Longmont, Colorado

The Horsetooth Mountain Park Open Space is located just 4 miles from Fort Collins. The 2,886 acre park offers 29 miles of hiking, biking, and horse back riding trails.Having taken both the multi use trail and the hiking only trail, I recommend the hiking only. This trail offers you the views and ...

Horsetooth Mountain Park is an outdoor trail haven just minutes from downtown Ft. Collins. The 2711 acre area has 29 miles of trails of varying length and difficulty for all levels of adventurers to explore. Horsetooth Falls is one of the shortest (yet stunning) trails in the area. This hike is i...

This adventure began at the Longs Peak trailhead in southeastern Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. I followed the Longs Peak trail for 6 miles to the Boulderfield backcountry camping area. This is a fairly steep on-trail climb of 3,360 feet. After setting up camp at 12,760 feet, my partner...

For the most part, this hike is very straightforward, so I'll essentially skip over the first 5.5 or so miles of the hike, but, in case you don't know: Start (very early so you get a parking spot) from the trailhead right next to the parking lot (the road to it is paved - seriously this mountain...

The peacock pool is a cool little tarn below the outlet to Chasm Lake. Please note that this adventure is best done in the winter/spring when snow is present to prevent erosion in the sensitive area. That is how the description will be written, assuming winter conditions. The approach is the sa...

Boulder Field is a high alpine backcountry site on Longs Peak, and is a popular camp for backpackers attempting to summit Longs Peak via the Keyhole route. At an impressive elevation of 12,760 feet, Boulder Field is a vast wasteland of rocks that sits 500 feet below the famous Keyhole feature, an...

The 4-mile trail climbs around 2500ft from the Longs Peak trailhead and starts by winding through dense forest. In the morning darkness, trudging through thick trees isn’t the most exciting, but when you finally climb out above treeline, the massive profile of Longs and the slowly growing light o...

Pawnee Campground has 47 sites for suited for tents, RVs, or trailers with eight that are walk in and tent only. These can fill up quick so get there early if you don't have a reservation, which can be tough to come by but will be well worth it.Brainard Lake has been one of the most popular hikin...

Located in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Mitchell Lake is a good quick hike for an afternoon getaway. With just two miles to go till you reach the lake itself, it's easy for the whole family and the pups (the recreation area is super popular, so this is assuming the lots are full and you hav...

The Caribou Ranch Open Space is about two miles north of the town of Nederland. From Nederland, at the town’s roundabout, head west on CO 72 for about two miles. Turn left onto CO 126 at the sign for Caribou Ranch Open Space. Follow the dirt road for about .8 miles until you see the large parking...

This is an excellent place to take your family backpacking. It is a fairly easy trail and definitely a great one for kids. Take in the beautiful scenery while hiking through meadows, aspen and pine with incredible mountain views in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. 6.4 miles to Red Deer Lake with an e...

Summer is a magical time of year in the Rocky Mountains. One great way to experience this stunning beauty is through hiking Raccoon Trail to Panorama Point at Golden Gate State Park. Raccoon Trail is 3.3 mile moderately difficult hike which can be completed in under an hour, although it will like...

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 ...

The Peak to Peak Highway is a 55-mile stretch of road that winds its way from Nederland to Estes Park (or Estes Park to Nederland). This road connects to many points of exploration, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and Rocky Mountain National Park to name a couple, but the drive itself is an adventur...

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 ou...

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 ...