#5) Lost Lake – Lost Lake is one of the first hikes we ever did when moving to Colorado. It’s not too far of a drive from Denver compared to some of the others I will share. The best way to get there is to type in Hessie Trailhead to your maps app, and make your way. It’s about 4 miles in and out and it brings you to a beautiful lake destination. It’s a rocky trail in the trees, and there’s some beautiful waterfalls along the way.
#4) The Castle Rock – Castle Rock is a fun town located about 20-30 minutes south of Denver, right between Denver and Colorado Springs. There’s a short & easy hike to their large Castle rock (you can see it from the highway), and when you finish the trail you can choose to climb the rock at your own risk. It’s a pretty easy climb and the views are spectacular at the top! It’s total distance is about 1.3 miles, and it’s definitely easy to find.
#3) Manitou Incline – the manitou incline is an incredibly challenging hike, but it’s totally worth the trek. You gain over 2000 feet in less than a mile, so it’s pretty steep, particularly at the top (I always feel like I’m climbing a ladder near the top). I’ve done this hike 3 different times and plan to do it again, it’s a kick butt workout. The way down is a beautiful trail as well, but the whole hike does take a good amount of time, so definitely try to go in the morning. It’s located in Manitou Springs, which is an adorable mountain town, and it’s close to Colorado Springs as well. So you will have plenty to do before and after hiking it! I also recommend checking out Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Mountain, & the Olympic Training Center in CO Springs if you have time.
#2) Walker Ranch Loop – This hike is one of the most beautiful and varied hikes I’ve ever been on. There is SO much to see. It’s about 8 miles in total, so be prepared to spend some time and bring water and snacks with. There is a forest section, and a beautiful river, some incline & decline steps and beautiful mountain range views. It’s one of my personal favorite hikes and it’s a hidden gem. It’s about an hour into the switchbacks of Boulder behind the infamous Chataqua Park. Chataqua Park is a beautiful place to check out as well, and less of a drive as it’s right in Boulder, but if you have the time to take a trip a bit further, the Walker Ranch Loop will be worth every minute. It’s also at a pretty high elevation, if you aren’t used to that you might want to bring oxygen and/or take ibuprofen before hand.
#1) The Great Sand Dunes – the sand dunes National Park is located about 3-4 hours southwest of Denver. It’s definitely a trip to get there! However you can camp out or make it a day trip. We camped overnight in our truck, then woke up at about 6am (we actually were awakened by a Park Ranger because we didn’t have the proper pass to park where we were, oops!), and got hiking. I highly recommend getting to the dunes early, the sand isn’t too hot yet and there’s less people out hiking. It’s surrounded by mountains and at the right time of year there’s a small river running. You can hike anywhere, and you can even tent out overnight in the sand dunes. This one is worth the drive and I can’t wait to go back and do it again!
Resilient & Radiant 