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Nederland, Colorado

Just up the canyon from Boulder, this sleepy mountain town serves as a gateway to the Indian Peaks Wilderness, with it's myriad options for backpacking, hiking, climbing, and backcountry skiing. In the winter, Eldora is an awesome ski resort just 10 min outside of town.

Top Spots in and near Nederland

  • Golden, Colorado

    Capture Sunrise from Lookout Mountain

    3.7
    Lookout Mountain sits just above Golden and provides one of the best easy-access viewpoints near Denver. The mountain provides numerous vantage spots along the road up, with the best at a rock outcropping just below Buffalo Bill's Gravesite & Museum (with easy parking).If you're hoping to ca...
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  • Idaho Springs, Colorado

    Explore Echo Lake Park

    4.0
    1.2 mi / 88 ft gain
    Located 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...
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  • Idaho Springs, Colorado

    Hike to Idaho Springs Reservoir

    3.9 mi / 800 ft gain
    This 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...
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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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  • Idaho Springs, Colorado

    Lower and Upper Chicago Lake

    4.5
    9.22 mi / 2270 ft gain
    From 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...
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  • 1398 Longs Peak Road, Colorado

    Storm Peak and Mount Lady Washington

    4.5
    12.57 mi / 5312 ft gain
    This adventure began at the Longs Peak trailhead in southeastern Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. I followed the Longs Peak trail for 6 miles to the Boulderfield backcountry camping area. This is a fairly steep on-trail climb of 3,360 feet. After setting up camp at 12,760 feet, my partner...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Hike South Table Mountain

    4.0
    3.3 mi / 1500 ft gain
    Want to see a rainbow? Possibly some coyotes or other Colorado wildlife?This hike is full of twists and turns, mostly involving the trail, but also in surprises along the way.Drive into downtown Golden (grab some food if you're hungry) and then park at the base of the Golden Summit trail. Startin...
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  • Evergreen, Colorado

    Hike the Resthouse/Lincoln Lake Trail

    4.5
    While 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...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Longs Peak

    5.0
    13.3 mi / 5100 ft gain
    For the most part, this hike is very straightforward, so I'll essentially skip over the first 5.5 or so miles of the hike, but, in case you don't know: Start (very early so you get a parking spot) from the trailhead right next to the parking lot (the road to it is paved - seriously this mountain...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Peacock Pool

    7.9 mi / 2438 ft gain
    The peacock pool is a cool little tarn below the outlet to Chasm Lake. Please note that this adventure is best done in the winter/spring when snow is present to prevent erosion in the sensitive area. That is how the description will be written, assuming winter conditions. The approach is the sa...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Boulderfield Campground via Longs Peak Trail

    11.39 mi / 3337 ft gain
    Boulder Field is a high alpine backcountry site on Longs Peak, and is a popular camp for backpackers attempting to summit Longs Peak via the Keyhole route. At an impressive elevation of 12,760 feet, Boulder Field is a vast wasteland of rocks that sits 500 feet below the famous Keyhole feature, an...
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  • Estes Park, Colorado

    Chasm Lake via Longs Peak Trailhead

    4.7
    8.01 mi / 2425 ft gain
    The 4-mile trail climbs around 2500ft from the Longs Peak trailhead and starts by winding through dense forest. In the morning darkness, trudging through thick trees isn’t the most exciting, but when you finally climb out above treeline, the massive profile of Longs and the slowly growing light o...
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  • Idaho Springs, Colorado

    ATV Leavenworth Creek Road (Guanella Pass)

    16.6 mi / 3655 ft gain
    September is famous in Colorado for clear, deep blue skies,sublimely perfect temperatures, and gold-digging – of the leaf variety, thatis. On September 9, wildflower season was recently past and the best of theleaves were yet to come, but it was the perfect, clear and sunny day to checkout the hi...
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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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  • Evergreen, Colorado

    Hike the South Loop at Elk Meadow Park

    3.0
    4.4 mi
    Elk Meadow Park near Evergreen, CO spans 1,140 acres of open meadow and pine forests and has over 16 miles of managed trails by Jeffco Open Space. This park will give the visitor a diverse taste of ecosystems and terrain and is perfect for trail runners, families, or those seeking a quick excursi...
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  • Grand Lake, Colorado

    Snowshoe to Rowley Homestead at Snow Mountain Ranch

    3.0
    3 mi / 100 ft gain
    At Snow Mountain Ranch, you can strap on the snowshoes and heading to an old homestead on the ranch. It is about 3 mile round trip adventure.You snowshoe through the woods and by some of the cabins at Camp Chief Ouray. On the trail, check out the aspen trees. You can see the markings where the e...
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