Louisville, Colorado

Begin at the Fourth of July Trailhead.  Day parking is free and overnight parking is $5.  Fourth of July is a popular trailhead and to ensure parking, you should arrive early in the morning (6am-ish... cause, I mean, you gotta 7 hour day in front of you). Follow the Fourth of July trail from the ...

Diamond Lake is located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. This is a super popular destination, so make sure you arrive early to get a parking spot (and be sure to follow all parking rules, they do give out tickets at this trailhead and others nearby). The drive to the trailhead is about 4 miles dow...

Begin by parking at the 4th of July trailhead. This can be reached by conituing past the Eldora ski area and up a rough but passable (for all vehicles) gravel road to the trailhead. The trail is easy to find, and will continue to rise for the next 1.15 miles.At just over a mile there is a fork fo...

Rollin's Pass Road is a dirt road that follows an old railroad route from the historic town of Tolland, over the Continental Divide, and into Fraser. The road no longer allows you to drive over the summit, due to a partial tunnel collapse, but the road still takes you to within a short hike of th...

The way up Evergreen Mountain is actually a few different trails stitched together throughout Alderfer/Three Sisters Park. The trail connects to both parking lots in the park, so if one is full you can just start from the other one, giving you lots of options for a quick day-hike.  If you start ...

Sandbeach Lake is best known for (as you can probably guess) its wide sandy shore. At nearly 50 feet deep, it is one of Rocky Mountain National Parks deepest lakes. If you are looking to fish at the lake, make sure to bring barbless flies and lures. There are six official campsites (1.8 miles Hol...

After turning on to Co. 16 (Tolland Rd.) from 119 at Rollinsville, drive about 8 miles down the dirt road along South Boulder Creek. The road will dead end at Moffat Tunnel where you'll find ample parking in a gravel lot with restrooms. You'll begin your hike along sweeping meadows until you ent...

Pear lake is a beautiful alpine lake in the southern Wild Basin region of Rocky Mountain National Park. Once used as a reservoir, Pear Lake has been restored to its natural state and lies in scenic basin below some of the most isolated mountains in the park. The trail to Pear Lake passes through ...

There are several ways to reach finch lake but this will cover the route from the Finch Lake Trailhead in the wild basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. You can also loop it with other trails in the area or begin at the Allenspark Trailhead, which is technically outside the park and a bit e...

The hike begins at the East Portal Trailhead outside Rollinsville. Start hiking along the South Boulder trail to the right (north) of the very obvious Moffat Rail tunnel. The trail begins with moderate grades past the Forest Lakes cutoff just 1.25 miles from the trailhead. Continue hiking straigh...

Begin at the Wild Basin Trailhead in southeastern Rocky Mountain National Park near the town of Allenspark. Plan to start before sunrise if attempting this trek as a day trip in order to avoid afternoon thunderstorms above the treeline. This trip can easily be made into a backpacking experience b...

Starting at the Wild Basin trailhead on the south side of Rocky Mountain National Park, hike through a wet forest towards upper and lower Copeland Falls, located 0.45 miles from the trailhead. From here, continue on the main trail along the North Fork of the Saint Vrain River to Calypso Cascades,...

Starting at the often-busy Wild Basin TH, the trail passes through dense forests as it follows the North Fork of the Saint Vrain River through the southernmost section of Rocky Mountain National Park. The trail passes alongside the small Copeland Falls before continuing west towards Calypso Casca...

We all love to live our weekends to the fullest, but say you're itching for an adventure and it's midweek with the weekend still a good 3 or 4 days away? South Valley Park is the place to go if you're looking for an after-work adventure or just don't feel like driving too far from the city. A sho...

Come check out the Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout, a historic spot located in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area of Colorado, and one of the highest lookout towers in the country, at an elevation of 11,486 ft. Just a short drive from the Front Range corridor, you can hike/backpack in to this lookout ar...

Sitting at 11,709’, Chief Mountain is not one of Colorado’s highest peaks, but the views from this mountain are spectacular nonetheless and rival the views of any 14er I’ve climbed. This mountain sits along Squaw Pass Road so you get the luxury of a high trailhead for this peak.To get there, foll...