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Boulder, Colorado

Looking for the best hiking in Boulder? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Boulder. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Boulder

  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Green Lake via Glacier Gorge Trail

    5.0
    11.38 mi / 3400 ft gain
    Begin at the popular Glacier Gorge trailhead along Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Arrive VERY early for parking as the lot typically fills by 7:30 am. For the best photography options - choose to either backpack into the Glacier Gorge campsite (reservations must be made early in ...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Alberta Falls Trail

    4.0
    1.66 mi / 200 ft gain
    Heading into the park from Beaver Meadows Entrance Station turn left at the first road in .2 miles. Follow Bear Lake Road for 8 miles until reaching the Glacier Gorge parking area on the left. Take the trail from the parking area and follow it to the intersection with the Sprague Lake Trail. Stay...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Oldman Mountain

    5.0
    0.54 mi / 374 ft gain
    Oldman Mountain trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Estes Park, Colorado.
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Photograph Elk in Moraine Park

    The perspective here is vastly different from other areas in Rocky Mountain National Park as Moraine Park is essentially a large, very flat valley surrounded by tall mountains. You'll want to come during the elks' rutting season, which is between mid-September and mid-October. Park at the lot on ...
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  • Idaho Springs, Colorado

    Camp at Chinns Lake

    Take the road as if you are going to St. Mary's Glacier, but you will take a left off the road (next to a very nice house) before the road makes a sharp right turn to go up hill. The road is a smooth dirt road for about a mile, but gets very rocky after that and you will need a good off road vehi...
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  • Larimer County, Colorado

    Nymph, Dream, Emerald, and Haiyaha Lakes

    4.9
    4.51 mi
    From the Bear Lake Trailhead, the path to Nymph Lake is a moderate paved trail. At the lake there are several places to sit and take in the scenery. This is also where you'll find the most people. From here, continue up the trail towards Dream Lake. On the way, the trail forks. The left will take...
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  • Larimer County, Colorado

    Emerald Lake via Bear Lake Trailhead

    4.9
    3.15 mi / 650 ft gain
    Anyone who has been to Rocky Mountain National Park, or any national park for that matter, knows they get CROWDED. One of the best ways to beat the crowds are to arrive before the sun comes up (or stay after it goes down). That's how we opted to do Emerald Lake in RMNP. After spending the night ...
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  • Larimer County, Colorado

    Lake Helene and Two Rivers Lake

    5.0
    6.18 mi / 1230 ft gain
    Begin the hike by following the Bear Lake trail and after ~.45 miles take the trail to the right towards Odessa Lake and Flattop Mountain. Continue along the trail as it climbs above Bear Lake to the split with the Flattop Mountain trail at approximately 1 mile. The trail continues toward Odessa ...
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  • Larimer County, Colorado

    Lake Haiyaha

    5.0
    3.64 mi / 800 ft gain
    Begin the hike at the Bear Lake trailhead, this will be the same for any season you chose to hike to the lake. From the Bear Lake trailhead follow the Dream Lake trail for ~1.05 miles to just before Dream Lake itself. The trail is very easy to follow up to this point in all seasons. In winter the...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Hike from Bear Lake to Fern Lake Trailhead

    5.0
    10 mi / 2100 ft gain
    On this Rocky Mountain hike you’ll explore 4 picturesque mountain lakes and a 60 foot waterfall. Completing this hike requires familiarizing yourself with Rocky Mountain National Park’s free shuttle system. Hikes along Bear Lake Road are some of the busiest in the park. Trailhead parking lots fi...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Catch a Sunrise at Dream Lake

    4.9
    2.2 mi / 402 ft gain
    Begin at the Bear Lake Trailhead, located at the end of Bear Lake Road, 9 miles from the entrance on Highway 36. Follow the signs to Dream Lake, passing Nymph Lake about halfway through. At 1.1 miles you will reach Dream Lake. The views of 12,713-foot Hallett Peak and 12,324-foot Flattop Mountain...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Winter Hike Flattop Mountain

    4.8
    8.6 mi / 2850 ft gain
    To catch the sunrise, begin at the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. From the trailhead, veer right around bear lake and continue along the Odessa Lake/Flattop Mountain trail. This will begin to ascend on your right.After approximately 1 mile, the Flattop Mountain Trail will sp...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Nymph Lake via Bear Lake Trailhead

    4.8
    1.13 mi / 245 ft gain
    While not as popular as Dream Lake, Nymph Lake is just as beautiful. The hike to Nymph Lake is an easy hike just over 1 mile. You start from the Bear Lake Trail head and can go further on to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake if you want to. Both Dream and Emerald Lakes are also stunning and very photog...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Ptarmigan Lake via Bear Lake Trailhead

    11.33 mi / 3850 ft gain
    The hike to Ptarmigan Lake has plenty of elevation gain for mountain lovers and views for miles from the Continental Divide. If you want to reach this spot for sunrise you'll need a very early start in the morning, but that also means you won't have to use the shuttle system to Bear Lake. The las...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Flattop Mountain and Hallett Peak

    4.4
    9.73 mi / 3240 ft gain
    Arrive at the Bear Lake Trailhead. Follow abundant signage toward Flattop Peak. Once you arrive at the summit of Flattop identify the unnamed unmaintained trail leading south toward Hallett Peak. Round the head of Tyndall Gorge and ascend the rocky slopes toward the summit by connecting short use...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Climb Notchtop Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park

    5.0
    3.5 mi / 1550 ft gain
    Park at Bear Lake, and follow the signs north of the lake to Odessa Lake. However, do NOT go all the way to Odessa Lake; after about 3 miles, when Notchtop is in full view, the trail begins to descend to Odessa Lake. Find an unmarked spur trail to the left which leads to shallow Lake Helene, then...
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