Rocky Mountain, Colorado

This is an incredible and beautiful hike that is just off of Route 6 but feels a million miles away. Drive up Douglas Mountain Road for the west park access (and I do mean UP - it's a quick elevation gain), and you'll run right into the Centennial Cone Park entrance. There is a bathroom and a dec...

Despite sharing a trailhead with the popular Herman Gulch, I had not heard of Watrous Gulch until I stumbled across it while researching something else. Knowing that Herman Gulch is filled with spectacular views and deep snow ideal for snowshoeing/skiing, I had to discover if the smaller, lesser-...

Herman Gulch is one of those special places that makes you fall in love with Colorado all over again. This spectacular wildflower hike that ends at an alpine lake will have your head swiveling from start to finish. Wildflower season is July and August, with peak season being mid-to-late July. Ple...

A popular wildflower hike in summer, Herman Gulch is arguably even prettier covered in snow. The north-south trail offers views of the impressive Mount Sniktau to the south and Pettingell Peak to the north--with much to see along the way. Officially, the trail weaves in and out of the forest and ...

The Argentine Central Railroad Grade trail is just what it says: it follows the old rail bed of the Argentine Central line. All railway remnants have long since been removed, and in its place is a wide, well-defined trail with an easy grade. With just a 900-foot incline over the course of about t...

In summer, Stevens Gulch Road, the access point to Grays Peak and Torreys Peak, is typically packed with adventurers intent on summiting a 14er or two. Once the snow comes, this unmaintained road becomes impassible, and the once busy lane transforms into a silent and pristine haven for snowshoers...

If you are looking to get away from the crowds then this is the site for you. Located in the Routt National Forest, this spot offers everything from a seasonal lake (I went out of season) to free range sheep.Because of all the aspen trees, this place will be glowing with color in the fall. You wi...

September is famous in Colorado for clear, deep blue skies,sublimely perfect temperatures, and gold-digging – of the leaf variety, thatis. On September 9, wildflower season was recently past and the best of theleaves were yet to come, but it was the perfect, clear and sunny day to checkout the hi...

The name is uninviting, but Hell’s Hole is a scenic, shallow basin in the Mount Evans Wilderness near Idaho Springs. Starting elevation is about 9500 feet. Right after the trailhead, you pass through a few camping sites in the Chicago Creek Picnic Area. About five minutes into the hike is the per...

Starting at roughly 6,000 ft. this hike will take you to the Mount Galbraith Loop Trail that circles the summit of the Mountain which peaks at 7,247 ft.  Getting there is very simple, from State Highway 93, take Golden Gate Canyon Road west approximately 1.5 miles to the parking area and trailhea...

The hike starts out from the North Table Mountain Park parking lot just east of Highway 93 on the North Table Loop Trail, with a half-mile fire road straight up the mountain. This fire road is by far the most strenuous part of the hike, and is essentially the sole elevation gain for the hike; onc...

From here, you can choose a few different hiking paths. This out-and-back trek starts at the trailhead up and to the left. Along the way you'll pass a bench dedicated to Craig Luebben — a writer, photographer and climbing guide. At this point, you probably haven't even broken a sweat yet. It's ti...

Once you're parked, you can choose to ride this trail either counterclockwise or clockwise. My personal recommendation is CCW, which entails you head up the steep paved road on the east-southeast corner of the parking lot first. The climb is about 10 minutes of grunt work and then on to flat grou...

My husband and I heard about this hike while we were at a marriage retreat in nearby Dillon. This is the perfect casual day hike for a couple, small groups, or families with children. While we were there in May, just before the aspens were fully leafed out, it was easy to see that this location w...

Come check out the Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout, a historic spot located in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area of Colorado, and one of the highest lookout towers in the country, at an elevation of 11,486 ft. Just a short drive from the Front Range corridor, you can hike/backpack in to this lookout ar...

Sitting at 11,709’, Chief Mountain is not one of Colorado’s highest peaks, but the views from this mountain are spectacular nonetheless and rival the views of any 14er I’ve climbed. This mountain sits along Squaw Pass Road so you get the luxury of a high trailhead for this peak.To get there, foll...