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