobile app before getting there as signal comes and goes. Bikes, dogs and horses are allowed on this trail. You also get great views the entire hike!

It is hard to review this trail after Rocky Mountain National Park. This is a neighborhood…read morewalkway, so local, you are passing homes at times. Flat mixed terrain and very easy. Most times, you are 50 feet or more from the lake. Even so, it is hard to believe a trail exists so close to Broadway. Just don't set your expectations high. Upon reaching the lake, I would go left. It is a loop so it really doesn't matter, but the eastern side is more naturalistic with a view. It is the closest point of contact with the lake. If you go the other way, you abruptly come to a residential neighborhood and most head up the block to continue the trail. Picnic tables and playground on the other end (midpoint). As a side note, how are lakes the size of ponds and reservoirs the size of lakes around here?

If I lived nearby, I'd frequent this trail but otherwise it's not worth visiting. The trail…read morenetwork isn't that long, there are no (visible) restrooms nearby, parking is tight and it's a bit crowded. The lake is pretty but nothing to get all excited about. There are so many trails in the general area that are worth the effort IMO. We've had a rainy season (which has been heavenly) so the bugs were bad by the water.

What a fantastic trail! There's views for miles here. The parking area is fairly large with…read moretoilets, and there's another a bit fatter for non Boulder county folks who don't feel like paying. Come now for the best flower show! With lupines, sunflowers and more, plus roaming cows, the pastoral scene here will take you away from the bustle of nearby parks. There's a big loop trail up the hill, and numerous bike paths to follow. I had a lot of fun here!

Located at the intersection of HWY 93 and Marshall road in south Boulder, Marshall Mesa is a great…read moreplace to go hiking or mountain biking if you like steep and rough terrain. Trail maintenance is very little if not at all so get ready for some extremely rocky, muddy, and partially washed out trails. The good thing about Marshall Mesa is its expansive trail network, one can connect up to the Marshall Valley Trail, Coal Seam Trail, Cowdrey Draw Trail, Greenbelt Plateau Trail, and Community Ditch Trail. All trails are hiker and mountain biker friendly but most of them are very narrow and only allow a single direction of traffic at one time. Good hiking footwear or a strong, well built professional grade mountain bike is required as well as sunscreen and a couple of bottles of water since most of these trails are fairly long (10+ miles long one way). There is a large free parking lot across the street from the entrance or a pay for parking lot on the park property itself. So go out and enjoy the sights and sounds of the great Colorado outdoors.

Having spent ample time hiking in the area, I finally decided to check out Forest Lakes. Whoa! I…read morecan't believe I slept on these beautiful mountain lakes! GETTING THERE: There appears to be a couple different approaches for this lake complex depending on the, "choose your own hiking adventure" you're seeking. If you have access to a high clearance vehicle, and off-roading is more your wheelhouse (see what I did there), you can take Forest Road 149 (Rollins-Pass Road) to the trailhead and have a very short walk to the larger of the lakes. However, if like me, you are seeking to push yourself a bit more, you'll start at the East Portal Trailhead and take in all the glorious scenery on foot. EXERTION: Coming in at 8.2 miles and 1,800+ feet of elevation gain, this trail makes for a moderate to hard hike. It's shaded almost the entire time, follows Arapahoe Creek a good portion of the trail, and the elevation is spread out fairly well. EXPERIENCE: There are a few lakes that make up this complex, but two really notable ones. The larger of the two, Upper Forest Lake, has a ton of trout. It was relaxing to kick back and watch them swim and jump for the bugs near the surface of the water. I chose to hike this trail a bit later in wildflower season, but there were still so many gorgeous blossoms on display! All in all, Forest Lakes impressed me! I'll definitely be adding this moderate adventure to my hiking short-list for future adventures.

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.

Fantastic trail. A little muddy today but nothing we couldn't deal with wearing hiking shoes…read more Absolutely no steep uphills or downhills. Dogs everywhere but all on leash. Also a lot of bikes on the trail, but very friendly and courteous. views were amazing. Most of the Mountain views were in the distance. Plenty of meadows and wildflowers. Public bathrooms at the beginning.

Very nice place for nature! Flowers were going off a week or two ago. You can make a 3 mile long…read moreloop, or connect to other trails east and west. This is a great place to see wildflowers and nice mountain views!

Great trailhead and general area for hiking and trail recreation. I group this along with Doudy…read moreDraw and Fowler TH since they are all pretty close, and you can hike to each within a few miles if parking fills at one. That said, it gets busy here even on weekdays, and except a tough search for a spot on a nice day. There's a fee for non Boulder Cnty cars. It's a great place to recreate, with access to likely a few hundred miles of trails. Many peaks to climb, like Bear and South Boulder make this a popular place to start your Boulder hike. It's a bit less crowded than something like NCAR or the flatirons, and there's a lot of trails that branch off. Do download a dedicated map application like Strava or alltrails, and pack some supplies. It's enough trails it can get confusing even to veteran hikers. Have a great time and happy trails!

Pretty darn steep hike. Really after the first two miles it's all up hill. Barefooted it until…read moreabout .1 miles from the summit of South Peak. Kept my spikes on for Bear Peak as well and a bit on the way down. Overall conditions aren't that bad, few patches of ice - last half mile all packed, icy snow. $5 fee for parking if you're not a Boulder resident.