Lafayette, Colorado

Looking for the best hiking in Lafayette? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Lafayette. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Lafayette

  • Boulder, Colorado

    Lost Gulch Overlook

    0.11 mi / 21.43 ft gain
    Lost Gulch Overlook: Boulder's Premier Sunset & Mountain View Destination A short drive up the very steep Flagstaff Mountain brings you to incredible views spanning from the eastern plains to the jagged, snow-capped peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park. Lost Gulch Overlook offers one of the...
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  • Boulder, Colorado

    Green Mountain via West Ridge Trail

    3.23 mi / 607 ft gain
    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...
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  • Boulder, Colorado

    Walker Ranch Loop

    4.7
    7.65 mi / 1601 ft gain
    When it comes to hiking trails in Boulder, the standard response usually consists of either Chautauqua Park or Mt. Sanitas, and while both offer excellent hiking options, they are both usually jam packed on the weekends. If you’re looking to stay close to the city, but want a little more seclusio...
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  • Boulder, Colorado

    Mountain Bike the Betasso Preserve

    4.0
    3.3 mi / 564 ft gain
    The Betasso Preserve features two loop trails that are accessible to both hikers and mountain bikers.  Drive up (west) Boulder Canyon about 15 minutes outside of Boulder and turn right (north)  on Sugarloaf Dr.  After another 5 or so minutes you'll see a sign on the right-hand (northeast) side of...
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  • Longmont, Colorado

    McIntosh Lake Loop

    4.5
    3.6 mi / 72 ft gain
    McIntosh Lake is in northwest Longmont. The 3.6-mile loop extends all the way around the lake, with the first half being on a paved cement trail with neighborhood playgrounds, basketball, volleyball, and a seasonally open restroom. The trail turns to dirt on the western half of the loop, and here...
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  • Denver, Colorado

    Rocky Mountain Lake Park

    1.03 mi / 49 ft gain
    Rocky Mountain Lake Park in Denver is a serene urban park offering various outdoor activities. The park is open daily from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM.  Visitors can enjoy fishing, walking or jogging around the lake, picnicking, or birdwatching. The park has open grassy areas, playgrounds, and stunnin...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Sawmill to Maverick Loop

    4.3
    2.51 mi / 459.54 ft gain
    For this adventure, you'll be completing the Sawmill to Maverick loop. It is a short, but gentle trail that will take you through open meadows, to pine forests, and great views of Denver and Golden. Starting from the west parking area, cross the road and hit the Sawmill Trail. This trail starts ...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    North Table Mountain Loop

    4.5
    7.49 mi / 1399.61 ft gain
    Once you're parked, you can choose to ride this trail either counterclockwise or clockwise. My personal recommendation is CCW, which entails you head up the steep paved road on the east-southeast corner of the parking lot first. The climb is about 10 minutes of grunt work and then on to flat grou...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    North Table Mountain and Mesa Top Trail Loop

    5.0
    3.19 mi / 529.25 ft gain
    The hike starts out from the North Table Mountain Park parking lot just east of Highway 93 on the North Table Loop Trail, with a half-mile fire road straight up the mountain. This fire road is by far the most strenuous part of the hike, and is essentially the sole elevation gain for the hike; onc...
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  • Denver, Colorado

    Photograph Bison at the Rocky Mountain National Arsenal Wildlife Refuge

    5.0
    9 mi
    Bison are the largest and heaviest land animals in North America. They are a symbol of a wild and free landscape. Despite their size these big beasts are extremely agile. They can run up to 35 miles per hour and jump 6ft high from a stand still. Very few animals pose a threat to a healthy, fully ...
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  • Nederland, Colorado

    Explore Boulder Falls, CO

    4.2
    0.1 mi
    While the narrow trail is often popular, it's only 100 yards to see this 70-ft tall waterfall, set against a beautiful canyon backdrop. Keep in mind there's no climbing allowed on or around the falls. It is also a good idea to check if the trail is closed for maintenance, ahead of time.
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Golden Cliffs Trail

    5.0
    1.76 mi / 620 ft gain
    From here, you can choose a few different hiking paths. This out-and-back trek starts at the trailhead up and to the left. Along the way you'll pass a bench dedicated to Craig Luebben — a writer, photographer and climbing guide. At this point, you probably haven't even broken a sweat yet. It's ti...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Hike the Mountain Lion Trail

    6.7 mi / 1230 ft gain
    There are three parking lots with direct access to the Mountain Lion Trail. The main one is off of Crawford Gulch Road, but any of them are good starting points!  This loop has pretty similar elevation gain and loss profiles no matter which way you go, so you can go any direction. This adventure ...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    Mount Galbraith Loop via Cedar Gulch

    5.0
    4.51 mi / 1395.01 ft gain
    Starting at roughly 6,000 ft. this hike will take you to the Mount Galbraith Loop Trail that circles the summit of the Mountain which peaks at 7,247 ft.  Getting there is very simple, from State Highway 93, take Golden Gate Canyon Road west approximately 1.5 miles to the parking area and trailhe...
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  • Golden, Colorado

    South Table Mountain (Private Property)

    4.0
    3.3 mi / 1500 ft gain
    This adventure crosses private property. Please do not attempt this adventure without permission from the property owner(s). Learn more JeffCO.US/1430/South-Table-Mountain-Park.  You can do this one-hour hike in every season, every temperature and at any time. The best part about this hike is th...
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  • Boulder, Colorado

    Sugarloaf

    4.5
    1.35 mi / 486 ft gain
    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...
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