The Mountains Are Calling...
Thanks to Denver's crazy weather, summer isn't the only time you can get out to the mountains! What better way to soak up the sunny days than with an EPIC hike in your backyard. Our Ultimate Hiking Guide will show you the best of the best hikes from Fort Collins to Glenwood Springs and everything in between. Just make sure to check the park's website before heading out. Some require timed entry passes.
Pro-tip: You can check out a Colorado/National parks pass from your local library!
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image via facebook/rmnp
Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the country, features 415 square miles of spectacular Colorado mountain environment. The park offers hikes for all levels (1 to 10+ miles) featuring picturesque legs, rolling mountain ranges and rigid mountain peaks.
Check out some of our favorite hikes, in order of difficulty:
Nymph Lake (1 mile)
Gem Lake (3.1 miles)
Cub Lake / Pool Loop (5.3 miles)
Sky Pond (8.1 miles)
RMNP now uses a timed entry system to ensure an easy and socially distanced visit for everyone. It’s just a $2 fee on top of your entry ticket. Make your reservation here.
Distance from Denver: 1.5 hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: $30 per car per day / $15 per bike or walk-in / $70 annual
image via facebook/Patrick Meyers
The Great Sand Dunes are the tallest dunes in North America and feature a diverse landscape of rolling dunes, the beautiful Medano Creek and wildlife viewing. The park is open 24 hours, so bring your tent and set up for a day of sand-boarding and hiking, followed by a night of hanging out under the stars.
Distance from Denver: 4-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: $25 per car for up to 7 days / $15 per bike or walk-in / $45 annual
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the most treasured landscapes (vast wildlife with desert-like features) in the American West. You can hike through the canyons to get up close and personal with the towering monoliths or simply enjoy the epic drive along Rim Rock Drive. Buckle up, pull out the camera and get ready to experience the most beautiful drive along the twisting and turning road through the canyons.
Distance from Denver: 4.5-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: $25 per car per day / $15 per bike or walk-in
image via facebook/mesaverde
Mesa Verde, located in Southwestern Colorado, is one of the state's most unique and historic attractions! Visit this landmark for a spectacular look into the lives of Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years. The park protects over 5,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings.
Distance from Denver: 6.5-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: $20 - $30 per car for up to 7 days / $15 per bike or walk-in up to 7 days / $55 annual
Just 15 miles west of Denver, The Red Rocks Trail is a great way to explore the meadows in the iconic beauty of this Denver Mountain Park. If you do venture into the amphitheatre to try your best air guitar on the stage (which you absolutely should do).
Distance from Denver: 30 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
Image via alltrails/westintaylor
Looking for a flat, relatively easy trail where your dogs can explore (on their leash) that lies only half an hour from Denver? Look no further than Bear Creek Trail at Lair o' the Bear. If you want to push it, take the trail along the entirety of its 12.6-mile route.
Distance from Denver: 30 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
image via facebook/jeffscott
Mount Falcon Park may be best known for its views of Red Rocks (and yes, those views are spectacular), but that isn't the only reason to visit. Visitors can also explore interesting ruins and even climb a fire tower that yields sweeping vistas of the surrounding areas. Just remember to share the road - it's a popular one for mountain biking!
Distance from Denver: 30 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
image via facebook/castlewoodcanyon
Featuring a dam, homestead ruins and dog-friendly trails, this gem of a spot is an absolute must for hiking enthusiasts. There are also tons of rock-climbing opportunities here - just make sure to register at the park office ahead of time.
Distance from Denver: 1-hour drive
Season: May-October
Costs: $10 per car per day / $80 annual
image via facebook/upperpineylake
The Upper Piney River Falls Trail is a popular hike in the Gore Range. It features a spectacular view of the area's mountains and a flowing waterfall.
Distance from Denver: 4-hour drive
Season: June-September
Costs: Free
image via alltrails/spencerhunt
The Maxwell Falls hike is a great family-oriented hike near Denver. It features a variety of terrain and is one of the closest waterfalls to the city. There are three different ways to hike this hike, so it's a great choice for everyone.
Distance from Denver: 4-hour drive
Season: June-September
Costs: Free
The Herman Gulch Trail is a great summer hiking trip near Denver. It features a variety of wildflowers in the warmer months and is used as a challenging winter snowshoe trail and cross country skiing in the winter.
Distance from Denver: 1-hour drive
Season: June to September; October to May for Winter Trail Conditions
Costs: Free
image via alltrips/fishcreekfalls
Clear and fresh water rushes down Fish Creek Canyon and over the massive Fish Creek Falls. During the spring and summer, the falls are at their roaring peak, while in the fall, they have clear water flows. The trail is also used by ice climbers during winter.
Distance from Denver: 3-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: $5 Parking Fee
image via alltrails/renemartin
The Diamond Lake Trail follows a moderately demanding trail to a high alpine lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. It features numerous waterfalls and a great fishing opportunity.
Distance from Denver: 1.5-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
image via beyondboulder/enchantedmesa
Located in Boulder’s Chautauqua Park, this trail is one of the best in Colorado. It features a wide, curving trail that flows through dense pine forests with great views of the Flatirons.
Distance from Denver: 40 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
image via alltrails/daniellesalazar
Peru Creek is a moderately trafficked trail that features a river. It's suitable for both active and experienced hikers and skiers. This trail can be used year-round but it is best used from March until November.
Distance from Denver: 46 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
image via alltrails/davidhaden
Arthur's Rock Trail at the Lory State Park provides spectacular views from across the park. There are also numerous hiking and riding trails in the area.
Distance from Denver: 1.5-hour drive
Season: Spring to Fall
Costs: Free
image via facebook/paularterburn
If you’re looking for an easy(ish) hike not too far from town, St. Mary’s Glacier is your spot. Just outside of Idaho Springs, this trail has it all - forest, a mountain lake and panoramic views at the top. Watch for the cairns (those small stacks or piles of stone) to lead the way up.
Distance from Denver: 1-hour drive
Season: Late Spring to Early Fall
Costs: $5 Parking Fee
image via Jefferson County
Choose-your-own-adventure kind of hike - you can stack shorter easier hikes with longer, steeper ones to match your fitness level and time allotment.
Distance from Denver: 45 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
image via unsplash/MatthewSilalahi
We’re not gonna lie - you gotta work for this one, but it will be worth it! You'll see panoramic views most of the way up as well as alpine lakes and falls, rock scrambles and more. You also get front-row views of the famous “Diamond” - the east-facing wall of Longs Peak, rising more than 2,400ft above this incredible alpine lake. You have to enter RMNP to get to this spot, so the usual fees will apply here.
Distance from Denver: 1.5-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: $30 per car per day / $15 per bike or walk-in per day / $70 annual
image via Holly Mandarich
Looking for incredible mountain views, but don’t want to work too hard? Mayflower Gulch is a great bet. Not far from Copper Mountain Resort, you get wildflowers in the summer and a snowfield in the winter. You can check out the ruins of the Boston Mining Company gold digs - remains of a cabin, ore loading shoot and more are still standing.
Distance from Denver: 1.5-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
Image Via Alltrails/Wayne Pigott
This hike is only 3.5 miles round trip, but don't let that fool you, it will most likely take you about 3 hours to complete it. After you make your way up the trail, make sure to step through the Royal Arch and get a good photo, the view is stunning. Try to hike here on a clear day, so you can see all the way to Denver from the top!
Distance From Denver: 30 min drive
Season: Year-Round
Costs: Free
Image Via Alltrails/Abby Russell
If you have not climbed the 143 steps to the top of this lookout, I'm not sure you're allowed to have a Colorado Native bumper sticker on your car. The view overlooks a 360 degree panorama of layered mountains for miles. This trail is a must do Front Range hike and is only about an hour away from center of Denver.
Distance from Denver: 1.25-hour drive
Season: Usually opens around April/May 4 - closes December 1
Cost: Free
Image Via Facebook/BlackCanyon
Although this is one of the least visited national parks in Colorado, it is the most unique and is definitely worth the long drive. If you are doing this hike, keep your eyes peeled for a Peregrine Falcon, the fastest known bird in the world, whose home is the Black Canyon.
Distance from Denver: 5-hour drive
Season: Year-Round
Cost: $30 per car up to 7 days / $15 per bike or walk-in up to 7 days / $70 annual
Image Via AllTrails/Tom Moldenhauer
Owl Creek Pass is perfect for anyone, whether you consider yourself a hiker or not. There are easy ways to see the beautiful panoramic view of the Southwest Colorado Mountains by driving up the pass or by taking one of the hikes that stem off of the road.
Distance from Denver: 6-hour drive
Season: Summer
Cost: Free
Image Via AllTrails/Jenny Woolard O'Neill
If we have ever hiked a trail that makes us want to sing, “The hills are alive…” it would be Scarp Ridge Loop. This moderate trail is open year-round but we recommend to make the trek sometime in the summer to get the best views!
Distance from Denver: 5-hour drive
Season: Year-round
Cost: Free
