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.

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.

Wow! What a beautiful trail and area!!!! Despite being a long time Colorado resident, over 40…read moreyears i have never been to this area. It was quiet and forested. Moose supposedly inhabit the area though we did not see any today. A lot of flowers and beautiful views! There were stunning snow capped peaks when we went into the meadows. It had a gradual incline and did have some rocks on the trail. Water running next to most of the trail. It was located just outside of Camp Dick campground. There are a lot of trails over here and i was definitely inspired to go check out some more after seeing all of the beauty from today!

By far my most favorite hike so far in Colorado. It is about 20 miles west of Boulder. Go west…read moreout of Rollingsville taking County Road 16. Road ends in a T, go left and go about a mile until you see space for parking. Give yourself 4 hours to complete the hike to Crater Lakes, there are three of them and they are all crystal clear. You can see and hear fish jumping in and out of water. Camping is allowed, which is awesome, just not right next to the lake. Also, in the fall you can see the aspens changing so the colors are amazing!

Sugarloaf Mountain is an excellent close front range option for a scenic hike. Parking is fairly…read moreeasy off Sugarloaf rd, really not far from downtown Boulder! It's an uphill and sometimes steep drive on dirt, but nothing a small car can't do. The hike itself starts unmarked but easy to spot the wide gate and uphill trail. You're in the woods for about the first third, then get some great views after some switchbacks. The top is denuded from a fire over 30 years ago, the Black Tiger Fire. Many large trees and stumps can be seen. This is a fantastic view and you can see in 360 degrees. It's particularly great for mountain views, sunrise, and cool clouds. The trail is pretty short 1.5 miles and around 300ft gain, with a broad open top. It's a great trail for most any skill level!

Colorado residents and visitors should make the time to take in this Rocky Mountain experience…read more This is a moderate hike for those in decent shape, just remember if you're not acclimated, you are hiking roughly from 7900ft to 8900ft. Sugarloaf Mountain is about a half hour outside of Boulder. It is easily seen from the plains-it's the mountain just behind the foothills that is uniformly cone shaped. Let me cut ahead to the pay-off before I fill in the details: A hike up Sugarloaf Mountain from the parking area pays off with magnificent 360 views. The Continental Divide is spread out before you in spectacular fashion. Long's Peak (one of the 14teeners) views are fabulous. To one side are steep drops down talus slopes into Four Mile Canyon. Turn around and you can see Denver and on a cool, clear day, probably Kansas. (not really but it seems that way). I have knocked around the high country quite a bit and been to the top of several peaks, and for the accessability and proximity to Denver and Boulder, Sugarloaf Mountain has some of the best panoramic views. Some of my personal highlights from Sugarloaf hikes: -Watching an eagle glide along on thermals, sometimes above me, sometimes below. -Waving at people in a glider and actually being able to hear the wings of the glider whistling through the air. -Watching the sun set below the snow-capped divide (you can see the Indian Peaks and Never Summer range from here) while sitting in adirondack style chairs made from loose slabs of stone on the western facing side of the peak. Drive west out of Boulder on Canyon (toward Nederland). About 5 miles. Turn right on Sugarloaf Rd., follow it about 4 miles to a right, watch for signs. Trailhead is just a dirt lot. Trail starts with gravel/dirt, becomes very rocky as you climb. Not very steep or challenging if you take your time. Also views of forest fire damage from recent years in surrounding foothills. Just don't do what I did with a visitor: Hiked up sugarloaf one day, biking the next day, on the third day of their visit (they were visiting from an elevation of 600ft.) we went to play racquetball in the morning. Ten minutes into racquetball my guest says "Are the lights in here flickering? Wait, I think I might pass out..." Oops. Altitude.

I enjoyed seeing this incredible mountain during my time here at Rocky Mountain National Park. At…read more14,259 feet, Longs Peak is the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park. This flat-topped monarch can be seen from almost anywhere in the park. It is popular for its 15-mile hike that takes between 10 and 15 hours to complete. It is a complicated and challenging hike to do. I did drive up to the trailhead to get a feel for a future hike someday. Longs Peak Trailhead is about a 9 mile drive west of Highway 7. When weather conditions are favorable, many climb to Longs Peak's summit via the Keyhole Route. Here you will experience steep cliffs, narrow ledges and loose rock. There are other more technical climbs on Longs Peak in addition to the the Keyhole Route. The East Face of the mountain is steep and is known as "The Diamond" because of it shape. It is world-famous for its Alpine climb. Deaths on Longs Peak are an annual occurrence. This hike is definitely not for beginner hikers. Longs Peak is near another high mountain called Mount Meeker. The two mountains are sometimes referred to as the Twin Peaks. If you do not want to do the challenge to the summit, there are some less-involved hikes on the peak that are easier. If you just want a nice view of Longs Peak from afar, there are some pullouts on scenic Highway 7 that give you great views of this incredible mountain. There are a couple of full campgrounds near Meeker Park if you want to camp overnight. Popular nature photographer Ansel Adams photographed this mountain in 1941. Longs Peak is named for explorer Stephen Harriman Long who claims to be the first to discover this mountain.

Longs peak is notorious for being the most fatal 14er due to the exposure and risk of fatal falls…read more That being said, it was much easier than I thought-this was the most well maintained and well marked trail from start to finish that I've ever been on. Now this review is coming from a seasoned hiker. I'm crazy about 14ers and on my journey to do them all. I've recently moved onto to some of the harder peaks, with this being my 39th summit. I took all of the precautions recommended: I packed lots of food & water, started at 2am, checked the weather etc. I felt that I could have started later as it was only 8 hours of hiking at a brisk pace. I hiked under a full moon and watched the sunrise as I ascended the keyhole. The only part where you have to route find is the Boulder field and it was quite manageable, even in the dark. The rocks are large and stable and a nice perk is the bathrooms that have a great view. There also happens to be a storm shelter to the left of the keyhole if you find yourself in a pinch. The narrows and class 3 sections were actually very fun. You have a decent amount of climbing but there are nice little yellow & red dots on the rocks to guide you. The exposure is considerable so do what you can not to fall. I noticed lots of hikers without a helmet on which surprised me...it's a long way down so I would highly recommend wearing one for the last few sections and especially for the last climb up the rock wall. The summit is beautiful and catching the sunrise on my way made the lack of sleep and hours hiking in the dark worth every minute. The summit is HUGE! Lots of areas to explore and take in the vistas. Round trip was only 5K elevation and 15.5 miles. It sounds like a lot, but up until the Boulder field is quite easy and gradual. The park rangers at the trail head were lovely and more nice bathrooms await. I appreciated the smooth drive up the the parking lot and had no problem finding parking at 2am on a Wednesday. You don't need a park pass or timed entry if you go before 9am (?) and you should definitely start before then!

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.

We had so much fun strolling about the lake looking for moose and yay saw two. It made our day. We…read morespotted a lizard in the water which was also very special.

I enjoyed visiting Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only is it a pretty lake, it is a…read moregreat spot for bird watching and to see wildlife up close. The ground squirrels were fun and entertaining to watch. Because they are used to people feeding them, they come right up to you and beg. The short trail around the lake is easy and level. It is about 0.8 miles round trip and offers great views of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker and Twin Sisters. If you want something more challenging, you can jump on the Storm Pass Trail from here. Rocky Mountain Park requires a online timed entry reservation made in advance during peak season.