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Hike the Golden Cliffs Trail

Golden, Colorado

5.0/5
based on 3 reviews

Description

Added by Kathleen Morton

Distance: 2.7 miles roundtrip. Elevation gain: 500 ft. Incredible sunrise/sunset panoramas. Great rock climbing routes. Dog-friendly.

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 time to continue on.

Keep following the trail along the bottom of the mountain until you reach a rock stairway. This is about 1.5 miles in. Climb up slowly and carefully. The rocks here are round and roll very easily, and don't forget — you have 500 ft. of elevation gain.

Once at the top, it's best to make some sort of marker so you can easily find your way back.

At the top, follow the social trail (not as well traveled) along the top of the mountain. In about .5 miles, you'll reach the Golden Cliffs. It's here that you can stop, have a snack and enjoy the panorama views.

If you're feeling like you need to track some more miles, you can continue on past the Golden Cliffs and out toward the longer North Table loop (6-8 miles).

After pausing at the Golden Cliffs, head back toward your marker, and descend the rocky trail back to your car.

Getting there: The trailhead is located off of Peery Parkway. When coming from downtown Golden, hang a right at 1st Street and travel down toward the trailhead.

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Features

Rock Climbing
Photography
Running
Yoga
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly

Hike the Golden Cliffs Trail Reviews

Steep but short hike up. Good area for climbing but can get extremely crowded on weekends with climbers. Parking lot was pretty full around 10:30 am on a nice Sunday in late February. Lots of sun on the trail, not a lot of shade.

Great place to get outside and away from building and cars, but so simple to get to and is so beautiful. A taste of the mountains without having to travel so far.

Easily accessible from Denver. Good parking. North table loop starts steep but then very gradual. Seasonal closure of Rim Rock. Didn't make it to Cottonwood Canyon Trail but supposed to have great views.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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