Hartsel, Colorado

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...

Turquoise Lake is an 'off the beaten path' gem only 3 hours from the Denver Metro Area. The area surrounding the lake is home to some spacious and tree-shaded campgrounds. If you plan ahead and book early, you'll have your pick of the best spots within close proximity to the lake. The campground ...

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 ...

Vance's Cabin is a private hut near Tennessee Pass booked by the 10th mountain division. The hut was completed in 1988 and sleeps 16; 6 beds upstairs in a loft and 10 bunk beds downstairs in a communal bunked area around the wood stove.   It's a compact cabin compared to some of the other huts in...

If you have a 4WD vehicle, drive 2 miles from Winfield along a dirt road to the trailhead. If you don't have a suitable vehicle, you can park before the road gets rough and hike the rest of the road to the trailhead.Starting at 10560 feet of elevation, this 6.5 mile roundtrip hike begins its 3500...

Take US-24 west and turn left at traffic light in Divide. Drive south on US-67 for about 4 miles. Turn left to CR-62 right after you pass the entrance to Mueller State park on the right. Drive about a mile on the dirt road and you will see the new trailhead parking lot on the left side.Once you p...

Start out on the Shavano and Tabeguache Trailhead off of FR 252 outside of Poncha Springs, at about 9,700 feet, and begin your trek into the forest. In the first half of a mile there are a few trail marker signs that should be read carefully to insure the right path is followed, but these signs ...

50 miles from Denver, nestled in Pike National Forest, there are dozens of free dispersed camping sites. With quick access to the Colorado Trail and Buffalo Creek Mountain Bike Area, these campsites make for a perfect weekend getaway. The campsites begin on Forest Road 550, and are clearly marked...

Little Scraggy Peak Loop is a loop trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Buffalo Creek, Colorado.

If you're willing to go off the beaten path to a neat little ghost town, St. Elmo, Colorado is the place for you! About 2 and a half hours west of Colorado Springs, Colorado lies the town of St. Elmo, high up in the White River National Forest.The town itself was founded in 1880 when they discov...

As you drive past Mueller state park (on the right), about 1/4 mile down the road you will see a small wooden sign for "The Crags" You will take a left there and follow the road about 1.5 miles, past the first stop, which is the Raspberry Mountain Trailhead, until you come to a fork in the road a...

Sentinel Point is an appropriately-named 12,527-foot rockpile standing watch over the broad shoulder of the Pikes Peak massif. Rarely visited, especially in winter, you are almost guaranteed solitude on this high mountain snowshoeing adventure.Beginning at the Horsethief Park trailhead off CO Ro...

Horsethief Falls and Pancake Rocks can be found on the west side of Pikes Peak, so if you want to get away from the crowds and the city, put this trail on your to do list.Most of the trail runs through the forest, which makes this an excellent candidate for hiking in July and August when the summ...

Janet's Cabin is located on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide at 11,610 ft, near Copper Mountain ski resort. This hut is one of the rare huts with not only a sauna but indoor bathrooms (composting pits)!  The cabin was built in 1990 and due to the location helicopters were required to b...

The Colorado Trail (CT) runs for 483 miles from Denver to Durango, crossing through eight mountain ranges and passing through six wilderness areas. There are great resources on completing a thru-hike of the CT; this post is about Segments 8-9 of the CT from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.These...

The Northwest Ridge is the most easily accessible and popular route, and for good reasons. The trailhead is on the side of Hwy 82, otherwise known as Independence Pass, about 14.5 miles from the Hwy 24 junction, or about 10 miles from Twin Lakes to the east. The trailhead is hard to miss, and you...