26 Colorado trails. Gear guides for each.

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Wonderland Lake

Boulder's easiest lake loop — wetlands, prairie, and Foothills views

1.8 mi RT · 88 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Classic Boulder Day Hikes (7 trails)

Chautauqua Trail, Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Indian Peaks Wilderness (5 trails)

EasyIndian Peaks

RMNP Lake Hikes (4 trails)

14ers & Big Objectives (3 trails)

ExpertFront Range

Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado Destination Guides (1 trail)

Maroon Lake Scenic Loop, White River National Forest

ModerateElk Mountains

Start Easy Near Boulder (6 trails)

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Wonderland Lake

Boulder's easiest lake loop — wetlands, prairie, and Foothills views

1.8 mi RT · 88 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Bobolink / South Boulder Creek

Flat creek-side prairie walk — Boulder's easiest accessible trail

2.5 mi RT · 49 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Enchanted Mesa

Chautauqua's gradual beginner climb toward the Flatirons

2 mi RT · 416 ft gain · 1–1.5 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Sanitas Valley

Mount Sanitas's gentle valley alternative — broad gravel uphill

2.4 mi RT · 465 ft gain · 1–1.5 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

NCAR Walter Orr Roberts Weather Trail

Half-mile interpretive loop at NCAR's Mesa Laboratory

0.4 mi RT · 75 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Bald Mountain Scenic Area (Boulder County Open Space)

Bald Mountain (Pines to Peaks Loop)

Short summit loop with 360° Continental Divide views

1.1 mi RT · 196 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Classic Boulder Day Hikes (7 trails)

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Chautauqua Trail

Boulder's gateway to the Flatirons — 3.2-mi loop from downtown OSMP

3.2 mi RT · 780 ft gain · 1.5–3 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Royal Arch

1,400 ft climb to a 7,040 ft sandstone arch — 3.4 mi RT from Chautauqua

3.4 mi RT · 1,400 ft gain · 2–4 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Bear Peak

Boulder OSMP's high point — 8,461 ft via West Ridge or Fern Canyon

5.5 mi RT · 2,850 ft gain · 3–6 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

South Boulder Peak

Boulder OSMP's highest summit at 8,549 ft — 6.8 mi RT via Shadow Canyon

6.8 mi RT · 2,950 ft gain · 3.5–6 hrs

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Green Mountain

Boulder's Skyline Traverse high point via Gregory Canyon

5.6 mi RT · 2,378 ft gain · 3.5–5 hrs

Parking $5/day non-res

ModerateBoulder

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Flagstaff Mountain

The gentlest Skyline Traverse summit — drivable or hiked

4.2 mi RT · 1,494 ft gain · 2.5–3.5 hrs

Parking $5/day non-res

ModerateBoulder

Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Mount Sanitas

Boulder's steepest popular summit — 1,300ft in a mile and a half

3.1 mi RT · 1,323 ft gain · 2–3 hrs

Indian Peaks Wilderness (5 trails)

EasyIndian Peaks

Indian Peaks Wilderness

Long Lake

Indian Peaks' easiest family loop — alpine views without the climb

3.2 mi RT · 110 ft gain · 1.5–2 hrs

Permit $12

ModerateIndian Peaks

Indian Peaks Wilderness

Mitchell Lake

A half-mile walk into the Indian Peaks Wilderness

1 mi RT · 230 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Permit $12

ModerateIndian Peaks

Indian Peaks Wilderness

Lake Isabelle

Alpine basin under Navajo Peak — 4.6 mi RT from Long Lake Trailhead

4.6 mi RT · 440 ft gain · 2.5–3.5 hrs

Permit $12

HardIndian Peaks

Indian Peaks Wilderness

Diamond Lake

Alpine basin and waterfall via the Arapaho Pass Trail

5.4 mi RT · 875 ft gain · 3–4.5 hrs

HardIndian Peaks

Indian Peaks Wilderness

Lake Dorothy

The Indian Peaks' highest named lake at 12,061ft via Arapaho Pass

7.1 mi RT · 1,945 ft gain · 4–5.5 hrs

RMNP Lake Hikes (4 trails)

Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear Lake

0.8-mi RMNP loop on Bear Lake Road — gateway to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lake

0.8 mi RT · 20 ft gain · 0.5–1.5 hrs

Rocky Mountain National Park

Emerald Lake

Three alpine lakes in one RMNP day hike

3.6 mi RT · 605 ft gain · 2–4 hrs

Rocky Mountain National Park

Sprague Lake

Wheelchair-accessible mountain lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

0.7 mi RT · 36 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Rocky Mountain National Park

Nymph Lake

Lily-pad alpine lake — the first stop on the Bear Lake corridor

1.1 mi RT · 245 ft gain · 0.5–1 hrs

Free parkingPark entry $30/vehicle/day

14ers & Big Objectives (3 trails)

ExpertFront Range

Rocky Mountain National Park

Longs Peak

RMNP's only 14er — 14.5 mi RT via the Keyhole Route

14.5 mi RT · 5,100 ft gain · 10–15 hrs

HardFront Range

Arapaho National Forest

Mount Bierstadt

7-mi 14er from Guanella Pass — 11,669 ft trailhead, willow bog at the base

7 mi RT · 2,850 ft gain · 4–7 hrs

HardSummit County

White River National Forest

Quandary Peak

Tenmile Range 14er via the East Ridge — parking reservation required at Quandaryparking.com

6.75 mi RT · 3,300 ft gain · 4–7 hrs

Parking $25/day

Colorado Destination Guides (1 trail)

ModerateElk Mountains

White River National Forest

Maroon Lake Scenic Loop

1.8-mi lake loop framing the Maroon Bells at 9,580 ft — timed-entry shuttle required

1.8 mi RT · 500 ft gain · 1–3 hrs

Permit $10