Nice park for a hike or run! Good elevation gain if heading up the Old Ski Run Trail. Kid friendly…read moreas well for the smaller loops. It tends to be more shaded. Currently there is some snow, ice, and mud on the trail - as well as a few downed trees - so be careful! Otherwise a nice quiet forest hike.

Closer to the city, yet far enough away to feel like you're getting a break from it all. Sledding…read morehills for the super snowy times, a variety of trails for all others (hiking or snow shoeing), and decent bathrooms for the non-winter months. Parking can be muddy, and even a bit off a challenge on really nice days, but it's a good option for a quick hike.

On a hot sunny day Lower Maxwell Falls is the perfect hike in the shade. When your feet get hot and…read moretired remove the shoes and soak in the cold creeks and enjoy a moment to relax! Postcard views are what you can expect when you aim your camera! It is a challenging course so make sure you are prepared. The trails are clearly marked so no worries about getting lost!

The hike is great exercise. The falls are magical. We went when we had our first sustained freeze…read moreand the waterfall was amazing. There were so many different ice crystals and formations. The slow volume of water brought such serenity. Please if you go and have a dog, pick up the poop and haul the bag out. The unsightly views of bagged and loose stoles is a major turn off.

Now put yourself in my shoes. You're sitting at Cafe 13 in beautiful Golden, Colorado. You're…read moreenjoying a delightful chorizo breakfast burrito and an iced vanilla latte. You start thinking of where you want to camp for the night so you open up Google maps on your phone and start looking around. There's Meridian campground and Deer Creek campground and hold on- what's that? Guided Goat Hikes?? Your heart races as you hope it's exactly what it sounds like. You fill out the brief online inquiry form hoping- no- PRAYING that there is last minute availability for the evening hike. Owner and founder, Tara calls you within a matter of minutes and is trying her best to accommodate your last minute request. She says she'll get back to you within a couple hours to confirm. Twenty minutes later, she texts to confirm. Your spirits soar. You show up at the predetermined location with your traveling companion and Tara shows up with a couple of goats. Juno and Buttercup are seasoned professionals and they know what they're doing. As you begin to hike, the goats set the pace at a comfortable conversational jaunt that allows your weak sea level lungs to function at 8000'. Tara is a true professional and speaks of her journey into guided goat hiking that is nothing short of inspirational. As the hike nears its end and the sunlight begins to fade, you know your memories of this experience never will. Now that you've been on this epic journey in my shoes, I hope you will take it upon yourself to have your own adventure with Tara and one of her many wonderful goats.

I had recently lost my parents and brother, and moved to Colorado from California to heal I was…read morelooking for things to do outdoors, friendly, and local. Something that I would want to do over and over. This wknd I found it!!! The owner Tara, was so extremely friendly, so very kind and patient through text and emails to sign up and learn the locations. Once I got to the location, and saw the goats I knew that it was for me!!! I had the best day, laughing, being around all the goats, a lovely group of people, and listening to Tara chatting and leading the group and informing us with amazing information about the Goats. She answered so many questions. I felt happy, safe and learned so much!! I'm truly looking forward to another hike and feeding the goats and the baby goat yoga It's so family friendly Her Instagram and Facebook show children on the trail . Looking forward to doing it in the summer as well If you're looking for something fun to do outdoors, or just get out of your head..... go walk with a friendly goat

Easy to get to just off 85. Easy hike/snowshoeing as well…read more Just got back from hiking the full 11.5 miles. It's a very quite lightly trafficked location. As of today not enough snow to snow shoe and not enough to wear spikes as well. So we decided to get rid of both. About eight or more short switchbacks and a gradual uphill nothing strenuous. When you enter the Pike National Forest you're about halfway to your destination. Trail is well marked and only horses and hikers are allowed here. Solitude and enough length of trail to keep a hiker happy.

Awesome trail for snowshoeing. It is well marked on Hwy 285, with parking along the road. It…read morestarts quickly on an incline with switchbacks to accommodate the climb, but levels off after a while. Within a few minutes we were far enough up the trail that we did not hear any traffic. From there on out, it was just us. No animal sightings, but we did see tracks and scat. It was a windy day, but once in the trees and after working just a little bit, we were amply warm and happy. I felt like we could have hiked for hours and never seen another person. It was the perfect first time experience at snowshoeing. I think the Lost Creek Wilderness would be great during any season. In fact I learned of this hiking/snowshoeing destination from an REI employee who helped me find the right snowshoeing shoes. He got married in this forest preserve. I envy him that beauty and experience. The Ben Tyler trailhead is at 8260ft elevation and over 11 miles in length. The link I provide is of a map. Each trail name is linked to a history and description of the trail.

This Jefferson County park is well maintained with plenty of parking and better than average…read morevaulted toilet. Has two large reservable shelters with many picnic tables and also gazebo at the island for that special occasion. Today's visit, did not see any rangers. Lots of picnic tables by the creeks too. No open fires allowed at this time but allowed to bring gas grills. Lots of anglers, hikers and bikers were present while at the site

Had a great time snowshoeing here! Snow was scarce in some places but was still fun. Not a…read morestrenuous hike and was scenic and nice. Parking lot was not full and spacious. The ice on the lake is thick enough so there were people ice skating and ice fishing. I would say that spikes are better than snow shoes but was still a fun experience and it's also pretty here in the summer.

This was a beautiful place for a hike! Well maintained, clean, and a few potties on the trail. We…read morelearned the hard way that you want to be able to park in the LazyV parking lot but you have to get there pretty early for that! And if someone asks if you're ready for an all day hike to get to the waterfall or overlook, they're not exaggerating.

Grateful for the philanthropic land donation that lead to this great state park…read more Located off from CO 285 at Pine, CO. This park is loaded with trails for hiking,running, horseback riding, cycling and access to climbing. Campsites are embedded in the park, dense trail system around a former historic farm. There is an interpretive center and plenty of parking at multiple lots. Free access if you paid for the CO Parks pass on your vehicle license renewal.

My husband is a runner and goes here on a daily basis. He always has a wonderful time and it is a…read moregood place to run many different trails!! Well maintained there is horseback riding here, canoeing, windsurfing and much more!! When they let you see them the bright white horned goats are a treat to see... A lifetime memory for many when you get to see them. One season the bears came down and decided to take over the downstream River and from a distance you could see them splashing around and enjoying early summer in the river. Whatever you do do not forget to take your camera! We have seen the golden eagles and their babies in a nest, Hawks are abundant in the area as well as owls. A mature owl, will have a huge wingspan! Children love the area but you must be aware they shouldn't run and stay with you at all times as there are Rattlers especially in the grass. Stay on the trail do not go off the trail. Horseback riding is available nearby. Check with rangers about tubing and boating which are also nearby. We visit often at least four times a week for my husband if not five a great running area and you get to see wildlife as well!! Highly recommend it very clean and well taken care of even with the drought. .

If you're a biker I think this is a great trail to explore. Hikers and walkers - if you don't mind…read morea flat, mostly paved trail that also serves as a service road for a portion, then you will like this as well. Not my favorite because of the flat, paved aspect but it is scenic once you're about a mile in. I've never seen wildlife while on this trail so it's luck of the draw!

Meadowlark loop was a great and quick hike. Not super rocky or mountainous. Easy to pass other…read morehikers. Great hiking for beginners or puppies

The hike was great and had more elevation gain than I expected. The parking lot was large and had…read morerestrooms, which was great. The trail is a little narrow if you are in a group, but was fine overall and well manicured.

Flying J Ranch Park is close enough to my house to be easy, but mentally it feels worlds away…read more That's the whole trick. You don't have to make a big Colorado production out of it. Drive to Conifer, get out of the car, and let the city brain loosen its grip. It's also not overrun. Parking is limited, and honestly, that may be part of the charm. It keeps Flying J from turning into one of those Front Range hiking scenes where the parking lot feels like a Subaru convention sponsored by REI. The bathrooms deserve their own mention. They are the cleanest park bathrooms I have experienced. Bring a wipe for your hands and you're good to go. The main walk is Shadow Pine Loop, which is about three miles and easy enough for anyone who wants a real walk without signing up for punishment or humiliation. Go left to right, clockwise, east to west, or whatever directional language works for you. I give directions like a city kid, you'll figure it out. The trail draws a mix of people: parents with young kids burning off energy, older folks, meaning older than me, on group walks, and lots of doggies. Please keep your dog on leash. I know, I know, your dog is friendly. So is everyone's dog... The only subculture to watch for is the occasional bike bro who treats right of way like a personal trail system. Most people are great. A few roll through with a festival-bro confidence level that feels wildly unnecessary on the peaceful trails. The park has changed in recent years. Prescribed burns, thinning, and fallen trees have opened up parts of the forest, so there is more sun than there used to be. Some spots look a little rough. Then you notice the new seedlings coming in, and suddenly you're thinking about forest cycles, renewal, mortality, and why you came here without coffee. Wait. Where were we? Come back. Flying J is not flashy. That's the point. It's easy, close, calm, dog-friendly, and natural enough to help change your headspace. Not every hike needs to conquer something. Sometimes it just needs to hand your brain back in better condition.

Beautiful park in Evergreen with a easy trail. Right now it's great for spikes or snowshoes. The…read moresnow was packed and more slushy and icy so we used spikes instead of the snowshoes and they worked great. The views are pretty and not too crowded at all. There was a ranger at the parking lot and it seems to be checked up on quite a bit. The parking lot isn't too small and there's good space. Highly recommend in the winter because it makes the trail more interesting.