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Destination · Boulder
The Flatirons
Boulder's front-range skyline — Chautauqua, Royal Arch, and the high points above town
5,500–8,549 ft8 trails
The Flatirons
The Flatirons are the tilted sandstone slabs that make Boulder look like Boulder — five numbered faces rising straight off the western edge of town. Almost everything starts at Chautauqua, ten minutes from downtown, and the trail network fans out from there: a flat meadow loop under the First and Second Flatiron, the scramble up to Royal Arch, and the long climbs to Green Mountain, Bear Peak, and South Boulder Peak — the high point at 8,549 feet. It's the rare place where you can push a stroller across the meadow in the morning and be route-finding a Class 2 summit by afternoon. Snow stays light on the lower trails, so people hike here all year.
The short version
- Boulder's skyline — the First through Fifth Flatirons — straight off the west edge of downtown
- One trail network, every level: a flat meadow loop, the Royal Arch scramble, and three 8,000-foot summits
- Year-round hiking — the lower trails stay mostly snow-free through winter
- Ten minutes from downtown Boulder, with a free weekend shuttle from the city center
Trails in The Flatirons
Each links to a full gear guide — route, conditions, and a curated kit.
Chautauqua Trail
Boulder's gateway to the Flatirons — 3.2-mi loop from downtown OSMP
3.2 mi · Easy
Royal Arch
1,400 ft climb to a 7,040 ft sandstone arch — 3.4 mi RT from Chautauqua
3.4 mi · Hard
Green Mountain
Boulder's Skyline Traverse high point via Gregory Canyon
5.6 mi · Hard
Bear Peak
Boulder OSMP's high point — 8,461 ft via West Ridge or Fern Canyon
5.5 mi · Hard
South Boulder Peak
Boulder OSMP's highest summit at 8,549 ft — 6.8 mi RT via Shadow Canyon
6.8 mi · Hard
Enchanted Mesa
Chautauqua's gradual beginner climb toward the Flatirons
2 mi · Easy
NCAR Walter Orr Roberts Weather Trail
Half-mile interpretive loop at NCAR's Mesa Laboratory
0.4 mi · Easy
Flagstaff Mountain
The gentlest Skyline Traverse summit — drivable or hiked
4.2 mi · Moderate
Fees, permits, and the way around them
OSMP land is free to walk — there's no park entrance fee. The cost is parking and timing: Chautauqua and most lots are free but fill before 7am on summer weekends, while a handful of south-area trailheads charge non–Boulder County vehicles $5 a day. The free Chautauqua Express shuttle from downtown is the way around all of it on weekends.
- Entrance fee
- None — OSMP land is free to enter.
- Parking
- Free at Chautauqua and most trailheads. Non–Boulder County vehicles pay $5/day or $25/year at Gregory Canyon, Flagstaff, and several south-area lots.
- Shuttle
- Free Chautauqua Express from downtown Boulder, weekends late May through early October.
- Dogs
- Leashed everywhere; off-leash only with a Boulder Voice & Sight tag on designated trails.
- Hours
- Lots close at sunset — no overnight parking or camping.
City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks (OSMP) · verified June 13, 2026. Confirm at the source
What first-timers miss
- Chautauqua's lot fills by 6–7am on summer weekends. Take the free Chautauqua Express from downtown instead of circling.
- The upper Flatirons routes are exposed scrambling, and afternoon thunderstorms build fast June through August. Be heading down by early afternoon.
- Rattlesnakes sun themselves on the rocky lower trails spring through fall. Watch where you put your hands on the scrambles.
- Dogs are welcome on-leash; off-leash needs a Boulder Voice & Sight tag and only applies on designated trails. Rangers enforce it.
- A few south-area OSMP lots — Gregory Canyon, Flagstaff — charge non–Boulder County vehicles $5 for the day. Chautauqua is free.
Best months
Highlighted months offer the best conditions across the area.
Before you head out
Boulder / Front Range
Exposed ridge above Flatirons — afternoon lightning from June–Aug.
See live conditionsThe kit for this terrain
A curated set sized to the elevation and conditions you'll meet here.
Not sure which trail?
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