Bailey, Colorado

Day 1: Park at the Payne Creek/Brookside Trailhead (8,040 ft.) right outside Bailey. You'll go on the trail for about a mile before the trail parts to Craig Meadows or Craig Park. If you start this in the nighttime, it's best to camp before you part ways on the trail as it's a little more spaciou...

I included a trail map of where I camped. There are many sites all throughout this area. From the Lost Park Campground Parking lot follow the Lost Creek for 2.4 miles. At the 1 mile mark was the best place that we found to cross the creek (there are two logs that make a bridge across the creek). ...

Summit Lake to Upper Chicago Lake via Chicago Lakes Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Georgetown, Colorado.

Cheesman Canyon is considered one of the top fisheries in the world, and this stretch of the South Platte River is easily accessed at the Cheesman trailhead off CR 126 just Southwest of Deckers.  There are tons of great fishing opportunities along this stretch of the river, but it does tend to ge...

Lost Creek Wilderness may be my favorite part of Colorado.  It contains varied terrain and geography, and is less crowded than most places.  This loop will take you through everything the wilderness area has to offer.  You will get sweeping panoramas of mountain ranges to the south, as well has m...

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...

Getting There From Denver, go W on I-70 and take exit 238 for Fall River Rd. Continue on this road before taking a left on Alice Rd. Continue on Alice Rd. until you see the right hand turn for Steuart Rd. This is where you park. Do not attempt this road in a AWD or 2WD you definitely need a good ...

Located in the Arapaho National Forest near Idaho Springs, Chinns Lake is a high-elevation alpine destination known for its peaceful mountain setting, dispersed camping, fishing, and stunning lake views. Accessible via a rugged 4WD road, this hidden gem offers a true Colorado backcountry experien...

To get to the Crystal Lakes start at the Spruce Creek Trailhead. You can hike or drive to the Lower Crystal Lake along Crystal Creek Road. If you choose to drive, you will need a high clearance 4x4 vehicle as you follow along Crystal Creek Road. The road is steep, but when they get to the top it ...

The trailhead is located a few miles out side of Breckenridge Colorado. The trail starts at 10,390' and the first two miles are spent walking through a mix of fir, aspen, and spruce trees until the trail goes parallel to Spruce Creek Road and eventually crosses it and continues over a small dam (...

This spot may be a little more difficult to reach than others, but the payoff is worth it. You'll start by taking a dirt road that splits off from Fall River Road. It is pretty easy going for the first mile or so, but then you'll want to make sure you have a little higher clearance 4x4 vehicle to...

There are over 35 miles of hiking trails in the park. The twelve trails in Golden Gate Canyon State Park are named after an animal and marked with the animal’s footprint.For a 2.6 round trip hike, start at the Burro Trailhead in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. You’ll immediately cross over a lit...

The trail to Loch Lomond is very rocky. I suggest a high clearance 4x4 vehicle (I did see a small SUV and a Subaru..Not sure how they did it!!!). There are a few campsites at the lake and several along the way. I set up camp by the lake but had to move because the wind was so intense. I recommend...

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...

Located below the dam of the Eleven Mile Reservoir, Eleven Mile Canyon is a scenic spot for camping, fishing, hiking and climbing. There are four different campgrounds to choose from (Cove, Riverside, Spillway and Springer), though only one campground remains open during the off season. Getting t...

Today, Lake Dillon is one of the biggest attractions in the Dillon Valley, attracting boaters, anglers, and campers. However, the large reservoir we know today was not the first one in the area.  The Old Dillon Reservoir was built in the 1930s to supply water to the original town of Dillon, which...