Fort Collins, Colorado

If you are looking for great reflections, color and mountain peaks for your photos, this lake is a great place to start. The Brainard Lake Recreational Area has so much to do, but this is a stop not to miss.It seems that everyone drives on by this little gem to get to Brainard Lake and the hiking...

From Boulder, drive west on Baseline road.  Continue up for about 5.5 miles past the Flagstaff Summit (Realization Point) pull off.  After some more steep and very tight switchbacks there will be a dirt parking lot on the north side of the road.  From here you can head northwest towards the cliff...

To get there from downtown Boulder, head west on CO 119 and almost 4.5 miles after you have left Boulder, turn right onto Sugarloaf Road. 4 miles after the turn from CO 119, turn right onto Sugarloaf Mountain road (located at the top of the road). If the road starts descending, you've gone too fa...

A great place to watch the sunrise in Boulder is at NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Park in the parking lot at the top of the hill, and if you're feeling up to it, you can walk south for about 10 minutes to an adjacent hill with beautiful views. Either way, you will want to ge...

Starting at 7,600 ft this 1.35 mile (one-way) hike is the shortest, and by far the least strenuous, hike to summit one of Boulder's iconic peaks. Parking for this trail-head is available along the road a short drive, 4.5 miles, up Flagstaff Rd. The trail gently slopes along a ridge for the firs...

Starting on the edge of a neighborhood in South Boulder, this 3.8 mile loop begins its 869 foot elevation gain by meandering through a pine forest. You can 'choose your own adventure' by exploring the handful of trails that meet up with the Shanahan Ridge Trail, such as the South Mesa Trail, Shad...

This 4 mile loop ascends only a slight amount in elevation, making for a pleasant loop in which opportunities for appreciation of the nature around you and broad vista photography are in plentiful supply. A great hike for those who may still be building their fitness, as so many trails in Boulder...

This is a fairly popular snowshoeing and cross country skiing trail in the winter and offers a variety of additional trail options from the lake. Starting at the parking lot, the trailhead is easily accessed and begins the very gradual assent to Lake Zimmerman. Once at the lake, there are beautif...

I love Timber Lake! I never see that many people on the trail and I can't figure out why. The hike starts at the Timber Lake trailhead and climbs gradually through Pine and Aspen trees on the way up. We saw a few elk on the way up that didn't seem to be bothered by our presence. We also started h...

Since this hike is 13.6 miles (according to my watch the hike was more around 14 miles, but it's in that range), I'm going to break it down into four different parts.  To Lulu CityTo Little Yellowstone / Thunder PassThe Grand Ditch  Red Mountain Trail  The first 0.5 miles and the last 0.5 miles a...

Located in the Brainard Lake Recreational Area (west of Nederland, CO in the Indian Peaks Wilderness), this gem isn’t exactly a well-kept secret, but it has all the beauty that you could ask for in a relatively easy Colorado hike.To get the full effect of the lake, you may want to plan your hike ...

Moose are the largest members of the deer family. They can stand over 6ft tall at their shoulders and weigh over 1500lbs. Males have antlers which can reach 6ft across and weigh up to 40lbs each. Amazingly these impressive creatures are strictly herbivores and will eat several dozen pounds of veg...

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...

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...

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 ...

Speechless. That’s how this hike will leave you. And not just because of its length. At over 10 miles, this snowshoe exploration is not for the faint of heart. But the language-defying beauty of this hike will make every sore muscle worth it.The Brainard Lake Recreational Area near Ward, Colorado...