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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

  • Littleton, Colorado

    Hike the Meadowlark Plymouth Trail

    4.0
    6 mi / 1197 ft gain
    From the parking lot, you can take the Meadowlark trail to the west or the Plymouth Creek Trail to the southeast. It does not matter which trail you take because it ends up becoming loop. For a more gradual slope up the hill, take the Meadowlark trail. After a little more than a mile, it intersec...
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  • Dillon, Colorado

    Hike the 7:30 Mine Road in Silver Plume

    4.0
    5 mi / 1200 ft gain
    With a name like 7:30 Mine Road, this is one hike I had to investigate to see if it lives up to its name. Even though this is an easier hike than I normally choose, what it lacks in challenging terrain, it makes up for in historic interest. The view isn’t too bad, either.7:30 Mine Road is about t...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Watch the Sunset at Forest Canyon Overlook

    5.0
    0.2 mi / 32 ft gain
    Trail Ridge Road is an incredible highway that crosses the mountains between Grand Lake and Estes Park, one of the most famous parts of Rocky Mountain National Park. It features incredible views of the Rockies and the Front Range, as well as the unforgettable experience of being immersed in the t...
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  • Silver Plume, Colorado

    Argentine Railroad Grade

    5.0
    5.35 mi / 863 ft gain
    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...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Backpack the Gorge Lakes

    11.5 mi / 3200 ft gain
    Start at the Rock Cut Parking Area. Head east on Trail Ridge Road 0.25 miles to a more gradual and bald western slope leading down into Forest Canyon. This bald is located between two creeks which merge before joining the Big Thompson River (a small creek in mid September). Use the creeks to navi...
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  • Fort Collins, Colorado

    "The A" via the Foothills Trail

    5.0
    4.14 mi / 531 ft gain
    Why is there an A on the side of the mountain?  The "A" stands for Aggies. When Colorado State University was first founded in 1870, it was originally called Colorado Agricultural College. The mascot at the time was The Aggies. Though the college has now become Colorado State and its mascot, The...
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  • Grand Lake, Colorado

    Camp at Stillwater Pass

    4.6
    Some of my best nights in Colorado were spent in Stillwater Pass. There are numerous campsites with remade fire pits. I found this site when the Timber Creek Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park was full and I did not want to head back to Denver. There is a photo of a white plastic horse a...
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  • Grand Lake, Colorado

    Hike to Big Meadows and Granite Falls

    5.0
    10.3 mi
    The Green Mountain Trail is part of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) which is a foot path from Mexico to Canada. Big Meadows is a great place to view elk, moose, and deer. Other animals you can see in the area are abert squirrels, river otters, weasels, and black bear.Big Meadow...
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  • Fort Collins, Colorado

    Hike Arthur's Rock in Lory State Park

    4.8
    3.7 mi / 1150 ft gain
    The climb to the summit of Arthur's Rock in Lory State Park provides relative isolation and solitude just 30 minutes from downtown Fort Collins along with great hiking, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding.Arthur's Rock Trail is the most direct route to the summit, ...
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  • Fort Collins, Colorado

    Horsetooth Reservoir North Foothills Trail

    2.64 mi / 295 ft gain
    Horsetooth Reservoir North Foothills Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Fort Collins, Colorado.
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  • Evergreen, Colorado

    Mount Evans and Mount Spalding Loop

    4.3
    8.47 mi / 1706 ft gain
    Mount Evans is a simple, yet drop dead gorgeous 14er. That being said, no 14er is easy by any means. However as far as 14er's go, this is a cake walk. Coming in at a rating of class 2, there tends to be some scrambling but nothing a well balanced person can't handle. To begin this adventure, we ...
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  • Aurora, Colorado

    Walk the Cherry Creek Dog Off-Leash Area

    4.5
    3 mi
    Cherry Creek Dog-Off Leash Area is an extended part of Cherry Creek State Park and encompasses 107 acres of fenced-in play area. Within the park there is a 3 mile loop trail that takes you through the trees and along the Cherry Creek. What makes this park so great is the several access points to ...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Ski or Snowshoe Jones Pass

    4.0
    6 mi / 1600 ft gain
    Its sister trail, Butler Gulch, is an all-time favorite hike (both summer and winter), and since they share a trailhead, I knew Jones Pass would be special as well.Jones Pass is not the type of trail I normally take, since it is actually a 4x4 road that is used for Jeeping in the summer and snowm...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Butler Gulch

    4.5
    5.26 mi / 2008 ft gain
    Butler Gulch is a pristinely beautiful day hike in the heart of the Arapaho National Forest near Idaho Springs, Colorado. Easily accessible from Denver, Butler Gulch is full of jaw-dropping views in all seasons, and anyone in good health can enjoy this gem. The hike is five miles long and rated ...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Camp at Jones Pass

    4.5
    To locate these campsites all you have to do is type in Jones Pass Road into google maps or your iPhone and it will take you straight there. There are road signs once you get off I-70 that will help you the rest of the way that say Jones Pass. Once you hit the dirt road and pass the Jones Pass Tr...
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  • Fraser, Colorado

    Summit Byers Peak

    8.8 mi / 2774 ft gain
    The drive to the start of the trail is okay, having a high clearance vehicle would make the drive easier, but is not necessary.  Free parking is available along the side of the road.The trail starts on a closed service road at a gate and requires you to either hike or bike up the dirt road (2 mil...
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