Best Hikes Near Denver and Boulder

by Sandy Heise, Maryann Gaug

Overview

Best Hikes Near

Who says you have to travel far from home for a great hike? With these information-packed guides in hand, readers have everything they need for the adventure they seek, from an easy nature walk to a multiday backpack. Each featured hike includes everything about the trail: location, length, hiking time, and level of difficulty, and if dogs can come along. Other features include:

- Trail finder chart that categorizes each hike (e.g., for particular attractions such as waterfalls and if it's suitable for families with kids)

- Full-color photos throughout

- Information on the area’s history, geology, flora, and fauna

- Full-color maps of each trail

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493024810
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2017
Series:	Best Hikes Near Series
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	613,300
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Maryann Gaug is a Colorado native and the author of Hiking Colorado and Hiking Colorado’s Summit County Area (both FalconGuides). She writes for Cyberwest e-zine and for Summit County newspapers.

Sandy Heise migrated to Colorado over 35 years ago to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder. She learned to rock climb in a Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) Basic Mountaineering School course and fell deeply in love with anything related to mountains. She eventually became a Senior Instructor for the same course and also lead day trips into the mountains near Boulder. She has also assisted with the CMC's Advanced Mountaineering School, teaching ice climbing and winter outdoor skills. Sandy has climbed 51 of Colorado's 54 official “fourteeners” (peaks over 14,000 feet high) and backpacked several sections of the Colorado Trail. She has explored mountain ranges around the world. At least once a week, you can find Sandy on a trail, mountain summit, rock face, frozen waterfall, or a pair of skis somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Introduction 1

How to Use This Guide 13

Trait Finder 16

Trail Ratings 21

The Plains 23

1 Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Loop 25

2 Devil's Backbone Loops 32

3 D. R. Trail to Mahoney Park 39

4 Eagle Wind Trail-Rabbit Mountain 46

5 Big Bluestem Loop 52

6 Trails for Dinosaur Lovers 59

7 South Valley Park Loop 66

8 Roxborough State Park Loops 71

9 Swallowtail Trail 78

10 Hidden Mesa Trail 85

11 Castlewood Canyon State Park Loops 92

12 Blackmer Loop-Cheyenne Mountain State Park 99

13 Talon Loops-Cheyenne Mountain State Park 105

Honorable Mentions

A Valley Loop at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area 111

B Flatirons Vista Trails 112

The Foothills 113

14 Homestead Meadows 115

15 Nighthawk Trail-Hall Ranch 123

16 Green Mountain West Ridge Trail 129

17 Walker Ranch Loop 135

18 Rattlesnake Gulch Trail-Eldorado Canyon State Park 142

19 Mount Galbraith Park 149

20 White Ranch Park Northwest Loop 155

21 Travois Trail-Centennial Cone Park 161

22 Beaver Brook Trail 167

23 Sisters/Bearberry Loop-Alderfer/Three Sisters Park 175

24 Shadow Pine Loop-Flying J Ranch Park 182

25 O'Fallon Park Loop 187

26 Mount Falcon Park Upper Loop 194

27 Bill Couch Mountain-Deer Creek Canyon Park 201

28 Spruce Mountain Loop 208

Honorable Mentions

C Meyer Ranch Park Loops 214

D Eagle's View Outlook- Reynolds Park 214

The Mountains 216

29 Gem Lake 218

30 Sandbeach Lake 225

31 Buchanan Pass Trail 910 231

32 Ouzel Falls and Lake 238

33 Chasm Lake 245

34 Caribou Ranch Loop 252

35 Arapaho Glacier Trail 905 258

36 Black Bear/Horseshoe Loop-Golden Gate Canyon State Park 265

27 M. Walter Pesman Trail-Mount Goliath Natural Area 272

38 Mount Flora Trail 278

39 Griffin Monument 285

40 Herman Lake 291

Honorable Mentions

E Kruger Rock Trail 297

F Burro Trail to Windy Peak 297

Clubs and Trail Groups 299

Further Reading 301

Hike Index 303

About the Authors 305

Editorial Reviews

9/28/10
Best Hikes near Denver and Boulder won First Place in Books/Scripts for TV/Movie/Video and
also Best of Show in those categories in the annual Rocky Mountain Writers and Photographers
award competition. The judge was Russ Bromby, retired editor of Colorado Outdoors magazine and chief of communications for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Russ Bromby's comments on the book:

"Extremely well researched and detailed, this book is a delight. From the heartfelt
acknowledgments and introduction to the descriptions of the hikes, the meticulous care and hours
of work are clearly evident. Abundant maps and photos and an ingenious trail finder make this
an invaluable hiking guide. Each hike description is loaded with details including history,
location, changes in elevation, hiking times and difficulty, trail surfaces and the best time of year
to hike specific trails. The maps are well executed and detailed, but if that's not enough, the
author has provided GPS data and lists of supplemental maps. Local land management
information is also thoughtfully provided. Particularly impressive is the step-by-step walk
through for each hike, complete with mileage."

From the Publisher