Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Climate 3
Hiking with Children 3
How to Use This Guide 4
Type of Trail 4
Difficulty Ratings 5
Trail Mileage 5
Maps 5
Elevation Charts 5
Backcountry Regulations 6
Leave No Trace 6
Backcountry Safety and Hazards 8
Lightning: You Might Never Know What Hit You 9
Hypothermia: The Silent Killer 9
Fording Rivers 10
Be Mountain Lion Alert 12
Be Bear Aware 13
Map Legend 16
The Hikes
Fort Collins Area 17
1 Greyrock National Recreation Trail 18
2 Arthur's Rock 21
3 Horsetooth Falls Loop 24
4 Dome Mountain Trail 27
5 Devil's Backbone Nature Trail 30
Estes Park/Lyons Area 33
6 Gem Lake Trail 34
7 Glacier Gorge 37
8 Estes Cone 40
9 Chasm Lake 43
10 Calypso Cascades 47
11 Finch Lake 50
12 Lion Gulch Trail 53
13 Button Rock Preserve 56
14 Hall Ranch 59
15 Rabbit Mountain 63
Boulder: Foothills and Mountains 67
16 Ceran SaintVrain Trail 68
17 Mount Audubon 71
18 Blue Lake 74
19 Heart Lake 78
20 HeilValley Ranch/Lichen Loop 81
21 HeilValley Ranch 84
22 Mount Sanitas 87
23 Bald Mountain Scenic Area 90
24 Betasso Preserve 93
25 Sugarloaf Mountain 96
26 Davidson Mesa Open Space 99
27 Coalton Trail 102
28 Gregory Canyon/Green Mountain Loop 105
29 Bear Peak 108
30 Meyers Homestead Trail 112
31 Walker Ranch 115
32 Walden Ponds Wildlife Area 118
33 Marshall Mesa 121
34 Doudy Draw Trail 124
35 Rattlesnake Gulch 127
36 Eldorado Canyon Trail 130
Denver: Foothills and Mountains 133
37 Barr Lake State Park 134
38 Golden Gate State Park 137
39 White Ranch Open Space 140
40 Mount Galbraith 142
41 Chimney Gulch 145
42 Apex Park 148
43 Beaver Brook Trail 151
44 Dakota Ridge Trail 154
45 Matthews/Winters Open Space 157
46 Mount Falcon Open Space 161
47 Deer Creek Canyon Park 164
48 Reynolds Park Open Space 167
49 Elk Meadow Park 170
50 Bergen Peak 173
51 Chief Mountain 176
52 Mount Bierstadt 179
53 Grays and Torreys Peaks 183
South of Denver and Colorado Springs Area 187
54 Columbine Open Space 188
55 Palmer Park 191
56 Barr Trail 195
57 Section 16/Palmer Trail 199
58 Mount Cutler Trail 202
59 Paul Intemann Nature Trail 204
60 Waldo Canyon 207
Appendix A Resources 211
Appendix B The Hiker's Checklist 213
About the Author 216
