Best Hikes Near Denver, Colorado
Denver sits at 5,280 feet on the eastern edge of the Rockies, with serious mountains 30 minutes away in any westward direction.
Emerald Lake Trail
A stunning alpine lake hike that passes Nymph Lake and Dream Lake before reaching the spectacular Emerald Lake. Perfect introduction to Rocky Mountain National Park's high country.
St. Mary's Glacier
A short but steep hike to Colorado's most accessible glacier. The trail leads to St. Mary's Lake and continues to the permanent snowfield above.
Royal Arch Trail
A popular Boulder hike from the Chautauqua Park trailhead leading to a natural sandstone arch with stunning views of the city and Flatirons. The upper half involves stair-steps and short Class 2 scrambling, so older kids handle it well; younger kids may find it tough.
Chasm Lake
A challenging hike to a pristine alpine lake beneath the dramatic east face of Longs Peak. The lake sits in a spectacular cirque surrounded by towering granite walls.
Flatirons Vista Trail
A gentle trail through grasslands and scrub oak with outstanding views of the iconic Flatirons rock formations and Boulder valley below.
Grays and Torreys Peaks
A challenging double-peak 14er adventure offering two summits in one day. The trail features alpine terrain with stunning Continental Divide views.
Indian Peaks Wilderness Loop
Classic Indian Peaks hike from Brainard Lake Recreation Area to Lake Isabelle, a stunning alpine lake set beneath the Continental Divide. Wildflowers explode in July, the lake water levels drop dramatically by late August, and aspens turn in late September.
Eldorado Canyon Trail
A dramatic canyon hike through golden sandstone walls with South Boulder Creek flowing below. Popular for rock climbing access and scenic beauty.
Mount Bierstadt
One of Colorado's most accessible 14ers with a well-defined trail through beautiful alpine terrain. Popular choice for first-time peak baggers.
Chicago Lakes
A long but gentle hike to two pristine alpine lakes beneath Mount Evans. The trail follows an old mining road through beautiful subalpine forest.
Devil's Head Lookout
A historic fire lookout tower hike through ponderosa pine forest with 360-degree views from the restored 1919 fire tower at the summit.
Bear Lake Trail
An accessible paved loop around one of Rocky Mountain National Park's most popular lakes with stunning mountain reflections and wildlife viewing.
Lily Lake Trail
A flat, accessible boardwalk loop around a scenic lake with views of Longs Peak and the Continental Divide. Perfect for all abilities.
Sprague Lake Trail
A wheelchair-accessible trail to a pristine alpine lake with stunning reflections of the Continental Divide peaks and Hallett Peak.
Mount Evans Road Scenic Drive Trails
Short but tough alpine hike from the Summit Lake parking area to the top of Mount Spalding, a 13,842-foot peak on the ridge between Summit Lake and Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans). The whole hike sits above 12,800 feet, so altitude is the difficulty.
Columbine Lake Trail
A challenging wilderness hike to a remote alpine lake beneath dramatic peaks with pristine wilderness settings and stunning mountain views.
Roxborough State Park Fountain Valley Trail
A scenic loop through dramatic red rock formations and native grasslands with views of the distinctive hogback ridges and Front Range foothills.
Castlewood Canyon Dam Ruins Trail
An easy walk to historic dam ruins through a scenic sandstone canyon with Cherry Creek flowing through diverse riparian and prairie ecosystems.
Fern Lake Trail
A longer alternative to the crowded Bear Lake corridor. The trail follows the Big Thompson River through Moraine Park, passes The Pool and Fern Falls, and climbs to subalpine Fern Lake. Quieter than Emerald Lake even in peak season.
Cub Lake Trail
An easy hike through Moraine Park's meadows and aspen groves to Cub Lake, a small lily-pad-covered lake surrounded by pines. Wildflowers in July, fall colors mid-September, and one of the most beginner-friendly RMNP trails outside the Bear Lake area.
Bierstadt Lake Trail
Short but steep switchbacks climb to Bierstadt Lake, a quiet forested lake with classic reflection views of Longs Peak and the Continental Divide. The lake is busier in winter for snowshoers than in summer.
Mills Lake Trail
Starts at Glacier Gorge Trailhead and climbs past Alberta Falls into the dramatic Glacier Gorge to Mills Lake, with direct views up to the Keyboard of the Winds and Longs Peak. The trailhead is also the start for Loch Vale and Sky Pond on longer days.
Mount Sanitas Trail
The most popular Boulder trail. Steep climb up Mount Sanitas with city views the whole way, then a faster descent on the East Ridge Trail. Reliably crowded mornings and evenings.
Mount Galbraith Loop
Loop around a foothills peak above Golden with Front Range and Denver views from the upper sections. Wildflowers in spring, less crowded than the more famous JeffCo Open Space trails.
Apex Park Trail
JeffCo Open Space loop above Golden with multiple trail options. Mountain bikers share the trails (odd days for bikes, even days for hikers). Aspen groves on the upper switchbacks.
White Ranch Park Loop
Big JeffCo Open Space park north of Golden with extensive trail network. Open meadows, pine forest, and views into the foothills. Popular with horseback riders.
Three Sisters Trail at Alderfer
Easy loop through Alderfer/Three Sisters Park in Evergreen with three rock-formation summits. Family-friendly with multiple short loop options.
Maxwell Falls Trail
Forested hike to a small waterfall in the Pine Valley Ranch area. Best in May-June when snowmelt runs. The Cliff Loop adds 1.5 miles for a bigger day.
Mesa Trail
The classic Boulder Open Space trail running along the base of the Flatirons. Can be done as a point-to-point with shuttle or sections out-and-back. Multiple side trails branch up to Bear Peak, Green Mountain, and Royal Arch.
Bear Peak Trail
Steep Boulder summit climb via Fern Canyon or West Ridge. Summit views span the entire Boulder Valley and out to the plains. Local conditioning hike for Front Range mountaineers.
South Boulder Peak Trail
Boulder's highest summit at 8,549 feet. The Shadow Canyon route is the most direct but steep on loose talus. Often combined with Bear Peak for a two-summit day.
Green Mountain Trail (Boulder)
Steep summit hike from Gregory Canyon Trailhead to the top of Green Mountain. Multiple route options (Saddle Rock, Gregory Canyon, EM Greenman). Summit views over the Flatirons and Indian Peaks.
Lookout Mountain Trail
Trail from Beverly Heights up to Lookout Mountain summit near Buffalo Bill's grave. Forested switchbacks with city views from the top. Different from the easier Lookout Mountain Nature Center Loop.
Walker Ranch Loop
Boulder Mountain Parks loop on a historic ranch property with views of Eldorado Canyon and the Flatirons from above. Mountain bikers share the trails (odd-day hikers, even-day bikes).
Centennial Cone Loop
JeffCo Open Space loop on Centennial Cone with rolling foothills terrain. Mountain bikers share the trails with weekend-alternating days. Less crowded than Apex and White Ranch.
Heil Valley Ranch Loop
Boulder County Open Space loop in a quiet valley north of Lyons. Aspen groves and ponderosa pine, less crowded than the closer-in OSMP trails.
Hall Ranch Loop
Boulder County Open Space loop near Lyons with sandstone outcrops, ponderosa forest, and views to Longs Peak. Bighorn sheep are sometimes spotted in the western side of the property.
Picture Rock Trail
Connector trail between Heil Valley Ranch and Lyons. Open meadows, rolling terrain, mountain bike popular. Can be done as a point-to-point or shorter out-and-back.
Doudy Draw Trail
Easy Boulder OSMP trail through open meadows and ponderosa forest. Connects to the Spring Brook Loop and Community Ditch trails for longer days. Family-friendly with stroller access on lower sections.
Marshall Mesa Trail
Flat-to-rolling mesa loop on the south side of Boulder. Great for spring wildflowers, family hikes, or quick after-work miles. Coal mining history along the route.
Anne U. White Trail
Boulder County trail in Fourmile Canyon with the most reliable stream crossings of any Boulder-area trail. Named for an early conservation advocate. Multiple stream crossings on bridges make the hike kid-friendly even in spring runoff.
Carpenter Peak Trail
Steep climb to the highest summit in Roxborough State Park. Sandstone red rock formations on the lower half, then a forested climb to a 7,205-foot summit with views back to Denver.
Forsythe Canyon Trail
Short hike to a small waterfall hidden in a canyon south of Nederland. The trail follows Forsythe Creek through ponderosa forest. Best in late spring when the waterfall flow is highest.
Lost Lake Trail
From the Hessie Trailhead, climb through aspen and pine to Lost Lake, a small alpine lake. Hessie Trailhead requires a shuttle reservation in summer (no private parking).
Mount Morrison Trail
Steep summit hike from Red Rocks Park to the top of Mount Morrison. Short but unrelenting climb, with views over Red Rocks Amphitheater and Denver. Brutal training hike for fitness.
Lichen Loop
Short, kid-friendly loop near Boulder's Heil Valley Ranch. Stroller-accessible on the lower section. Perfect first-hike-with-toddlers option.
Bear Creek Loop (JeffCo)
JeffCo Open Space loop along Bear Creek with mixed pine and aspen forest. Quieter than the more famous Mount Falcon and White Ranch. Mountain bikers share parts of the trail.
Arapaho Pass Trail
Steep climb from the Fourth of July Trailhead to Arapaho Pass on the Continental Divide. Wildflowers in July, lingering snow into August, and big views down to Lake Granby on the west side. Connects to Caribou Lake and Diamond Lake for longer days.
Andrews Glacier Trail
From Glacier Gorge Trailhead, climbs past Loch Vale and up into Andrews Tarn beneath Andrews Glacier — one of the few true glaciers remaining in RMNP. The final stretch is on talus and snow even in midsummer.
Mount Falcon Park Castle Trail
A loop hike through Denver Mountain Parks land with views of Red Rocks, the Front Range, and the Denver skyline. The ruins of John Brisben Walker's stone castle anchor the upper section.
North Table Mountain Loop
A flat-topped mesa hike with sweeping Front Range views, raptor sightings in spring, and one of the best Denver-area sunset viewpoints. Wide gravel roads make it stroller and bike friendly.
Lookout Mountain Nature Center Loop
Short forested loop near the Buffalo Bill grave, with city views from the visitor center deck. Good intro hike for kids and visiting family, or a quick lunch loop from downtown Denver.
Hiking in Denver: what to know
Most of the best Denver-area hiking is technically in the foothills and 14er corridor west of the city, not Denver proper. Within an hour's drive you can be at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, at the summit of Grays or Torreys, or on a quiet open-space trail at Mount Falcon or North Table Mountain. Plan around that geography rather than fighting it.
Parking is the limiting factor on most weekends. The popular trailheads (Grays/Torreys at Bakerville, Quandary Peak, the I-70 corridor lots) fill by 7 AM in summer and now require reservations during peak season. The Denver Mountain Parks (Mount Falcon, Lookout Mountain, Genesee) are reliable backup options when the 14er trailheads are full.
For after-work hikes, the closer-in options work: North Table Mountain in Golden, Mount Falcon Park outside Morrison, Roxborough State Park south of the city. Each has decent parking and trails open until sunset year-round.
If you're visiting Denver and want to hike a 14er, the friendliest first attempts are Mount Bierstadt (Guanella Pass), Quandary Peak (Breckenridge), or Grays Peak. All three are non-technical and reachable in a day from downtown, but plan to sleep at altitude the night before if you're coming from sea level. Read our altitude sickness guide before you go.
Weather is the biggest day-to-day decision factor. Summer afternoons bring reliable thunderstorms above treeline; be off summits by noon. Winter trails in the foothills (Mount Falcon, North Table, Apex Park) typically stay snow-free with microspikes, making Denver a surprisingly year-round hiking city.