Best guide I've ever met. We've done trips up Mt. Redcloud and up to an alpine lake to fly fish…read more You won't regret booking Belay Expeditions.

From the owner: Hike the highest mountains, the deepest canyons, and the longest trails with Belay Expedition's…read moremulti-day journeys. Be Outside, Be Simple, & Be In Pursuit!

This joyous roadside hike is perfect for people of all ages. It's short, and even amateur…read moreboot-strappers from the lowlands or sea level, who routinely struggle at altitude, should be able to make it up and down. Mountain lions do call the area home, as is the case across the high country. What was different here was the size of kitty potty found on the trail. It was 18 inches long. Translation: very big cat. With 4,000 puma statewide, for me, by way of trail signs, this has been a pretty active region. One of the best visuals came one winter while snowshoeing in a remote, deep snowscape. I followed the extended gait of a fellow traveler, in five to ten foot snow, thoroughly enjoying the easily identifiable stride set by a very large mountain lion, the top of the snow constantly disrupted by the sashay of its tail on the rising and falling terra of rolling hills and high alpine meadow.

Nice place with good views and a moderate hike. Ample parking and best of all, it's free!read more

Tucked away in the middle of nowhere (about a 6 hour drive from Denver), this place is an absolute…read moretreasure. The staff is indescribably accommodating and the cabins have a vintage, down-home feel. I was lent fishing gear from the staff's personal collection and a fire was built for my group nightly. If you're looking for somewhere to really get away and connect with nature while still sleeping in a bed, this is the place to be.

If you want to get away from it all... this is the place!! Plenty of fishing, wildlife, scenery…read moreand the hosts are very friendly and accommodating. They even light the fire for you at night! They are so nice. We had a great time!!!

We've stayed at several independent campgrounds throughout our travels; however, none compare to…read morethis one. The staff are so warm, welcoming, and friendly! On top of that, it'd be so easy to just let the location do all the work and neglect the facilities but the showers were amazing and incredibly clean. We will definitely be back!

Day use review: we were making the drive from Ouray to Durango and stopped in along the way. What a…read morebeautiful, peaceful, and cozy park-- when we arrived, we went right in to the camp store and rented a kayak and paddle boards-- super reasonable pricing ($20 for kayak, $10 for paddle board, includes life jackets) and the equipment is well kept. The lake was small enough to traverse but big enough to keep us entertained. The surroundings are just beautiful and I even enjoyed paddling out and just laying on my paddle board meditatively. This was a big highlight of our 2wk trip to CO-- Don't forget sunscreen!

Bridal Veil Falls Trail is absolutely amazing...It's not too advanced...making it perfect for most…read morehikers...but still offers a great workout (my legs are sore...but it was worth every step!!!)...The trail is filled with beautiful sights and wildlife -- I spotted several birds and some adorable chipmunks along the way. There are three breathtaking waterfalls that are truly the highlight of the hike...Reaching the top feels so rewarding...and you even have the option to walk back using the road...which we did for an easier descent. I highly recommend this trail for anyone looking for a scenic adventure that's not overly difficult but still feels like a great accomplishment!!!

Lovely hike at the end of downtown Telluride! We arrived mid-morning on a Saturday in June and…read morethere were a few spots left in the parking lot (outhouse in lot). The views from the parking lot were super cool! The hike itself was fairly mild with several awesome waterfalls along the way. Although the hike to the top was only a tad over 1 mile and didn't have very high elevation gain, it took us a bit longer than expected -- relatively narrow, rocky trail that requires some attention to footing. Highly recommend some rain gear to get closer to the falls when you get to the top!

This hike was suggested to me by several friends who went to school in the area. It is pretty easy…read moreto find and parking wasn't too horrible. As much hype as this trail got before we did it, I can tell you that we all agree that this might be our favorite hike in Colorado so far. The trail is so lush and covered in wild flowers, knowing that it could have been the time of year, too. I loved that a lot it went through wooded areas before opening up above the tree line. It seemed that once we got above the tree line that there were amazing views everywhere we looked. We saw some mountain bikers but the trail wasn't too crowded overall. The summit is just under 13,000 feet but it is a great hike to get out of Durango for the morning and then to enjoy the afternoon back in town. Here are the directions to get there: Head North on Hwy 550 past Purgatory toward Silverton. Coal Bank Pass is 35 miles north of Durango, 13.5 miles south of Silverton, on Route 550. There is a parking area and restroom facility on the east side of the road at Coal Bank Pass (but don't park there). Just north of that, turn onto a road on the west side(opposite the rest area) which goes to the Pass Creek TH in under 200 yards.Slow down after mile marker 56 (it's between mm 56 and 57), you will see a rest area on the right and about 30 yards from that there is a small dirt road on the left - turn in there. It is hard to see, so slow down. Park at the end of the road on the side of the cul-de-sac. You will see the trail head heading north, and start there. Make sure you have plenty of water, a sweatshirt, and some rain gear. It should take 4 hours to casually hike up and back.

This trail is amazing, the wildflowers were incredible. It's a medium challenging trail up until…read morethe base of the mountain, then it's shale all the way to the top. Amazing views of mountain ranges even if you just make it to the fields. I went late July beginning of August and it was just the perfect temperature and I still can't get over all the wildflowers!

Handies peak is a beautiful and easy class 1 in the San Juan's. My group and I did this one the day…read moreafter Redcloud & Sunshine, so it was nice to have a shorter day. It's less than 3K elevation and I clocked 6 miles round trip, granted the elevation builds quickly during those 3 miles to the summit. It was so beautiful that my two friends declared it was one of their top three favorite 14ers that they've done! The view at the top is stunning, with gorgeous scenery and breathtaking vistas along the way. You can make a very short detour and even visit a lovely alpine lake. The hardest part of the hike is accessing it. We were already parked along cimaron pass at our campsite, but it took an additional 40 minutes or so to drive from Redcloud trailhead to Handies. I made it in my Crosstrek but there were a couple of truly sketchy spots and a very very bumpy ride. No bathrooms at the trailhead and not much coverage to duck into the woods so keep that in mind. A must do for every 14er fanatic or ambitious hiker!

Handies peak! I have dreamed about hiking this one for several years in the summer when…read morewildflowers are blooming but distance kept me away. Planned a 5 day stay up in the lake city/san juan area so we could knock it out. I finally did it and it did not disappoint. We took the Handies via grizzly gulch which is the non standard route and it is longer than the american basin route. The road getting to grizzly gulch from lake city was rough. lots of pot holes and jutting rocks. Also narrow stretches with drop offs on the side. ATVs and jeeps like to zip down the road at the speed of light and there are not a lot of pull offs along the way. I made it with my honda pilot but it was SLOW going. plan extra time for this road. (cimmaron pass) We were initially going to go to american basin but after the long drive to get to grizzly gulch i just didn't have it in me to do another 4-5 miles on even rougher road. There is a bathroom at the Trailhead. There are no trash cans or dog poop bags however so be sure to pack out whatever you pack in (including your dog poop)! This trail is a class 1. Though that does not mean it is "easy" by any means. However we did enjoy the first half or little more of the trail that had dirt trails and step ups. The trail was very well maintained. Currently in july there are fields of lovely wildflowers that are so abundant and in a variety of colors. Also there is a stream for a chunk of it that you will walk near. As you ascend further up, it begins to get rocky and there is scree near the top. As you merge on to the peak, you will meet up with all the hikers from american basin standard approach which is substantially more. So the peak may seem a little crowded. On our trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people. The flowers along the way and then the view at the top was all breathtaking! So thankful to have finally gotten to complete this peak!

Just super. There are deer and a bunch of nice birds. There are several gay wolves on premesis…read morekissing

Excellent hike! Would definitely recommend this hike for everyone who is able bodied. It is listed…read moreas an easy hike on All Trails, but it does have some challenging little parts. And it is not accessible, so people with mobility disabilities may have trouble. It is beautifully scenic even with the beetle kill. Love the water falls and river as well as the wildlife. A great adventure for kids too- something new to explore around each bend.

Great hike when you want to feel like you did something but don't want to commit to a full day…read more Suprising amount of people on this trail, especially because the road to the trailhead was rough. Happy I have a high clearance vehicle. Beautiful wooded hike with several water crossings at this time. 4.7 miles roundtrip 1312 ft elevation gain.

Hermit's Rest is off of Highway 92 - approximately 17 miles west from its junction with Highway 50…read more There are restrooms here, some interpretive signage, and the trailhead for the Hermit's Rest Trail. From the NPS web site: Zigzagging through oak, pine, juniper, and fir, hikers descend to wooded camp and picnic sites on the shores of Morrow Point Reservoir. Campsites with picnic tables, fire grates, and toilets are provided at the end of the trail. Good shoes or boots are recommended. Carry at least 2 quarts of water per person. Check for ticks frequently during the hot summer months. * Length: 6 miles (round trip) * Difficulty: Very strenuous and little shade. Elevation change is 1,800 ft. Allow 3 hours for round trip. We stopped here to use the restrooms and to check out the scenic vista - we were far above the Morrow Point Reservoir (see the attached pix). Gorgeous area! NOTE: Hermit's Nest does not have a physical address - so I've entered the Headquarters address for the Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Very challenging but very fun hike. I'm a fairly experienced hiker and I struggled to ascend back…read moreup the mountain. It takes approx. 1 hour down and 2 hours up. Beautiful scenery that can't be beat.