Colorado and its Front Range have to be one of the foremost destinations for hiking in the country. Here you can find many hiking areas that will provide you with a challenge and few that even the most avid outdoorsman can resist or ignore. You have your choice amongst a number of leading hiking destinations including the Denver, Fort Collins, Lyons, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Leadville areas. Wherever you choose to hike along the Front Range, there is bound to be some amazing adventure in store for you. Boulder has long been considered a hiking mecca in this area. Boulder hiking will not disappoint you. Even the avid hiker will find that there is much multitude of flora and wildlife to get acquainted with in the Boulder area.
(A note: Any hikers on public lands in the state of Colorado must have on their possession a valid Colorado Habitat Stamp.)
Betasso Preserve: More than Seven Hundred Acres of Ravines and Mountain Forests
It's easy to explore the Boulder area. Just put on a pair of hiking boots, get together your hiking gear, and within no time you will be able to experience an unforgettable outdoor experience that is ideally suited for those who want to walk in the woods and hike up the hillsides. Boulder hiking will take you across a huge area spanning the Betasso Preserve, located at the intersection of Boulder and Four-mile Canyon. This park comprises more than seven hundred acres of ravines, forests and open meadows, much of it open to hikers.
Most hikers to Betasso Preserve utilize the Canyon Loop Trail while touring the park. You'll find the Multi-use Trail is open to both hiking and mountain biking. Another purely "for hikers" is Bummer's Rock Trail. While on your Boulder hiking excursion through the preserve, you can also experience what it was like in the mining days by visiting Orodell, an old mining town located next to the preserve. This is a quiet and peaceful old west location where there is plenty of wildlife and amazing wildflowers as well.
Hiking the Boulder Colorado Area Offers Plenty of Trails to Choose From
There are many trails and routes to choose from when you want to go hiking around Boulder. In fact, there are more than one hundred Boulder hiking trails. If you are a family with small children, you might want something easy to hike. East of Boulder you'll find Prairie at Doudy Draw. This is a great experience for children and adults alike. Here, deer abound and wildflowers cover the landscape. Another fairly easy trail is the South Boulder Creek Trail. It leads you through meadows of grazing land, through sloughs and woods, and along the creek.
Mesa Trail is where the Eastern Great Plains meets the Rocky Mountain Foothills. This trail features an ever changing terrain as it winds through meadows, forests, and rock outcrops. You'll find wonderful, photographic views of the flatirons and the beautiful colors of the many wildflowers.
If you like hiking through boulders and a strenuous uphill climb, Hogback Ridge Loop Trail is for you. Or maybe you'll be camping at Rainbow Lakes. Lucky if you are because you'll have time to hike the Arapaho Glacier Trail. This hike takes you lake to lake through the forests, making it the perfect route for the intermediate hiker. It will take a day to complete as it's about 10 miles long. Here, you will also find the Arapahoe Lakes Trail, which takes you into dense sub-alpine forests with creeks that taper into a few dozen lakes. It's about seven miles for the round trip excursion and takes less than five hours to complete.
Boulder, Colorado is Considered a Hiking Mecca
With so many trails to choose from, hiking around Boulder offers something for everyone – from the beginner to the intermediate hiker on to the most advanced and experienced sportsmen. You can find short trails taking a mere hour to travel, or you may spend an entire day hiking on some of the longer, more scenic trails. When you consider Boulder hiking, you will be pleased to know that there are mountains, plains and foothills within a few minutes of the city of Boulder. This is why many hikers consider Boulder hiking to be nothing short of a paradise for them. All in all, it is not without good reason that Boulder hiking is considered one of the mecca's for hiking.
