Hiking is a quintessential part of summer in Colorado for many residents and visitors. If you love to summit fourteeners, consider tackling the extremely difficult Longs Peak since this year is the 150th anniversary of intrepid traveler Isabella Bird’s 1873 ascent. She’s largely responsible for making Estes Park a must-see mountain destination.
But if bagging the state’s highest summits isn’t your thing, there are hundreds of other trails worth your efforts. Here are 10 easy to moderately strenuous hikes from an avid hiker who’s always on the hunt for lesser-traveled trails. I’m also sharing what I believe are the best hikes without crowds in Colorado’s four national parks and two popular trails that are hitting big milestones this year.
Red Mountain Open Space
Wellington
Rating: Easy loop connecting several trails
Time: 2 hours
Just 25 miles north of Fort Collins, Red Mountain Open Space protects 55,000 acres of colorful rocks, rolling grasslands and sandy washes. There are more than 15 miles of trails to hike and ride. My favorite hike connects the Sinking Sun, Big Hole Wash and Bent Rock trails for a 3.7-mile loop through Red Mountain’s varied terrain. Sinking Sun Trail provides incredible views of the rugged and remote landscape. Big Hole Wash has a sandy section before you turn into a canyon where millions of years of uplift, folding and erosion reveal a marvelous geologic history as you hike along the creek.
Waterton Canyon
Littleton
Rating: Easy out-and-back
Time: 2 hours (easy to add or subtract mileage)
This is the start of the iconic Colorado Trail from metro Denver to Durango. The first stretch is a fairly flat dirt road with one of the best spots in the state to see bighorn sheep. That spot is about 2.5 miles from the trailhead for an easy 5-mile round-trip hike. There’s usually a sign alerting you to the bighorn sheep in the cliffs. Last time I hiked in Waterton Canyon I saw a few babies in the herd as I watched from a distance.
On your return, take a breather at a viewpoint along the South Platte River about a mile from the trailhead. It’s a treat to have such a wild area so near the metropolitan sprawl. There is very limited shade on this trail so make sure you have sun protection and carry plenty of water.
Silver Dollar Lake and Murray Lake
Georgetown
Rating: Moderate out-and-back
Time: 3 hours
This is not just a hike to an alpine lake, it’s a hike to three alpine lakes. The trailhead is at 11,200 feet on Guanella Pass, so you’re only in the trees as you climb above Naylor Lake, which is privately owned. A couple of friends and I did this hike in peak wildflower season and there were vivid splashes of color from Naylor Lake to the much smaller Silver Dollar Lake.
If you still have energy after you reach Silver Dollar, climb what I call “huff and puff” hill on the way to Murray Lake. If you go all the way, you’ll gain over 1,000 feet in elevation. One of the best views from the trail is the descent from Murray Lake. It’s about 3 miles round trip if you hike to Silver Dollar Lake. Going to Murray Lake adds about another mile total.
Butler Gulch
Empire
Rating: Moderate/challenging loop
Time: 3 hours
Butler Gulch is the epic wildflower hike you likely don’t know about. It’s near Empire and in Arapaho National Forest. From the Jones Pass Trailhead the trail climbs through a spruce and fir forest on a rugged closed road. At about 1.3 miles there’s a short spur trail to a cascading waterfall. There are beautiful wildflowers in the forest, but when the trail opens to an expansive bowl the spread of wildflowers increases exponentially. Just before the two-mile you can continue along the main trail to the mining relics or turn left for a steep climb in a series of switchbacks with loose rock to the ridgeline at about 12,000 feet for panoramic views on the Continental Divide. This is the trail my friend Mindy and took.
Traverse the ridge to where the trail narrows and hike back down to the meadow filled with wildflowers. Stop and explored the old mining camp with machinery, railroad tracks and even an old car before hiking back to the trailhead for a 5-mile loop.
Paradise Cove
Florissant
Rating: Easy out-and-back
Time: Less than 1 hour (but plan time for a swim)
Tucked away in Guffey Gulch is a secluded swimming hole with two waterfalls. Paradise Cove is close to Florissant and Cripple Creek and can get busy on hot summer days as folks hike in for a refreshing dip. I did it late one afternoon and had the water to myself. It’s a 1-mile round-trip hike on an easy trail with several creek crossings.
The hardest part of the trail is the descent on switchbacks to Paradise Cove. When you get to the beach area you can only see one of the waterfalls. If you walk out on some rocks, you can see the second waterfall. Kids will love this hike.
Harpers Corner
Dinosaur National Monument
Rating: Moderate out-and-back
Time: 1 hour
Dinosaur National Monument covers more than 210,000 acres straddling northwest Colorado and northeast Utah. If you want to see the 1,500 dinosaur fossils and exhibits head to the Quarry Exhibit Hall near the visitor center in Utah. The Colorado side is the monument’s canyon country, and Harpers Corner has some of the monument’s most dramatic vistas of the Green River and Yampa River canyons.
It’s a scenic 32-mile drive to the trailhead. The piñon- and juniper-lined trail runs along a narrow ridge. I hiked this trail close to sunset and had it to myself. If you go earlier in the day, you could spot rafts floating by more than 2,000 feet below you. This is desert hiking so even though the trail is only 2 miles round trip, make sure you take water.
Wedding Canyon and Lower Monument Canyon Trail Loop
Colorado National Monument
Rating: Moderate loop
Time: 2 hours
The view of gigantic monoliths rising out of sheer-walled canyons from the rim in Colorado National Monument is breathtaking, but hiking by 450-foot-tall Independence Monument gives you an entirely different perspective of the sandstone rock formations.
A ranger suggested this hike connecting Wedding Canyon and Lower Monument Canyon trails for a 5-mile loop hike. I did it solo and had the primitive trail through Wedding Canyon to myself and only encountered a handful of people on Lower Monument Canyon. After admiring Independence Monument, it was pretty much downhill the rest of the way.
Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Trail
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
Rating: Moderate loop
Time: 4-6 hours
For an off-the-beaten-path adventure, this is it on the Western Slope. Rattlesnake Canyon is home to the world’s second-largest concentration of arches in the world. It’s second only to Arches National Park. There are 35 arches tucked away in this remote canyon. To get there it’s a rugged drive on a four-wheeler road – or just lace up for a 15-mile round-trip hike. (You can drive 13 miles in a high clearance vehicle on Black Ridge Access Road, but an ATV is required for the last 2 miles.) You also can explore this trail on a mountain bike.
There are several outfitters offering guided adventures and ATV rentals. When you get to Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Trail follow the 2.7-mile loop circling a wooded area in geological terms called a bench to marvel at eight of the area’s major arches.
Geyser Spring
Dunton/Rico
Rating: Easy out-and-back
Time: 1-1.5 hours
While there are hundreds of hot springs in Colorado, the state only has one geyser. It’s more like a bubbling cauldron versus the shooting steam of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Eruptions are usually in 30- to 40-minute intervals with a bubbling frenzy lasting about 15 minutes. Unlike hot springs, you can’t swim or soak in this geyser because the oxygen depletion occurring near the surface of the water could be deadly.
It’s an easy 2.6-mile hike along the picturesque Dolores River to get to the geyser. The drive on Dunton Road (County Road 38/Forest Service Road 535) is stunning but sketchy in spots. It’s a great summer hike, but I did this one in the fall to enjoy the golden aspen along the trail and road.
Cornet Creek Falls
Telluride
Rating: Moderate out-and-back
Time: Less than 1 hour
The box canyon surrounding Telluride has several wonderful waterfall hikes. Like the popular Bear Creek Falls and more strenuous Bridal Veil Falls, lesser-known Cornet Creek Falls is also walkable from downtown Telluride.
After spotting it from the gondola, some friends and I went in search of the falls. It was late afternoon and we had about an hour for the hike. We walked up Aspen Street to the Jud Wiebe Trailhead. You can hike the moderately difficult 2.7-mile Jud Wiebe loop or do this much shorter hike with a spectacular finish.
It’s a half mile round-trip hike to the 80-foot Cornet Creek Falls. The shaded trail is steep in some areas with loose rock so make sure to wear shoes with good traction. We did the hike in late June and the water was really flowing thanks to snowmelt. On the return hike you’re treated to great views of Telluride Ski Resort. We stopped and sat along the creek for a bit, dipping our feet in the icy water.
Fun hikes in our national parks
Warner Point Nature Trail
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
When the road dead ends on the South Rim of Black Canyon there’s an easy 1.5-mile hike on an interpretive trail through piñon and juniper. I’ve hiked it several times and think it has one of the best views of the canyon. Pick up a trail guide to learn about the interpretive sites along the way.
John Meyer, The Denver Post
The ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado are enchanting. (John Meyer/The Denver Post)
Petroglyph Point Loop
Mesa Verde National Park
This 2.4-mile loop takes you past interesting archaeological sites including one of the largest petroglyph panels in Mesa Verde. The panel is more than 35 feet wide and has more than 30 figures, animals, spirals and handprints. Grab one of the trail guides for the interpretive stops along the way. There are some tight squeezes and steep sections. A ranger told me to look when I saw a large rock overhang to see an unmarked cliff dwelling. There are multiple unmarked dwellings along the trail. After the petroglyph panel hike back to the top of the mesa and go through a pygmy forest of junipers and piñons before finishing the hike with a great view of the Spruce House.
Sandbeach Lake
Rocky Mountain National Park
When I got to the parking area for Ouzel Lake Trail in Wild Basin it was full, and a ranger suggested Sandbeach Lake as an alternative. It’s a 9-mile out-and-back hike with almost 2,000 feet of elevation gain. That combination deters a lot of folks, so you can enjoy solitude along the lake’s wide and sandy shoreline. You can swim, fish and camp here. Easier lake hikes that are not as busy as the popular Bear Lake area include Gem Lake, Lily Lake and the easy 0.5-mile loop around picturesque Irene Lake.
Montville Naturel Trail
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Hiking to High Dune is a super popular activity at the dunes, along with hiking to Hidden and Star dunes, which tie for the tallest dunes in North America at 741 feet. If you don’t want to trudge through the sand hike the Montville Nature Trail. A ranger told me about this lesser-trekked trail which has outstanding views of the dunes. The easy 0.5-mile loop trail has some shade, something you won’t have hiking in the dunes. It’s a great hike before or after walking down Medano Creek, which flows at the base of the dunes. Late May through early June is the best time to experience the creek’s “surge flow,” or waves crashing on sand ridges.
Karl Gehring, Denver Post file
Geologist T. Caneer, a volunteer with the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge near Morrison, darkens tracks with charcoal to make them more visible to visitors. The tracks were made by an iguandon, a plant eater, that walked across a beach.
Two hikes that mark celebrations
Dinosaur Ridge Trail
Morrison
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark designation (Nov. 7). With more than 250 fossilized footprints in an ancient beach, paleontologists widely consider it to be the best dinosaur track site in the United States. It’s also the site of the world’s first stegosaurus fossil discovery. The hike is on an incline on a closed section of West Alameda Parkway. It’s just over 2 miles round trip and takes about one to two hours to see more than 15 fossil and geologic sites.
Seven Falls
Colorado Springs
This year is the 140th anniversary of Seven Falls as a tourist destination. The seven cascading waterfalls dropping 181 feet are at the end of what’s been dubbed “the grandest mile of scenery in Colorado.” The iconic Colorado attraction is now owned and operated by The Broadmoor (entry $12-$18, closed Tuesdays May 25-Sept. 5).
Your legs will likely turn to jelly and your heart will pound as you climb the 224 steps to the top of the falls. Keep hiking on trails to Inspiration Point (1 hour round trip) or Midnight Falls (20 minutes round trip) to lose the crowd while logging extra mileage and enjoying the forest and the views.
For fee-less options, hike to nearby Helen Hunt Falls and St. Mary’s Falls.
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