Pine, Colorado

Begin on Staunton Ranch Trail for 3.3 miles. Switch to Bugling Elk Trail for the next 1.1 miles, then to Lion's Back Trail for the last mile to the overlook. From here, you can create the loop by backtracking to the Chimney Rock Trail, which then connects with the Elk Falls Trail. To head back to...

Day 1: Park at the Payne Creek/Brookside Trailhead (8,040 ft.) right outside Bailey. You'll go on the trail for about a mile before the trail parts to Craig Meadows or Craig Park. If you start this in the nighttime, it's best to camp before you part ways on the trail as it's a little more spaciou...

Located just outside of Evergreen, this beginner hike is a great escape from the city for a few hours. There are three different options to hike to the falls: Maxwell Falls Lower Trail (4 miles), Upper Maxwell Falls Trail (1.1 miles), and Maxwell Falls Bluffs Cliffside Trail Loop (5 miles). On th...

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...

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 ...

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 included a trail map of where I camped. There are many sites all throughout this area. From the Lost Park Campground Parking lot follow the Lost Creek for 2.4 miles. At the 1 mile mark was the best place that we found to cross the creek (there are two logs that make a bridge across the creek). ...

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...

Waterton Canyon is the beginning of the Colorado Trail which stretches 500 miles from Denver to Durango. Camping is allowed on the Colorado Trail but is not allowed in the first 6 miles section of Waterton Canyon, which is managed by Denver Water. The gravel road is great for running, biking, hi...

Leave Evergreen, CO and access the Mount Evans Road and Mount Evans Recreation Area from Squaw Pass, CO 103 at Echo Lake.Drive along the slopes of Mount Evans, a Colorado 14er standing at 14,264 ft. 5 switchbacks down from the summit, on a tight hairpin turn, is a small parking area near 13,900f...

Hildebrand Ranch Park is often overshadowed by the other nearby Jeffco Parks, but for the few that it does attract the trails do not disappoint.   The Two Brands Trail starts at about 5600ft just off of Deer Creek Canyon Rd.  It is a relatively flat trail that tops out at about 5821ft making it a...

Mount Evans is a simple, yet drop dead gorgeous 14er. That being said, no 14er is easy by any means. However as far as 14er's go, this is a cake walk. Coming in at a rating of class 2, there tends to be some scrambling but nothing a well balanced person can't handle. To begin this adventure, we ...

On the way to the summit of Mt. Evans sits a small 160 acre preserve of some of the world's oldest living trees. The Mount Goliath Natural Area protects a rare site of Bristlecone Pines that make excellent photographic subjects. Immediately after parking you're surrounded by a miniature forest f...

Come check out the Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout (formerly known as Squaw Mountain), 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, y...

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, fo...

The Fountain Valley Trail at Roxborough State Park is a very easy trail that's perfect for those that want to enjoy the outdoors but not subject themselves to the rigors of climbing a 14er. This very well maintained trail is wide and flat and perfect for groups, families, or for taking visitors t...