Keystone, Colorado

From the parking lot, you can take the Meadowlark trail to the west or the Plymouth Creek Trail to the southeast. It does not matter which trail you take because it ends up becoming loop. For a more gradual slope up the hill, take the Meadowlark trail. After a little more than a mile, it intersec...

I loved this trail when I lived in Lakewood. It has a decent elevation gain, close to the city, spectacular views, and you can pretty much hike it year round unless you just had a winter snow storm (though you could just hike in snow boots!).  Take the John O Hayden Trail from the Utah Parking l...

Green Mountain Trail is a 6.5-mile loop and has a challenging ascent to the park's highest point. Because the mountain is one of the first to rise out of the plains, you get unique views of where the mountains meet the prairie and fascinating geology. The summit, at 6,857' offers stunning views o...

Starting at the Mesa trailhead, continue a half a mile through a relatively even grade before arriving at the North Fork Shanahan trailhead, which will take you another half a mile on much steeper grade up to Fern Canyon where you will start a much harder portion of the hike; here, you'll head st...

This is a great spot for an easy/moderate hike or trail run. The trail is accessible year round and can often be hiked in winter as well as other seasons. You start out at the Mesa Trailhead parking lot off of Hwy 170. There is a parking lot here but this is a starting spot for several hikes into...

The best advice I can give you? Wake up early to start this hike.Even though the Bear Peak hike will only take you about 4-5 hours round trip, it will still be advantageous to get off the mountain before afternoon and evening storms might pass through. This is a steep 7-mile out and back trail.St...

From Chautauqua Park in Boulder, follow Baseline Road west (if you are driving up the mountain, you are golden). Drive 3.4 miles up Flagstaff Road and look for the sign for Realization Point on your right. It’s a little tricky to see from the road, so keep an eye on your odometer. The trail star...

Doudy Draw Trail is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Boulder, Colorado.

One can reach spirit lake as a day hike, however it is most often visited as part of backpacking trip. Either way the route is the same and it starts at the East Inlet trail. To park you are supposed to pay or show your park/national lands pass. From the East Inlet trailhead you will soon pass Ad...

This summer backpacking trip provides plenty of opportunities for exploration and endless moments to take in awe-inspiring scenery. On our visit, after setting up camp at the Lake Verna backcountry site, I quickly made my way to the next lake (Spirit Lake) to photograph the sunset. The symmetry a...

Starting at the East Inlet Trailhead, with an elevation of 8,391 feet, the trail is on a nice dirt path and you're immediately greeted with the sight of Adams Falls on your right, just 0.3 miles in. After continuing on after Adams Falls, the next 1.5 miles lead you out into the sunlight with brea...

Adams Falls is one of the most popular hikes in the Grand Lake area, and one of the easiest. If you are just hiking to the falls, you will not need to bring much with you besides a camera, due to the distance.  If you plan to venture past the falls, pack accordingly.  Once you park in the trail...

Want to get away it from it all and enjoy some high alpine lakes? The East Inlet Trail is just outside Grand Lake, on the westside of Rocky Mountain National Park, 2.35 miles east of Highway 34 on West Portal Road. From the trailhead, one can access 8 different campsites. The campsites are as ...

Twining Peak is a ranked 13er located 2 miles north of Independence Pass. The hike involves around 1700 feet of elevation and is mostly off-trail with some class 2 scrambling (class 3 can be had if you look hard enough). Independence Pass is a prominent and popular pass on Highway 82 between Twin...

A Fall adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park is among the most spectacular experiences Colorado has to offer. The change of the seasons offers an amazing change to the landscape that makes taking a bad picture darn near impossible. The light is perfect, the elk are in rut, and the mountains o...

Cheesman Canyon is considered one of the top fisheries in the world, and this stretch of the South Platte River is easily accessed at the Cheesman trailhead off CR 126 just Southwest of Deckers.  There are tons of great fishing opportunities along this stretch of the river, but it does tend to ge...