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Estes Park, Colorado

Top Spots in and near Estes Park

  • Wellington, Colorado

    Hike the Bent Rock Trail at Red Mountain Open Space

    2.6 mi / 200 ft gain
    To get to Red Mountain Open Space from Fort Collins, take Highway 287 to Highway 1. Follow Highway 1 until you see County Road 15, get off there. This is where it gets confusing, so hang on. You will follow CR15 for a few miles until CR78, take a left onto CR78. Then take a right on CR17, then a ...
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  • Wellington, Colorado

    Hike the K-Lynn Cameron Trail in the Red Mountain Open Space

    5.4 mi / 800 ft gain
    The K-Lynn Trail is a 2.4 mile loop trail that goes west off of the Ruby Wash Trail on the western side of the Red Mountain Open Space. To get there, take the Bent Rock Trail from the Red Mountain Open Space parking lot where the Red Canyon / Antelope Valley road dead-ends.Once on the Bent Rock T...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Camp at Jones Pass

    4.5
    To locate these campsites all you have to do is type in Jones Pass Road into google maps or your iPhone and it will take you straight there. There are road signs once you get off I-70 that will help you the rest of the way that say Jones Pass. Once you hit the dirt road and pass the Jones Pass Tr...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Ski or Snowshoe Jones Pass

    4.0
    6 mi / 1600 ft gain
    Its sister trail, Butler Gulch, is an all-time favorite hike (both summer and winter), and since they share a trailhead, I knew Jones Pass would be special as well.Jones Pass is not the type of trail I normally take, since it is actually a 4x4 road that is used for Jeeping in the summer and snowm...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Butler Gulch

    4.5
    5.26 mi / 2008 ft gain
    Butler Gulch is a pristinely beautiful day hike in the heart of the Arapaho National Forest near Idaho Springs, Colorado. Easily accessible from Denver, Butler Gulch is full of jaw-dropping views in all seasons, and anyone in good health can enjoy this gem. The hike is five miles long and rated ...
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  • Parshall, Colorado

    Snowshoe Butler Gulch

    5 mi / 1500 ft gain
    In fall, winter and spring, the trail is covered in snow, which makes it ideal for backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. The trail becomes indistinguishable after the first mile or two, but usually you can follow previous skiers' tracks up the mountainside.What you miss in wildflowers or mine sight...
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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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  • Golden, Colorado

    Hike Beaver Brook Trail at Windy Saddle Park

    5.0
    5 mi / 500 ft gain
    Just outside of Golden, CO is Lookout Mountain. If you’ve ever driven westbound on i70 from Denver to the mountains, you’ve undoubtedly seen this mountain to your right with antennas on the top. On the north side of Lookout Mountain lies Windy Saddle Park, about a 30 minute drive from Denver. Thi...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Hike Chimney Gulch Trail at Windy Saddle Park

    4.0
    5 mi / 1000 ft gain
    Just outside of Golden, CO is Lookout Mountain. If you’ve ever driven westbound on i70 from Denver to the mountains, you’ve undoubtedly seen this mountain to your right with antennas on the top. On the north side of Lookout Mountain lies Windy Saddle Park, about a 30 minute drive from Denver. Thi...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Hike Lookout Mountain Trail at Windy Saddle Park

    4.0
    2.6 mi / 500 ft gain
    Just outside of Golden, CO is Lookout Mountain. If you’ve ever driven westbound on i70 from Denver to the mountains, you’ve undoubtedly seen this mountain to your right with antennas on the top. On the north side of Lookout Mountain lies Windy Saddle Park, about a 30 minute drive from Denver. Thi...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Hike Lookout Mountain

    2.3 mi / 675 ft gain
    Begin hiking up a trail into the forest which eventually opens up into several beautiful spots that look down into the canyon below.
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Capture the Mountains Leaving Denver

    5.0
    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 2...
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  • 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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  • Wellington, Colorado

    Hike the Mahogany Loop Trail at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area

    7.4 mi / 330 ft gain
    To get to Soapstone Prairie from Fort Collins, take Highway 287 north out of town, then turn right onto Highway 1. Continue on Highway 1 until it meets with County Road 15. Take County Road 15 north all the way to Rawhide Flats Road, which leads directly into Soapstone Prairie. As you begin to ap...
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  • Evergreen, Colorado

    Private and Tranquil Retreat at Beaver Brook Watershed

    4.0
    Note: This is NOT the Beaver Brook Trail in Genesee Park/Lookout Mountain! If you enjoy the scenery and ambiance of Evergreen, but Evergreen Lake has become too crowded for your tastes, Beaver Brook Watershed (owned by the City of Golden) is an excellent alternative. It’s a small, secluded area a...
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  • Idaho Springs, Colorado

    Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout

    4.0
    3.92 mi / 791 ft gain
    Come check out the Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout, a historic spot located in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area of Colorado, and one of the highest lookout towers in the country, at an elevation of 11,486 ft. Just a short drive from the Front Range corridor, you can hike/backpack in to this lookout ar...
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