Fairplay, Colorado

The Minturn Mile is best accessed after spending the day at Vail, but can be done so with skins and skis from the base.  This description will assume you have access to the lifts at Vail by parking at one of the many resort/town parking areas.  From either the top of Game Creek Express or Wildwoo...

Starting in the town of Buena Vista, head west on E Main Street until it turns into State Highway 306. After about 40 minutes of driving and some winding roads the Continental Divide sign welcomes you to a gravel parking lot. You can get out and hike as you please, but the view from the parking l...

Back in the late 1800s, Ashcroft, Aspen, and Independence were booming mining town. While Aspen is still thriving today, Ashcroft and Independence are ghost towns. Independence Ghost Town is on Independence Pass, 16 miles east of Aspen on Highway 82. The Farwell Mill sits right along the highwa...

There are 24 sites at the Blue River Campground that have access to well maintained vault toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables. The campsites range in size, from single tent to multi-tent use (however no RV hookups).This campground is popular in the summer and can fill up every weekend, so I rec...

When you begin the trail, make sure to choose the correct trailhead from the parking lot (located on the south side of the lot to the left, NOT behind the bathroom). From there, begin a moderate climb through a shaded fir forest to the tree line. Emerge in a meadow at a pond and the lower lake, ...

Starting in Lionshead, Vail, CO take the Gondola 19 up to the top of the mountain and head west straight out past Chair 26 and towards the Vail Mountain Wedding deck. Past the deck there will be a trail that you can follow out onto the edge of the mountain called the W Vail Trail. This trail will...

This Trail starts at about 11,200 feet right before the top of cottonwood pass. The trailhead starts at the LAST pull-off before you reach the top of the pass, so if you reach the top, you've gone too far. The hike isn't a super difficult one, but you will go through numerous streams and flooded ...

Beginning at an elevation of 9,397 feet, this hike provides an easy 2.8 mile (one way) trip through the gorgeous meadows against the distant aspens and alpines. Wildflowers and wildlife are abundant, which make this trip a fantastic education and play experience for kids.Coordinates for the trail...

The Gore's are a rough and remote section of the Eagle's Nest Wilderness.  What this trip may lack in overall miles, it more than makes up for in elevation gain, scrambling, boulder hopping, and overall hard miles on the trail.  Every trip I have had the pleasure of taking into the Gore Range has...

On the way to the summit of Mt. Evans sits a small 160 acre preserve of some of the world's oldest living trees. The Mount Goliath Natural Area protects a rare site of Bristlecone Pines that make excellent photographic subjects. Immediately after parking you're surrounded by a miniature forest f...

The name is uninviting, but Hell’s Hole is a scenic, shallow basin in the Mount Evans Wilderness near Idaho Springs. Starting elevation is about 9500 feet. Right after the trailhead, you pass through a few camping sites in the Chicago Creek Picnic Area. About five minutes into the hike is the per...

From the parking lot, stay to the right of Echo Lake and you will run into the Chicago Lakes Trailhead. Follow the switchbacks down and across Chicago Creek. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idah...

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...

This is a great hiking area an hour outside of Denver, Colorado. It's still easily accessible in the winter and most of the time it can be hiked without snowshoes. Starting at the Echo Lake parking lot, hike around the right side of the lake until you reach a fork in the trail. Follow the path o...

If you find yourself back in the Lime Creek area just outside of Eagle, Colorado and south of Sylvan Lake State Park - you should make the time to get yourself up to Eagle Lake! The hike starts off of Brush Creek Road and follows a property line in the forest of Aspens and towering wildflowers fo...

Begin on Staunton Ranch Trail for 3.3 miles. Switch to Bugling Elk Trail for the next 1.1 miles, then to Lion's Back Trail for the last mile to the overlook. From here, you can create the loop by backtracking to the Chimney Rock Trail, which then connects with the Elk Falls Trail. To head back to...