Good Hiking Spots Near Denver?
 

Just moved to Parker about a month ago and I've been wanting to do some day hiking on the weekends, problem is I have no idea where to go. Anybody have suggestions on some decent hiking trails near Denver that would make a good day/half-day trip and aren't too crowded?

There are tons of great spots to hike all over the foothills of the Front Range up to and including all the 14, 13 and 12ers!

More than happy to help, I have a couple favorites but maybe you could be more specific about difficulty. There are flat trails ALL over Denver, but all the good shit is in the mountains.

I enjoy quite a few in varying lengths in Conifer, Evergreen and Bailey when I can't get further away into another mountain range, all within 30-45min from i70 or 285/470.

Living in Parker myself, if you're looking for kind of flat/decent uphill trails I would go to Castlewood Canyon which is about 10 minutes from Parker going south on Parker Road, about where you hit Elizabeth. If you're looking for more serious hiking, you'll have to go hit a 14er. There are 54 of them (if I'm correct) so you have plenty of options.

There are some decent trails near the metro area that are some seriously good day hikes. My personal favorite is Devil's Thumb loop in Boulder. a good 4,200' vertical gain, and a total of roughly ten miles. I hiked it in about seven hours. A more fit individual could achieve that in five to six hours. Although I can't comment on the trail quality ever since the Flagstaff fire.

Chautauqua Park in Boulder - Royal Arch is a good, easy one. 2-3 miles each way.
Deer Creek Canyon
Lair o the Bear
3 Sisters / Adelfer Park
Mt Falcon

All of those are fairly easy, most around 5-7 miles round trip. All within 30 minutes of Denver, give or take.

My favorite nearby fairly challenging hike with lots of great scenery is Chicago Lakes. Two alpine lakes at the base of Mt. Evans.

There's just too many good ones to even begin listing them.

Just across the street is Evergreen Mountain. The actual hike isn't all that, but great views of Mt. Evans from the summit.

Bergen Peak from Elk Meadows Open Space is another great hike local to the Evergreen area.

Damn, plenty of suggestions so far. I'm probably looking to keep it pretty mellow for my first hike, I'm a bit out of shape being a desk jockey and all, plus I don't think I'm quite used to the altitude yet, but hopefully some hikes will help me with that.


How long of a hike is Evergreen Mountain to the summit?

About 6 miles round trip with 1100' of elevation gain. It's not a bad hike at all. My wife did it with minimal bitching and she is strongly averse to any hike much more difficult than a stroll through the mall.

Evergreen Mountain : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Sounds like it'd be perfect for me in my current condition. If the weather isn't too bad this weekend I just might give it a go.