8 Best Hiking Trails in Denver: Where to Hike in the Rocky Mountain Foothills
No visit to Denver is complete without trying your hand at hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Whether you’re an experienced hiker or a novice hiker, there are amazing hiking trails near Denver which are calling your name!
Find out where to hike in Denver to spend an hour or spend a day trekking to incredible scenery in the fresh mountain air. It’s good for the body, mind, and soul, and perhaps best of all, it’s typically free! (Although some state and national parks do charge entrance fees.)
Just remember, if you are visiting the Denver area, you are at a much higher altitude than many other places throughout the world. You may need time to acclimate to the thinner air. Otherwise, hiking will challenge you more than normal. You’re not as out of shape as it might appear when huffing and puffing up those mountains!
Now let’s take a look at the top trails in Denver!
1. Royal Arch Trail
Just a short 30 – 40 minute drive from Denver, you’ll find Chautauqua Park in Boulder. This stunning park is home to the famous Flatiron formations and an awesome place to hike near Denver offering a wide variety of hiking trails for all abilities.
One of my favorite hikes in Boulder is Royal Arch at Chautauqua Park. This challenging hike starts by the ranger cottage in the park and takes you up 3.1 miles to a stunning stone archway with amazing views over the valley below. As you hike through the park, make sure to carefully follow the signs to avoid wandering onto one of the many other trails in the area.
When you get to the top, you’ll understand why Royal Arch is one of the best hikes in the Denver area. Despite its short distance, it packs a serious punch with challenging terrain and beautiful sights.
- Difficulty: Hard
- Hiking Distance: 3.1 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,394 ft
- Time Needed: 2 hours
- Type of Trail: Out & back
View more details about Royal Arch Trail.
Know what to pack for a day hike with the Essential Hiking Packing List
2. Mount Falcon Castle Trail
Located less than 30 minutes from downtown Denver is Mount Falcon Castle Trail. This stunning Colorado hiking trail is a bit longer than some of the others, at 6.7 miles, but offers a great workout as well as stunning scenery and opportunities for solitude.
For this hike, you can park at the bottom of the hill and make your way up a gradual incline to the top, where you’ll come to the ruins of an old “castle”.
Or, if you prefer a bit less challenge, there are multiple trail options with parking near the top of Mount Falcon that offer stunning views over the valleys and foothills below.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Hiking Distance: 6.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,601 ft
- Time Needed: 3.5 – 4 hours
- Type of Trail: Loop
View more details about Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop.
3. Mount Sanitas & Sanitas Valley Trail
Another one of my favorite hiking trails near Denver is Mount Sanitas. This short hike offers great payoff with clear views over the city of Boulder and enough elevation gain to get your heart rate up.
Plan to arrive early in the day as the small parking lot does fill up quickly, and then set out clockwise on the trail. This will give you a challenging climb up to the summit with plenty of rocks and boulders to climb around, and then a bit of a flatter descent.
If you’d prefer an easier ascent, hike counter-clockwise. This direction will be much harder on your knees as you descend.
- Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
- Hiking Distance: 3.2 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,256 ft
- Time Needed: 2 hours
- Type of Trail: Loop
View more details about Mount Sanitas and Sanitas Valley Loop Trail.
5. Green Mountain Trails
If you’re looking for a slightly more moderate Denver hike that is a bit less steep but still a beautiful experience, this one is for you. Green Mountain sits just outside of the city and offers endless hiking opportunities, mostly with less elevation gain – perfect for the less experienced hiker.
This path is excellent for hiking, running, or mountain biking as you’ll find views of Denver and some mountain scenery as you explore the rolling hills.
Be forewarned though, this hiking trail outside Denver offers very little shade. Take some water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and maybe a hat. Or, if you come later in the day, it’s a great place to catch sunset as you hike back to your car!
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Hiking Distance: 4.6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 868 ft
- Time Needed: 2.5 hours
- Type of Trail: Loop
View more details about Green Mountain via Green Mountain and Hayden Trail Loop.
6. First & Second Flatirons Trail
Also located in Chautauqua Park is another awesome trail in Boulder, the First and Second Flatirons Trail. It will take you to two of the most iconic sandstone rock slabs in the area.
To access this popular Boulder hiking trail, you can start at the Chautauqua Trailhead or Enchanted Mesa Trailhead. You’ll encounter some switchbacks along with steep and rocky trails and a number of people. It is a steep climb, but fortunately you’ll be under tree cover for much of it.
While this is a dog-friendly trail in Boulder, you may want to leave your pup at home if they don’t do well with people or steep, rocky terrain!
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Hiking Distance: 2.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,427 ft
- Time Needed: 2 hours
- Type of Trail: Loop
View more details about the First and Second Flatirons Loop.
7. Red Rocks Trails
Rounding out the list of top hikes in Denver is the Red Rocks Trading Post Trail. As you may know, one of the best things to do in Denver is of course to catch a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater. However, even if you don’t attend an event there, it’s worth a visit!
Red Rocks Park actually offers many short hiking trails in Golden, CO, but the Red Rocks Trading Post Trail gets you up-close to some of the red rocks scenery without excessive energy expenditure.
It’s perfect for families and new hikers looking to give it a try. You’ll never be far from your car but have the option to add additional trails if you want more distance.
If you’re looking for a butt-kicking hike, this is not it, but it does offer awesome views.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Hiking Distance: 1.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 357 ft
- Time Needed: < 1 hour
- Type of Trail: Loop
View more details about the Red Rocks Trading Post Trail.
8. Bonus: Rocky Mountain National Park
If you’re looking for more places to hike in Denver and the surrounding areas, head out to Rocky Mountain National Park.
At about 1.5 hours from Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park offers some of the best hiking Colorado has to offer! Not to mention there are plenty of other amazing things to do in Rocky Mountain NP and the surrounding areas.
To make the most of your time in the park, try your hand at the Emerald Lake Trail. It starts at the Bear Lake Trailhead and winds you through pine forests, past pristine alpine lakes, like Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, and continue to beautiful views of the Rocky Mountain peaks. You’ll also be able to see Flattop Mountain, Hallett Peak, Glacier Gorge, and Tyndall Glacier.
The scenery along this hike makes it one of the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park and a top hike in Colorado.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Hiking Distance: 3.2 miles
- Elevation Gain: 698 feet
- Time Needed: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Type of Trail: Out & back
View more details about the Emerald Lake Trail.
Continue Exploring Denver
Coming to Denver for hiking is a great decision. From thousands of amazing trails to seriously challenging terrain and breathtaking scenery, you will not be disappointed. It’s definitely one of the top cities for hiking in the United States!
If you want to spend more time exploring and hiking in Denver, check out these other helpful posts:
- Best Things to Do in Denver, Colorado
- Where to Stay in Denver: Best Neighborhoods and Hotels
- 12 Best Things to Do in Rocky Mountain National Park
- How to Find the Breckenridge Troll: Hike to Isak Heartstone
- Epic Denver to Moab Road Trip with 9+ Amazing Stops!
- Ultimate Denver to Glacier National Park Road Trip Itinerary: With 10+ Stops!
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