Empire, Colorado

Looking for a place near Denver to perfect your bouldering skills? Or are you wanting to get the whole family out, but not looking for an extreme/technical hike? Which ever question best describes you, Alderfer/Three Sisters Park is the perfect place to go.This Jefferson County Open Space Park ha...

The 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 ...

The short 1.2 mile long trail, is a family-friendly, dog-friendly trail near Evergreen. The parking lot is incredibly easy to find and there is great signage to make sure you're going the right way. From the parking lot you can follow the Three Sisters trail signs until you reach the beginning of...

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...

After shooting a friend's wedding, I was on my way home when I noticed the sky start to light up to the west. I parked the car and ran down the road. The spot is well known for how perfectly the overpass frames the mountains as drivers leave the Denver area. The total exposure time was just over...

Located just outside of Evergreen, this beginner hike is a great escape from the city for a few hours. There are three different options to hike to the falls: Maxwell Falls Lower Trail (4 miles), Upper Maxwell Falls Trail (1.1 miles), and Maxwell Falls Bluffs Cliffside Trail Loop (5 miles). On th...

Ptarmigan Trail, not to be confused with Ptarmigan Peak, is a 5 mile out-and-back, scenic trail that offers unparalleled vistas of Summit County, Dillon Reservoir and the surrounding mountains(including Quandary Peak, Red Mountain, and the ​Decalibron Loop). Located just outside of Silverthorne a...

Upper Maxwell Falls Trail is an out-and-back trail, which is the shortest and most direct route to Maxwell Falls located near Conifer, Colorado. If you're looking for a little longer trail, check out this Maxwell Falls adventure for a roughly 4-mile loop hike. 

For this adventure, you'll be completing the Sawmill to Maverick loop. It is a short, but gentle trail that will take you through open meadows, to pine forests, and great views of Denver and Golden. Starting from the west parking area, cross the road and hit the Sawmill Trail. This trail starts ...

From Boulder, the pullout that is best to park at for the Avalon crag is 8.4 miles up the canyon. You will walk down the side of the road past the talus field, where if the river is too high to wade you can use the tyrolean traverse. Otherwise, you can wade or hop across rocks according to the da...

Heading west from Boulder, take CO 119/Boulder Canyon Drive into Boulder Canyon. Once you're in the canyon, there are many areas that all have great climbing. For the more traditional climber, there are areas such as Castle Rock (39.9787, -105.4551) and the Happy Hour Crag (40.0033, -105.3939). P...

While the narrow trail is often popular, it's only 100 yards to see this 70-ft tall waterfall, set against a beautiful canyon backdrop. Keep in mind there's no climbing allowed on or around the falls. It is also a good idea to check if the trail is closed for maintenance, ahead of time.

Start at the Pawnee Pass Trail No. 907 Trailhead. Long Lake is about 2 tenths of a mile and Lake Isabelle is 2 miles from the trailhead. Keep an eye out for moose grazing in the bushes or in the water near Long Lake. This is a 4 mile out and back hike with well marked trails. For an 8.75 mile hi...

Getting There The trailhead can be reached from Boulder by driving west through Boulder Canyon on Highway 42 to Nederland, then going north on the Peak-to-Peak Highway 72 to the town of Ward. From there, a National Forest Sign on the west side of the highway provides directions to the ranger stat...

Before you start your trip, get a camping permit from the Boulder Ranger Station. Plan to spend your first night in the Crater Lake BZ (Backcountry Zone), and your second in Buchanan BZ. If you're feeling particularly sedate, you can easily spend a third night in Coney Creek. Start early in the ...

Hike one of the most scenic 12ers in Colorado's front range, Shoshoni Peak, with an elevation of 12,967 feet. You can easily combine a summit of Pawnee Peak for wonderful views of multiple alpine cirques. Enjoy wonderful views of the Long Lake Valley, Isabelle Glacier, and Pawnee Pass regions. Fo...