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.

We did a 6 or so mile hike. The views were okay, but what I liked the most were the rocks on the…read moretrail (smaller ones that were red, orange, yellow, clear, and metallic). We did this in the snow, so wearing spikes helped. The trail was shaded a lot, which would be great in the summer.

Some nice Trails although not the most challenging…read more Easy to get to from Denver. Great facilities for parking and bathrooms. Rawhide trail is a very pleasant trail to enjoy.

Huge area. Craig and Christian had awesome reviews from a biking perspective…read more I mostly walk this with dogs nearest to Ralston Road in Arvada. Some nearby water. Shade. You'll walk adjacent to a number of homes, park, and schools. Frequent trash cans and exits to enter the neighborhoods. Wasn't seeing any trash which is a plus. Just one of the many open space/walking/biking trails you'll see throughout Colorado. Occasionally you'll see some locks signage explaining which part of the trail you are on. Think historic setting and whatnot but otherwise it's a walking, exercise, skating trail like anywhere else within the state. You could have a good time riding the entire trail or adding sections into your regular workout route. Well paved and maintained as I mentioned before regarding trash cans and dog poop bag stations throughout. One reviewer mentioned noise but maybe they have the incorrect Yelp listing? Or their closest part of the trail to close to a loud highway. My only advice is to wear sunscreen. Vitamin C told me that once.

Enjoyed a solid morning ride of about 18 miles (9 miles out and 9 miles back). The trail actually…read moreruns a few miles further. I started at the Gold Strike Park in Arvada and there was parking as well as a connection to the Clear Creek Trail. This trail is paved and runs through number of parks in Arvada/Wheat Ridge. There is a gentle, almost subtle incline as you ride west. The creek of course is flowing downward in the opposite direction. I had no trouble using the big chain ring on my road bike and the return ride was a snap, with its gentle decline. The trail is mostly well marked and zigs and zags across the river. There is pedestrian traffic and not too many long straight stretches, so your top speed is limited. The trail runs on a few residential streets here and there. If you lose the trail, just keep going in the same direction and you'll pick it up shortly. Overall it's a fun, pleasant ride that I highly recommend. Suitable for families (although I'd start at one of the municipal parks that it intersects for the playground) and also for walking your dog. My total altitude gain over the nine miles up was only 410 feet, according to my Garmin. There are a few porta-potties along the way. A few water fountains too, at the park areas. This trail is perfect for an easy Saturday morning ride!

Great trail. Nice views. A little over 4 miles with a manageable, gradual incline. I'd say it's…read moremoderate but not particularly challenging. Saw a lot of people running. The trail is well-maintained and marked. The trailhead sign isn't readily apparent from the road so we had to pull over and check that it was the right one. The GPS did have the trailhead as slightly further down the road but we ended up in the right place. There's parking along the road, FYI. The trail will take you to the top of Mount Sanitas. Take a look at the map I posted -- there are multiple trails that take you to the peak.

Beautiful hiking trail just outside of Boulder. I freaking love this trail. I was in Denver and…read moreBoulder for a conference & to see friends. This was one of the short hikes I was hoping to squeeze into my busy day so that I could get that amazing mountain view that I don't get to see in the city. The trail itself is not too steep, and offers beautiful views all around, no matter where you are on the trail. When you are navigating to the trail, you will be driving uphill, and lose cell signal as you approach the base. There isn't really any signal on the trail in general. Parking is all roadside parking at the curved bend of a road. There are clearly areas to park for hikers. This trail when I was hiking was populated by locals either hiking solo or in a small group. Would definitely recommend for a couple hour hike. Only took me about 2 hours.

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.

This is not a "must do" hike, but it is a nice alternative to busy trails. Pattridge Open Space…read morewill give you good views of the foothills in-between Golden and Boulder plus some of North Table Mountain and Leyden Creek. You'll most likely be the only one here, but there is an area for flying model airplanes so you might catch views of those. After parking you can head east along the Leyden Creek Trail, or turn south and climb the short but steep trail up to the top of the hill. The 1.5 mile trail loop is not well established in some parts. The out and back trail following Leyden Creek is wider, better established, and would be good for running. This is also a nice relaxing place for dog walking, if you're in the area. High possibility of spotting prairie dogs, snakes, and bald eagles. I personally enjoyed coming here for a sunrise with my four legged friend.

Getting outdoors is a good thing. Not a bad trail except it is pretty short. I would not go out…read moreof your way to hit this trail unless you are in the neighborhood. Counter-intuitively the primary bulk of the trail is across the road from the parking lot. Gravel road. Best for a stroll or a short jog.

It may be a short trail, but it is a great gravel road if you want to ride on some dirt but don't…read morehave the skills or strength for the more challenging that Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks has to offer. Many people also use to connect parts of East Boulder even on a road bike. It connects Jay Road to the industrial parks and residential areas east of 30th street.There is also something so satisfying to me to ride on dirt and yet not fear for safety. Bikes pass me all the time but occasionally I get to pass some riders. There are dog walkers and runners out there too and some are more considerate than others to keep their dogs under control. I find that even the professional style riders most all are considerate of riders like me. Thank you. You can ride out and back from some nearby neighborhood and at Independence Road crossover to the dirt Trail. There is a RTD stop literally at the Jay Road end so you could walk the trail or take your bike on the bus rack to ride. People like me who live too far to ride out or do not have access to this bus route, can easily park in the lot at the trail head on Independence Rd. I have always found space.

This land is part of the Town of Superior open space trail system. There is adequate parking for a…read morebusy Sunday morning. It is well used by walking visors as well as cyclists on mountain bikes. We walked along the Meadowlark Trail, from the start point almost to the crest of the hill. We were part of a group led by a member of the Open Space Board, accompanied by a retired CU biology presser who spoke to us about the wild flowers we were seeing. It was a bit warm and windy today and near the end of the spring native flower season. It was quite dry already. If you want to in a self guided way, I would suggest several weeks earlier. Though if you go too early there will be mud, I learned from some locals. Share the trail , there are plenty of bikes and they were all courteous riders and we stepped aside for them too. A very nice place to visit. The trailhead has a bathroom facility and also serves the Coalton Trail which runs both east and west from the trailhead. It is clearly marked at the traffic circle on McCaslin.

The Coalton trail head is located in the town of Superior by the round-a-bout at the intersection…read moreof Coalton and Mccaslin rd. At this location you will find a parking lot, a small pavilion, and a restroom. A primitive dirt and gravel trail starts here and traverses through many open fields and has a easy to medium difficulty level depending on your fitness level. The Coalton trail also connects with many other trails that lead to more rough and rocky terrain that heads down to Boulder. This is popular with hikers and mountain bikers.