Idaho Springs, Colorado

The Colorado Trail (CT) runs for 483 miles from Denver to Durango, crossing through eight mountain ranges and passing through six wilderness areas. There are great resources on completing a thru-hike of the CT; this post is about Segments 8-9 of the CT from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.These...

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 ...

The trail first takes you to Upper Blue Reservoir, about 1.4 miles in. Past this point, it can be somewhat tricky to find the trail, but for experienced hikers, the upper valley holds a number of lakes, a waterfall, and open tundra for exploring. Mountain goat sightings are also common in this ar...

If the snow is not coming to you, you go where the snow is. Breckenridge is a good place to start; this beautiful ski area gets more than its fair share of snow, and is full of stunning trails. Why pay big bucks at one of the Nordic centers, when you can access acres and acres of the White River ...

Quandary Peak is a popular winter 14er because of its easy access near Breckenridge, its Class 1 designation, and its low avalanche risk. While the access roads to many 14ers are closed in winter, adding extra mileage to an already grueling hike, Quandary Peak’s access is just off Hwy. 9, and the...

Once you turn off of Colorado hwy 9 onto dirt, your GPS will lead you to a gravel lot. At the end of that lot there's a pretty steep gravel road that heads NNW (GPS coords:  39°25'43.01"N 106° 4'11.30"W | Map Link if you want to plug that into your GPS for parking). From this lot you'll walk up t...

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...

Cascade Falls is accessed through the North Inlet Trail on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The trailhead, North Inlet Trailhead, is north of the main town area of Grand Lake. Parking at the trailhead is limited, so hikers can also park along the road leading to the trailhead. Th...

This section of the CDT begins at the North Inlet trailhead, located on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The trailhead is north of the main town area of Grand Lake. Parking at the trailhead is limited, so hikers can also park along the road leading to the trailhead. The hike foll...

The trailhead starts close to 9,000 ft elevation. It continues at a gradual slope through the forest for a long way. The trail does not exit the tree line until close to the top, where there is a boulder field, of sorts (slightly over 11,000 ft). Don't worry, there is a nice trail all the way to ...

The trail begins on the left on a park service road before reaching a junction with the Storm Pass Trail just past .2 miles. Follow the trail as it enters the forest and continue past the private property signs and over a footbridge. Past the bridge the trail climbs more steadily for just under 2...

A Fall adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park is among the most spectacular experiences Colorado has to offer. The change of the seasons offers an amazing change to the landscape that makes taking a bad picture darn near impossible. The light is perfect, the elk are in rut, and the mountains o...

This is one of my favorite hikes near Denver and the lookout itself is over 100 years old! On the road to the trailhead there are many spots for camping and other activities.From Sedalia, CO head down Highway 67 for about 10 miles. Turn south onto Rampart Range Rd and continue for about 9.5 miles...

From the west parking lot at the top of Hoosier Pass, take the 4x4 road as it climbs through a forest west of the pass. Before long, the trees thin and you'll stay on the road through treeline and reach a gate at just over 12,000 feet.Stay right at the gate and continue on this old mining road as...

This winter adventure begins at the popular Glacier Gorge Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. Make sure you arrive early as the parking lot fills up quickly! We started the hike with our microspikes on and carried our snowshoes. The park ranger informed us snowshoes may be necessary in som...

This trail starts at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. This trailhead fills quickly at any time of year, so it's best to get there early to guarantee a parking spot. You can also park at Bear Lake where there's more spaces and add just under 2 miles to your round trip length. A mile into the hike, y...