Mountain Hiking

Boulder County is unusually rich in hiking opportunities, with its city open space, Roosevelt National Forest, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, and Rocky Mountain National Park. I venture out often with the fantasy goal of climbing every peak and exploring every trail in the county. I shouldn't call it a "goal." It's a wish — I wish I had a million dollars, a pony, Ben & Jerry's ice cream every day… It won't happen, but that's okay. I'll keep working on it.

Each of the links in the navigation bar to the left will take you to narrative descriptions, describing what I found and giving instructions on how to get there.

If any of these hikes sound like something you would like to do yourself, please use good judgment and prepare yourself according to your skills, your interests, and the season. What was fun for me under one set of circumstances might not be fun or even safe for another under other circumstances. Do not consider these descriptions to be unqualified recommendations.

Further Information—

• Boulder Area Trails Coalition
• City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks
• Boulder County Parks & Open Space
• Roosevelt National Forest
• Indian Peaks Wilderness
• Rocky Mt. Natl. Park
• Colorado Mountain Club
• Fourteener World

Finally, I spent my "working life" in South Carolina, so I have to include some hikes from back East, just for fun.

Columbine Lake is over Arapaho Pass on the Western Slope.

Horsetooth Peak is in the Wild Basin area of RMNP, just north of Lookout Mt.

Lookout Mt. is in the Wild Basin area of RMNP.

Mount Audubon rises to 13,223 ft. in the Indian Peaks.

Bear Peak is one of Boulder's "Local Three."

Spring Gulch/Gold Lake offers a five-mile loop, just north of Ward, through woods and water and old ranching and mining activity.