Denver hiking trailsAlthough many of these Denver hiking trails will be in the Denver area, you will also find hikes that are within easy reach of Denver. That way, if you're here on vacation, you can do some close-in hikes to help you get used to the altitude. Then when you're ready, you can do some higher elevation hikes where the scenery is usually better. And if you live here, well, you can do whatever you want! Anyway, if you're ready, here's the first Denver hiking trail for this page:
Directions to Hayden/Green Mountain trailhead: from west Denver, follow C-470 south to Morrison Road. Turn east and go 2.2 miles to Bear Creek Blvd. Turn left on Bear Creek Blvd. and go 2.2 miles straight ahead. The road soon becomes Alameda Parkway East. Look for the sign on your right that says: Hayden/Green Mountain trailhead. The trailhead is just beyond the sign, and on your left. This trail is very open; as in, no trees. So you definitely need your sunscreen for this one. There's a sign at the parking lot which, among other things, says that rattlesnakes live in the area, mountain lions have been reported in the area, and that mule deer can sometimes be seen. We didn't see any of the above but we did hear a lot of meadowlarks. The sign also said that bison used to live in the area, so I tried to imagine what that must have been like. Anyway, to start this hike, follow the Green Mountain trail, which starts from either end of the parking lot. We started it from the right side. The trail starts to climb moderately almost immediately. As you climb, you can look down and see Denver and the whole surrounding area. Also, some Denver hiking trails are good wildflower hikes, and this is one of them. The peak bloom is usually from about mid May through June. We were here in mid May so the flowers were just starting to bloom. Anyway, before long, you'll reach the intersection with the Hayden trail. Turn left on the Hayden trail and head back down the mountain. Eventually, you'll reach the intersection with the Green Mountain trail again. Follow that left to complete the loop back to the parking lot.
Directions to Deer Creek Canyon Park: from west Denver, follow C-470 south to Wadsworth. Then go south, (right), on Wadsworth, for 0.25 miles. Next, turn right onto Deer Creek Canyon Road. Look for Grizzly Drive and turn left onto it when you see it. Then turn right into the parking area for Deer Creek Canyon Park. Deer Creek Canyon Park used to be a campground for the Ute and Arapaho Indians. Now it's a place to enjoy Denver hiking trails on foot, on your bike, or on your horse. Some trails at this park are hiker-only, and others are multi-use. The Meadowlark trail is hiker-only and the Plymouth trail is a multi-use trail. From the parking area, follow the Meadowlark trail, which is on your right. It starts out along an easy path in an open area. Before long, it starts to climb more moderately, and in a short time, you'll reach a shady section. You'll see flowers along the trail, as well as scrub oak. In various places along the trail, you will also be able to look down the mountain and see the red sandstone rock formations. Eventually, you'll start to hear the water from Plymouth Creek. Soon after that, you'll reach the bridge that crosses it, and on the other side is the Plymouth Creek trail. Follow it left, (down), and take your time since it's pretty rocky, and relatively steep. Also, be on the lookout for bikers, since you are likely to encounter them on this Denver hiking trail.
Directions to Matthews/Winters Park, in Golden: from the Denver area, take I-70 west to exit 259. Then turn left, (south), onto County Road 93 under I-70. (County Road 93 was not marked when we did this hike but it’s the first road you arrive at as you come off exit 259.) After you make your left turn, take your first right onto the Matthews/Winters Park access road. You’ll see the parking lot, and the trailhead is just beyond the footbridge. From the parking lot, you’ll see the trail that goes down to the sign saying Matthews/Winters Park. The sign will give you information about the area, and a map that shows the trails at Matthews/Winters Park, including the Red Rocks/Morrison Slide loop trail. Also, Denver hiking trails can be busy, and this is one of those. So try to get there early, especially on nice weather weekends. Anyway, cross the footbridge over the water, and follow the Red Rocks trail. At one point, you’ll cross a shallow creek and if you look on one side, you’ll see that it forms a pretty little cascade flowing down the hill. Continue on and before long, you’ll see the sign on your right for the Morrison Slide trail. Follow that trail and be ready for the series of switchbacks that you’ll be climbing. Eventually, you’ll make your way to the top. At that point, you’ll walk across a flat area for a short time before you start heading down the other side in another series of switchbacks. At the intersection that you’ll come to, make sure you follow the Red Rocks sign going straight, and up the short incline; not down. Otherwise you’ll have a long climb back up to continue the loop and reach the parking lot. At the top of the short incline, follow the trail left and continue along the Red Rocks trail. Eventually, you’ll pass the spot where you started the loop at the beginning of the Morrison Slide trail. Continue on your way until you find yourself back at the parking lot. You might also want to know that this is one of a number of Denver hiking trails where you might see a rattlesnake. We didn’t see any but a couple of people on the trail told us they did. So keep an eye out.
Directions to Kenosha Pass West/Colorado Trail: from the Denver area, take CO 470 east. Next, exit onto US 285 south, towards Fairplay. In Fairplay, continue on to the small town of Grant and shortly after that, you’ll start climbing Kenosha Pass. Drive to the summit of the pass where you’ll see a prominent sign telling you that the elevation is 10,000 feet. At that point, you will also see the parking area on both sides of the highway and you can park on either side. But if there’s room, it’s better to park on the right side of the highway since that’s where the trailhead is. Although this hike isn’t located right around Denver, it’s only about an hour from the Denver area, and it’s the first of many such Denver hiking trails that I hope to eventually add to this page. Anyway, when you’re ready, look for the sign to the left of the campground that says: Colorado Trail; that’s where you want to go. The trail starts out by taking you through an aspen forest and in a short time, you’ll come to a dirt road. Cross the road and follow trail #1776 on the other side. Shortly after this, you’ll be hiking through a pine forest, but most of all, this hike will take you through aspen forests. So of course, it would be excellent if you were looking for Denver hiking trails that feature fall color. Not many Denver hiking trails have benches, but this one has one. And it’s situated in a spot where you have a nice view of the mountains. Enjoy the view, then continue along the trail which starts going down gently at this point. Eventually, you’ll come to another dirt road. Cross this road and follow the trail on the other side. Before long, you’ll reach a small creek with a sturdy log across it and this is your turn-around point. Have fun :-).
Directions to Loch Lomond trailhead: from the Denver area, go west on I-70. Next, take exit 238 north on Fall River Road/County Road 275. Go about 8.5 miles, then turn left onto Alice Road. Continue for about 0.9 miles, then turn right at the sign that says Stewart Road, and Loch Lomond. From here, drive the short distance to the tiny parking area which can only be described as a “wide spot” in the road. It’s on both sides of the road and each side probably only holds 2-3 cars at best. One thing you need to know about getting to this trailhead is that you need a higher clearance vehicle. Most Denver hiking trails won’t have this requirement but this one does; the reason is this: at the point where you turn right at the sign that says Stewart Rd. and Loch Lomond, the road becomes very rocky and I don’t think a regular car could make it. Anyway, the whole trail to Loch Lomond follows a rocky 4-wheel drive road. The first half, (or so), of the trail is the steepest, and after that, it becomes a little easier and less steep. You’ll be hiking through a thick forest too, so you won’t see much of the mountain scenery around you until about the second half of the trail. As I just mentioned, the trail starts to open up when you’re about half-way along this hike. Then you’ll start seeing the mountains all around you. The next thing you’ll come to on this Denver hiking trail is a water crossing. In early September, it was fairly easy to get across the water, but it might be a little trickier earlier in the season. Shortly after the water crossing, the trail opens up even more and you’ll be hiking through a large meadow-like area. Keep working your way up this Denver hiking trail and soon, you’ll see something in front of you that looks like a large bowl. Continue going up and when you see the path on your right, follow it to Loch Lomond. As I get to them, I'll be adding more Denver hiking trails to this page. In the meantime, I hope you like the five I have here. And bring your camera if you like wildflowers :-).
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Meadowlark/Plymouth loop
Red Rocks/Morrison Slide loop
Kenosha Pass West/Colorado Trail
Loch Lomond
