Colorado
It's hard to beat what the Rockies have to offer. A plethora of world-class skiing in the winter, and all the hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, and rafting you could hope for in the summer. Looking for a challenge?Maybe try your hand at one of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks (there's somewhere between 53 and 58, depending who you ask).
Top Spots in and near Colorado
-
Crested Butte, Colorado
Camp at Oh Be Joyful Campground
5.0Oh Be Joyful Campground sits on the banks of the Slate River and consists of 15 camp sites dispersed over a decent amount of ground, split into two sides of the river. The river, when it's low is more of a stream and is only passable when it's low. It's a small thrill to drive through it to get t...Read more -
Nederland, Colorado
Hike to the Lost Lakes via the Hessie Trail
4 mi / 1000 ft gainAccessed by Hessie Trailhead, Lost Lake is a relatively moderate 4 mile round-trip hike with about 1,000 feet of elevation. The core of the hike is uphill and on a gravel path, 2/3rds of the hike runs parallel to a rushing waterfall. After parking your car, head towards the Hessie Trailhead. Yo...Read more -
Buena Vista, Colorado
Hike Huron Peak
5.06.5 miIf you have a 4WD vehicle, drive 2 miles from Winfield along a dirt road to the trailhead. If you don't have a suitable vehicle, you can park before the road gets rough and hike the rest of the road to the trailhead.Starting at 10560 feet of elevation, this 6.5 mile roundtrip hike begins its 3500...Read more -
Black Hawk, Colorado
Racoon Trail to Panorama Point
4.03.49 mi / 686 ft gainSummer is a magical time of year in the Rocky Mountains. One great way to experience this stunning beauty is through hiking Raccoon Trail to Panorama Point at Golden Gate State Park. Raccoon Trail is 3.3 mile moderately difficult hike which can be completed in under an hour, although it will like...Read more -
Boulder, Colorado
Mars Blocks via Bear Canyon Trailhead
4.89 mi / 1923 ft gainThe Bear Canyon Trailhead is just one of many starting points for this hike, one could also start at NCAR, North Fork Shanahan, or any point on the Mesa Trail. For the purposes of this adventure, I'll start at Bear Canyon Trailhead in South Boulder. This hike will take you about 2-4 hours dependi...Read more -
Leadville, Colorado
Ski Hut-to-Hut from Uncle Bud's to Skinner Hut
5.024.5 mi / 4700 ft gainThe trek starts just outside of Leadville near Turquoise Lake at 9800 ft. The first day you'll travel 6.5 miles and gain 1700 ft. to Uncle Bud's Hut, which sits around 11,400 ft. The second day you'll ski 7.1 miles to Skinner Hut and gain 2100 ft, mostly in the last 3 miles after having dropped...Read more -
Crested Butte, Colorado
Blue Lake via Oh Be Joyful Campground
12.96 mi / 2201 ft gainOverview: Round Trip is about 13 miles, about 500 ft ascent at the beginning and 1500 ft ascent in the last 1.5 miles. The majority of the hike is flat and through an AMAZING valley. Getting There: Blue Lake Trailhead is located at Oh Be Joyful Campground on Slate River Rd, just across a river,...Read more -
Frisco, Colorado
Mount Royal
4.73.57 mi / 1762 ft gainTo access the trailhead, drive 4 blocks South to the end of 2nd Avenue from Frisco's Main Street. The trailhead is located around 9,075 feet. Being a popular hike, the trail is clear in the summer months and usually populated by boot prints and snowshoe tracks in the winter. Follow the trail fro...Read more -
El Paso County, Colorado
Hike to the top of Castle Rock
5.02 mi / 800 ft gainThe Basics: If you've never been to Green Mountain Falls, you're missing out! This tiny mountain hamlet, just off Hwy 24 before Woodland Park, hosts a vibrant collection of local shops and eateries around its community lake. It is also home to many lesser-known hiking trails, including the H.B. W...Read more -
Cañon City, Colorado
Climb at Shelf Road
4.41.5 mi / 400 ft gainShelf Road is secluded, rural, and has great climbing. There are so many areas to choose from and it has a great diversity of route levels (mostly sport routes). My personal favorite area is "The Gallery" and "The Bank." Everyone is friendly and gives each other a hand.Sand Gulch Campground, righ...Read more -
Buena Vista, Colorado
Camp at Mt. Elbert Forebay Reservoir
5.0At the base of Mt. Elbert there are three campgrounds. One is a National Forest campground - you have to pay for a spot and it is closed from October-May. The other two are first-come, first-serve free campground areas. As you drive past the south trailhead, right before the reservoir, there is a...Read more -
Evergreen, Colorado
Evergreen Mountain Loop
4.75.89 mi / 0 ft gainThe way up Evergreen Mountain is actually a few different trails stitched together throughout Alderfer/Three Sisters Park. The trail connects to both parking lots in the park, so if one is full you can just start from the other one, giving you lots of options for a quick day-hike. If you start ...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Camp at Little Molas Lake
5.01 mi / 40 ft gainLittle Molas Lake Campground is about 1 mile off of US Highway 550 on Molas Pass just North of and on the other side of the highway from the Molas Overlook. Pro-tip: there is also another campground nearby called Molas Lake Park & Campground, so it's important to distinguish which you are hea...Read more -
Longmont, Colorado
Hike or Trail Run on Rabbit Mountain, CO
4.03.95 mi / 472 ft gainThis is a great hike/trail run in Boulder County. It is located between Longmont and Lyons and is part of Boulder County Open Space. Rabbit Mountain has over 5 miles of trails and 2,733 acres of beautiful open space. The views are incredible as most of your hike you are looking out at the entire ...Read more -
Hooper, Colorado
Camp at Mosca Campground
Where to camp: San Luis State Park is located 15 miles west of Great Sand Dunes National Park, San Luis State Park features views of San Luis Lake, the Great Sand Dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The campground provides water and hot showers, which we enjoyed after a day of hiking the d...Read more -
Buena Vista, Colorado
Mt. Princeton
4.513.02 mi / 5151 ft gainStarting at 8900 feet of elevation, this 13.25 mile roundtrip hike begins its 5400 foot elevation gain on a dirt road that winds for 3 miles until you break the treeline. If you have 4WD and good clearance you can drive most of the way up this road, shortening your entire hike by about 6 miles. J...Read more
