Winter Park, Colorado

On this Rocky Mountain hike you’ll explore 4 picturesque mountain lakes and a 60 foot waterfall. Completing this hike requires familiarizing yourself with Rocky Mountain National Park’s free shuttle system. Hikes along Bear Lake Road are some of the busiest in the park. Trailhead parking lots fi...

While not as popular as Dream Lake, Nymph Lake is just as beautiful. The hike to Nymph Lake is an easy hike just over 1 mile. You start from the Bear Lake Trail head and can go further on to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake if you want to. Both Dream and Emerald Lakes are also stunning and very photog...

Lookout Mountain sits just above Golden and provides one of the best easy-access viewpoints near Denver. The mountain provides numerous vantage spots along the road up, with the best at a rock outcropping just below Buffalo Bill's Gravesite & Museum (with easy parking). If you're hoping to ...

Located in Rocky Mountain National Park at an elevation of almost 8,700 feet, Sprague Lake offers visitors great views with very little effort required. It's a short 15 minute drive from Estes Park and hikers can take the short trail around the circumference of the lake. You'll find bathrooms and...

Coulson Gulch is a lightly used area of the Roosevelt National Forest which makes it perfect for a weekend getaway without the crowds. This is a great place to camp out under the stars!To get to Coulson Gulch From Lyons, head west on U.S. Highway 36 for about 9 miles. Turn southwest onto Larimer ...

Lily Lake allows boating in non-motorized watercraft and is only a short carry from your parking area by 7. Parking can be limited so get there in the morning early so that you can enjoy the morning wildlife and decreased crowds. You can spend an hour or so here kayaking slowly around enjoying th...

County Road 47 is between Lyons and Estes Park. It's an easy drive from Denver and is a great place to get away for the weekend. I have camped here in the summer, fall, and winter. I have to say that snow camping was my favorite. I didn't see anyone the whole weekend and had the entire area to ex...

The Sawmill Trail to Fairy Forest is a loop hike near Breckenridge. Fairy Forest is CLOSED as of 2020 while work is done on the 4 0'Clock trail (source). This short shaded hike is perfect for families with children looking to experience nature without having to venture too far out of Breckenridg...

The perspective here is vastly different from other areas in Rocky Mountain National Park as Moraine Park is essentially a large, very flat valley surrounded by tall mountains. You'll want to come during the elks' rutting season, which is between mid-September and mid-October. Park at the lot on ...

The Village Walk, Red Rocks & Cherry Gulch Trail threads through one of Colorado's most geologically and historically layered open spaces—Matthews/Winters Park, a 2,461-acre Jefferson County preserve bordered by I-70 to the north and Red Rocks Park to the south. Here, ancient sandstone format...

For the extra-adventurous (my friends call me crazy for this), I recommend experiencing Rocky Mountain National Park in the off-season, when nobody else is there. Dead winter.Of course, you'll want to be uber prepared if you choose to take on this adventure, as the mountains are very unforgiving,...

Moraine Park Campground is the only year-round campground at Rocky Mountain National Park. During the summer there are 244 reservable campsites and 77 first come first serve during the winter. Large numbers of elk gather in Moraine Park during the rut (September-October) and it's a popular wildli...

This day hike begins as a steady climb through aspen trees for the first mile. The trail then flattens out a bit, and you reach Booth Falls at mile two. This is a beautiful 60 ft waterfall that allows for easy rock climbing and hiking through the stream upstream of the falls. This is also a popul...

The highest continuous paved road in North America, Trail Ridge Road takes you above 12,000 ft to an alpine tundra. Being above treeline means you have unclogged panoramic views of the night sky and any possible meteors. You can start your trip from Grand Lake in the west or Estes Park in the ea...

Francie's Cabin offers great views of the 10 Mile Range and easy access to the Crystal Lakes and Mohawk Lake's Basin, complete with a sauna. Located at 11,360' and owned by the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, Francies Cabin was built in memory of Frances Lockwood Bailey in 1994 and is lo...

Boreas pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains that sits on the Continental Divide at 11,481'. Forest Service Road 33 goes over the pass and has numerous campsites all along its length, with several near the summit that feature breathtaking views of the Tenmile Range and the Breckenri...