Three Dreamy Colorado Hikes I Can Do Over & Over

By: Michelle Jackson

Coloradans like to guard the names of their favorite hiking trails closely. Similar to Fight Club, what happens in Fight Club, stays in Fight Club. It may be challenging to discover our favorite hiking trails, camping spots or hot springs. Many Coloradans are rightfully nervous that their favorite hikes and hidden gems will get overrun with folks who won't love the trails as much as they do. I have to be honest and say that sometimes I worry about having my favorite outdoor spaces overrun too.

But, I hope that by sharing my favorite outdoor spaces, other people will fall in love with nature and learn the best ways to experience the outdoors while doing no harm. With that in mind, I thought I would share three of my favorite Colorado hikes, from easiest to strenuous. These hikes aren't secrets, but I believe that they showcase Colorado’s beauty in unique ways, and I felt like sharing them with you.

Hike #1 Woods Quarry Hiking Trail-Chautauqua Park

Woods Quarry is one of my all-time favorite quick and easy hikes. On the days when I don't have a lot of time to spend in the mountains, the Woods Quarry trail is a great way to spend some time in the mountains when I'm short on time. This hike is located in Boulder's Chautauqua Park and should take about 1.5 hours max round trip for a leisure hiker.

The trail has a steady altitude gain and is busy enough for newer solo hikers to enjoy without worrying that they will get accidentally lost or be alone on the trail for significant periods. The trail is well-maintained, wide and not as rocky as many of Colorado's trails tend to be. While busy, the other hikers are typically respectful while on the trail.

Woods Quarry trail is well-maintained, has excellent signage and is incredibly easy to navigate. Other popular trails intersect with it at certain points, and hikers can change their return route and explore a different section of the park. The hike ends at a rock

quarry with couches and chairs fashioned out of giant slabs of rock that allow hikers to sit down, rest and enjoy the view of Boulder Valley and a glimpse of the city of Denver on a clear day.

The historic Chautauqua Park also has a ranger station where you can learn more about the park, region and creatures that live in and around the park. There's also the historic dining hall that has been open since 1898, a general store and the Chautauqua Auditorium that hosts concerts, silent movies and more, depending on the time of year you're visiting the park. If you prefer to do something in downtown Boulder, head to the Pearl Street Mall, an open-air walking mall with restaurants, bars and local shops. I recommend staying at the Basecamp Boulder hotel, which is affordable, cute and within walking distance of downtown Boulder.

Hike # 2 Herman Gulch Trail

If you're looking for a slightly more challenging hike, Herman Gulch Trail is a moderate hike just before the Eisenhower Tunnel. The tunnel is the dividing point between the eastern and western sides of the Rocky Mountains. Herman Gulch Trail is the location of one of my all-time favorite wildflower hikes.

Located about 45 minutes from Denver on a good traffic day, Herman Gulch Trail is a high-altitude hike that delivers. For folks who would like to avoid driving up the day, the nearby town of Silverthorne has one of my favorite budget boutique hotels called "The Pad.” It's new and opened up Fall of 2021. What I like about it, besides the overall aesthetic, hot tub, and cute rooms, is the focus on sustainability and affordability.

I admit that the altitude slowed me down a bit because I've gained some "COVID fluff" during the last two years. Despite that, it was an unparalleled hiking experience. Significant portions of this hike have stunning, unobstructed views of the mountains that flank the trail and a steady stream of tourists and serious hikers making their way up the mountain.

The trail is well-maintained, wide, and incredibly easy to navigate. The trail terminates in a vast grove with several lakes and the quintessential Colorado view. I went on this hike with one of my favorite outdoors communities, "Outdoor Afro,” a community created in Oakland, California, to create safe opportunities for Black outdoors enthusiasts to enjoy nature in supportive spaces.

Hike #3 Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain NP

Sky Pond Trail is the best hike I've gone on in the past five years. It was, for lack of a better word, epic. It's important to point out that Sky Pond is a strenuous hike, not for the faint of heart. It's a high-altitude hike that terminates at an altitude of 10,900 feet, with hikers experiencing almost 1800 feet in altitude gain on the trail.

When my friends and I decided to tackle this trail, it was an unusually misty and gray day. We ended up hiking through varying degrees of fog and mist for hours. The trees were covered with dew, and I felt like we were transported to a rainforest, which was a crazy feeling because Colorado is usually so dry.

What made this hike so magical was the moment we broke through the actual clouds and saw the sun shining on the valley below us. The clouds rolled in the valley below us, and I could believe how beautiful everything looked. The mountains still had snow on them in spots, and we pushed against the wind that whipped through the valley.

Even though Alltrails and other resources stated that the trip would take around 4.5 hours to complete, it ended up being an all-day affair. I was with a relatively large group for a hike, so we did have to match the pace of the slowest folks in the group (which also included me).

Some Final Tips

If you're planning a hiking trip in Colorado, there are many wonderful trails throughout the state. Be prepared for Coloradans to be a little protective of their favorite trails, but you might befriend someone who may share their favorite hidden places to explore.

It's also possible to plan an affordable Colorado hiking trip throughout the year. If you don't feel like bringing gear, there are local shops such as Feral Mountain Company, REI, and Mountainside Gear Rental.

Check out the following places:

The Bivvi (Bivouac) in Breckenridge and Telluride

The Stay Amigo (Salida)

The Pad (Silverthorne)

Brynwood on the River (Estes Park)

Spoke and Vine Motel (Palisade)

Basecamp 550 (Ridgeway)

Fall is a beautiful time to visit because the summer crowds have eased off quite a bit, and I find the overall hiking experience to be some of the best Colorado hiking of the year. These three trails are gifts that keep giving, and I discover something different each time I visit.

Michelle Jackson runs the website and podcast Square State, where she gets to unapologetically geek out about her state of Colorado. When she's not having random conversations with new people, she can be found hiking, biking, sitting on a patio, or exploring the mountains. Her ultimate goal is to normalize POC faces in outdoor spaces and stop surprising people when she says she's from Colorado.