Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Looking for the best hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Rocky Mountain National Park. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Hiking Spots in and near Rocky Mountain National Park
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Dillon, Colorado
Snowshoe or Ski Watrous Gulch
4.04 mi / 1200 ft gainDespite sharing a trailhead with the popular Herman Gulch, I had not heard of Watrous Gulch until I stumbled across it while researching something else. Knowing that Herman Gulch is filled with spectacular views and deep snow ideal for snowshoeing/skiing, I had to discover if the smaller, lesser-...Read more -
Dillon, Colorado
Wildflowers, Lakes, and Peaks, Oh My!
5.0Herman Gulch is one of those special places that makes you fall in love with Colorado all over again. This spectacular wildflower hike that ends at an alpine lake will have your head swiveling from start to finish. Wildflower season is July and August, with peak season being mid-to-late July. Ple...Read more -
Golden, Colorado
Hike the North Table Mountain Loop
3.1 mi / 400 ft gainThe 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...Read more -
Golden, Colorado
Hike Mount Galbraith
5.05.8 mi / 1247 ft gainStarting 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 trailhea...Read more -
Golden, Colorado
Hike the Golden Cliffs Trail
5.0From 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...Read more -
Golden, Colorado
Mountain Bike the North Table Mountain Loop
4.57.5 mi / 890 ft gainOnce 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...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
ATV Leavenworth Creek Road (Guanella Pass)
16.6 mi / 3655 ft gainSeptember is famous in Colorado for clear, deep blue skies,sublimely perfect temperatures, and gold-digging – of the leaf variety, thatis. On September 9, wildflower season was recently past and the best of theleaves were yet to come, but it was the perfect, clear and sunny day to checkout the hi...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Hike to Hell's Hole
4.5The name is uninviting, but Hell’s Hole is a scenic, shallow basin in the Mount Evans Wilderness near Idaho Springs. Starting elevation is about 9500 feet. Right after the trailhead, you pass through a few camping sites in the Chicago Creek Picnic Area. About five minutes into the hike is the per...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout
4.03.92 mi / 791 ft gainCome 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...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Hike Chief Mountain, CO
4.54 mi / 1100 ft gainSitting 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...Read more -
Evergreen, Colorado
Private and Tranquil Retreat at Beaver Brook Watershed
4.0Note: This is NOT the Beaver Brook Trail in Genesee Park/Lookout Mountain! If you enjoy the scenery and ambiance of Evergreen, but Evergreen Lake has become too crowded for your tastes, Beaver Brook Watershed (owned by the City of Golden) is an excellent alternative. It’s a small, secluded area a...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Explore Echo Lake Park
4.01.2 mi / 88 ft gainLocated at the base of Mt. Evans Road, Echo Lake sits next to Squaw Pass Road, providing a great jumping-off point for numerous adventures. The park serves as a trailhead for hiking or snowshoeing into the Mount Evans Wilderness, offers picnic areas, and includes a nearby campground with 17 site...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Hike to Idaho Springs Reservoir
3.9 mi / 800 ft gainThis is a great hiking area an hour outside of Denver, Colorado. It's still easily accessible in the winter and most of the time it can be hiked without snowshoes. Starting at the Echo Lake parking lot, hike around the right side of the lake until you reach a fork in the trail. Follow the path on...Read more -
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Lower and Upper Chicago Lake
4.59.22 mi / 2270 ft gainFrom the parking lot, stay to the right of Echo Lake and you will run into the Chicago Lakes Trailhead. Follow the switchbacks down and across Chicago Creek. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idah...Read more -
Silver Plume, Colorado
Grays and Torreys Peaks
4.37.97 mi / 3458 ft gainAt about an hour's drive from Denver, Grays Peak (14,270 ft./4338m) and its sister mountain, Torreys Peak (14,267 ft./4337m), are two of the most popular 14ers in the state. Because of this, a wealth of information is available on the internet. Rather than go into all the details of the technical...Read more -
Silver Plume, Colorado
Torrey's Peak via Kelso Ridge
5.05.79 mi / 2982 ft gainThe start of this route up the Kelso Ridge is the same as doing the standard route of Gray's and Torrey's peaks. From the trailhead cross the large metal bridge and continue on the great trail as it slowly climbs away from the parking lot and trailhead. This first section is not steep, but prov...Read more