Grand Lake, Colorado
Top Spots in and near Grand Lake
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Bond, Colorado
Camp at Radium Campground
This was a rafting/camping trip. We camped at the Radium Campground and rafted 4.5 miles from Pump House Boat Launch. BLM charges $5.00 per vehicle at the boat launch sites and $10.00 per night for camping.Keep an eye out for big horn sheep. I saw them grazing on the side of the colorado river.Yo...Read more -
Laporte, Colorado
Hike the Bellvue Dome
2.81.75 mi / 600 ft gainThe Bellvue Dome, known locally as "Goat Hill", was created by the same geological forces that made the Rocky Mountains, but what makes this structure unique is its shape, the steep cliff on its western edge carved by the Cache la Poudre River at the base, and its prominent location dominating th...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Explore Echo Lake Park
4.01.2 mi / 88 ft gainLocated at the base of Mt. Evans Road, Echo Lake sits next to Squaw Pass Road, providing a great jumping-off point for numerous adventures. The park serves as a trailhead for hiking or snowshoeing into the Mount Evans Wilderness, offers picnic areas, and includes a nearby campground with 17 site...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Hike to Idaho Springs Reservoir
3.9 mi / 800 ft gainThis is a great hiking area an hour outside of Denver, Colorado. It's still easily accessible in the winter and most of the time it can be hiked without snowshoes. Starting at the Echo Lake parking lot, hike around the right side of the lake until you reach a fork in the trail. Follow the path on...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Lower and Upper Chicago Lake
4.59.22 mi / 2270 ft gainFrom the parking lot, stay to the right of Echo Lake and you will run into the Chicago Lakes Trailhead. Follow the switchbacks down and across Chicago Creek. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idah...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Hike Chief Mountain, CO
4.54 mi / 1100 ft gainSitting at 11,709’, Chief Mountain is not one of Colorado’s highest peaks, but the views from this mountain are spectacular nonetheless and rival the views of any 14er I’ve climbed. This mountain sits along Squaw Pass Road so you get the luxury of a high trailhead for this peak.To get there, foll...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout
4.03.92 mi / 791 ft gainCome check out the Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout, a historic spot located in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area of Colorado, and one of the highest lookout towers in the country, at an elevation of 11,486 ft. Just a short drive from the Front Range corridor, you can hike/backpack in to this lookout ar...Read more -
Evergreen, Colorado
Hike the Resthouse/Lincoln Lake Trail
4.5While the Mt. Evans Wilderness never has a shortage of visitors, thanks to its proximity to Denver, it is possible to find a more private hike if you know where to look. Lincoln Lake Trail, accessible from Echo Lake year-round, is not as glamorous as its sister trail, Chicago Lakes, but is a wond...Read more -
Silverthorne, Colorado
South Willow Falls
4.66.17 miStart at the Willowbrook Trailhead. You’ll hit a “Y” in the trail pretty quickly - go left and you’ll soon be at the first log bridge. There are quite a few water crossings on the trail, but they are easy to maneuver. After hiking in the Willow Creek Open Space for a bit, you’ll enter Eagle’s Ne...Read more -
Silverthorne, Colorado
Ptarmigan Trail
4.57 mi / 1201 ft gainPtarmigan Trail, not to be confused with Ptarmigan Peak, is a 5 mile out-and-back, scenic trail that offers unparalleled vistas of Summit County, Dillon Reservoir and the surrounding mountains(including Quandary Peak, Red Mountain, and the Decalibron Loop). Located just outside of Silverthorne a...Read more -
Evergreen, Colorado
Photograph Ancient Bristlecone Pines on Mt. Goliath
5.0On the way to the summit of Mt. Evans sits a small 160 acre preserve of some of the world's oldest living trees. The Mount Goliath Natural Area protects a rare site of Bristlecone Pines that make excellent photographic subjects.Immediately after parking you're surrounded by a miniature forest ful...Read more -
Fort Collins, Colorado
North Shield Pond Trail
3.01.54 mi / 43 ft gainNorth Shield Pond Trail is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Fort Collins, Colorado.Read more -
Dillon, Colorado
Grays Peak via the South Ridge
9.9 mi / 3970 ft gainGrays is easily one of the most popular 14ers in Colorado due to its moderate difficulty and proximity to Denver. Grays Peak is an awesome 14er but the crowds take away from the hike. And while the views on top of Grays are amazing, the barren landscape of the hike to get there isn't the most ama...Read more -
Evergreen, Colorado
Private and Tranquil Retreat at Beaver Brook Watershed
4.0Note: This is NOT the Beaver Brook Trail in Genesee Park/Lookout Mountain! If you enjoy the scenery and ambiance of Evergreen, but Evergreen Lake has become too crowded for your tastes, Beaver Brook Watershed (owned by the City of Golden) is an excellent alternative. It’s a small, secluded area a...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Camp at Guanella Pass
4.5This is a beautiful campground that serves as a great basecamp for many different outdoor activities in the Front Range. Whether you are looking for a casual day fishing or trying to knock one of the nearby 14ers off of your bucket list, this is an excellent place to begin. There are also abandon...Read more -
Dillon, Colorado
Silver Dollar Lake Trail
5.03.93 mi / 945 ft gainGuanella Pass, which connects the charming and historic town of Georgetown in the north to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Grant to the south, is a recreational outdoorsman’s dream. Volumes could be written on what this 22-mile scenic byway has to offer. Silver Dollar Lake Trail is just one tiny po...Read more