Westminster, Colorado

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...

This is a beautiful campground that serves as a great basecamp for many different outdoor activities in the Front Range. Whether you are looking for a casual day fishing or trying to knock one of the nearby 14ers off of your bucket list, this is an excellent place to begin. There are also abandon...

This is one of my favorite hikes near Denver and the lookout itself is over 100 years old! On the road to the trailhead there are many spots for camping and other activities. From Sedalia, CO head down Highway 67 for about 10 miles. Turn south onto Rampart Range Rd and continue for about 9.5 mil...

The trek to Parry Peak crosses three other peaks (Colorado Mines Peak, Mt. Flora, and Mt. Eva) along the Rocky Mountains. Begin your hike around sunrise as inclement weather often rolls in during the late afternoon. The trail is extremely rocky and steep.  From the Berthoud Pass parking lot, fol...

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains offer hikes of all lengths, sizes and difficulties. Mt. Flora stands at a lofty 13,146 ft and is a great intro to climbing peaks in Colorado. Roundtrip, this hike is 6.3 miles and will take you (in the summer) through fields of alpine wildflowers as you climb into Color...

Starting from the oddly poorly marked Guanella Pass Trailhead (Google maps directions to Guanella Campground and then drive about two miles past it to the south), the trail heads southeast toward Bierstadt, and much of your route to the first summit is visible from the parking lot. The trail to ...

From Denver, take i70 to Georgetown and simply follow the signs through town to the top. This pass can also be accessed from the south via US Highway 285 at the town of Grant. Guanella Pass is closed in the winter, typically from about the last week in November through the last week of May. Watch...

Starting from Guanella Pass, right across from the Bierstadt trailhead, Square Top Lakes is definitely a hidden gem. Most people here are attempting to do the 14er, but if you've already bagged that one (or are just looking for some high altitude hiking to get you ready for it), Square Top Lakes ...

The hike is about seven miles, give or take, however it feels longer. The elevation gain is little over 1000 feet. The drive here is about 45 minutes from both Granby and Winter Park, and is definitely worth it.  You follow a trail dusted with wildflowers for the majority of the hike, and occasio...

The Devils Backbone Open Space offers great hiking in the Front Range foothills. The main feature is the rock formation running along the western boundary of the park, but the open space also supports a large wildlife and plant population. Here, you'll find great opportunities for year-round hiki...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The first challenge you'll face on your way to the summit of Gray's peak is Steven's Gulch Road. My Corolla rolled up to the start of what I’ve seen described as a “4x4 road that should probably not be attempted in a low clearance vehicle”. But what the heck, it was late, and I didn't feel like w...