Dog friendly hikes in Colorado
Dog friendly hikes can be found all over the state so if you like to take your dog hiking, this is where you'll see what I scouted out for you. So, are you ready for a hike on a Colorado hiking trail? O.K. then, let's go! Boulder is a pretty dog friendly hiking area, and almost all of the following places allow leashed dogs unless otherwise noted in the description: Boulder hiking trails 1) Lily Mountain Parking at this trailhead is very limited so it's best to get there early. (There might be room for about five or six cars at best, on both sides of the road.) You can also try going there on week days, which are less busy. Lily Mountain is situated just outside the park boundary, so this is why dogs are allowed here. Also, it's on national forest land, which means that dogs can be off leash. The trail climbs high above the highway, taking you through ponderosa and lodgepole pines, so you'll have plenty of shade on warm days. Along the way, there are several spots where you can see the Estes Valley below, as well as the surrounding mountains. The last part of the trail becomes more difficult and involves some rock scrambling. We didn't attempt it but we hear that the view is worth it. 2) Coulson Gulch Trail #916 (To North Saint Vrain Creek) One-way distance-2.8 miles The trail itself is a little tricky to find so here are directions to it: after passing by the fence, follow the dirt road to your left. Then keep walking straight for a short distance. On your right, you will see three wooden posts. There is no actual sign here, (at the time of this writing), but the trail starts to the right of the posts and heads down the hill. Dogs can be off leash on this dog friendly hike and as you will see, the trail meanders back and forth across a small stream. You will mostly be going downhill but at one point, you'll have a short but fairly steep climb. At the top of this climb, you'll have a nice view of the surrounding foothills as well as a huge meadow down below. Then you'll be going downhill again through the pines. After a short while, you'll come to a clearing where you'll find the remains of a small cabin. Soon after this cabin, you will come to the huge meadow that is known as Higgins Park. Keep following the trail along the meadow until you come to a fork in the trail. Turn right at this fork and you will also see a small sign here that says: hiking trail. This is an old dirt road and is an easy walk. Just keep following it until eventually, (maybe around 25 minutes, depending on your walking speed), you will reach the bridge crossing North Saint Vrain Creek. This is your turn around point for this dog friendly hike and now you have to hike back uphill for most of the way back to your car. But it'll be worth it and you can admire all the wild flowers along the trail when you stop for a drink of water and a rest. Also, there are plenty of shady resting spots. Have fun! 1) Continental Falls Here's a great dog friendly hike on my Colorado waterfalls page. It takes some work to reach this pounding waterfall but it's worth it. If you'd like to see my description of it, go here. (On that page, scroll down a short ways until you see the description for Continental Falls.) I will be adding more dog friendly hikes to this page from time to time, so keep checking back.
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One-way distance-2.0 miles
