10 Best Hiking Trails in Denver

Bear Creek Trail is a tree-lined corridor that's paved and offers stunning views of woodlands, meadows, a creek, and the Denver skyline. The trail is 9.1 miles in length, and its concrete trail surface makes it easy to traverse for anyone, including kids.

Getting to this trail is fairly easy. You'll find plenty of parking on the east side of the trail, which is fairly close to city centre Denver. All you have to do is head a short distance south to Englewood for the entrance, and the trail itself extends to Bear Creek Lake Park.

Windy Saddle Lookout Mountain Trail takes you to Windy Saddle Lookout at the park of the same name with a relatively easy and shaded path. The first half of this trail has a decent incline you'll want to be prepared for, but the actual trail itself doesn't have any challenging obstacles.

When you journey across this trail, you'll experience an elevation gain of 705 feet with a total length of about 4.4 miles. It's mostly shaded by surrounding trees, so you can find comfort even on the hottest days. The trail is located near Golden, a few miles west of Denver.

Chimney Gulch is a trail that offers a relatively moderate challenge along with the opportunity to see a vibrant array of colourful wildflowers on the way up. This is an out and back type trail, so you'll end where you begin after its 6.5-mile total length.

When you visit this trail, the wildflowers tend to be the star of the show, but you'll find impressive viewpoints as well. Dogs are welcome here as long as they're on a leash. You can start near Golden, a few miles west of Denver's city centre.

The Bluffs Loop is an easy hike that features 2 panoramic overlooks that let you see both the Front Range and the Denver skyline. The trail itself is so easily navigable that you can bring your kids along and even strollers.

At the panoramic views, you can always take in stunning sights, but you may want to visit during dusk for awe-inspiring views. As the city lights begin to appear along the Denver skyline, the vibrancy of the metropolis shines in a way you can't see otherwise. You'll find this trail around Lone Tree, a few miles south of city centre.

Chief Mountain is a popular trail no matter what time of year you're visiting with moderate difficulty for both hiking and snowshoeing, depending on the weather. The winter trail provides some of the best snowshoeing opportunities around Denver, and its popularity means heavy traffic keeps trails maintained.

When you visit this trail, you'll have to deal with an elevation gain of 941 feet over just 2.8 miles, so there will be some serious inclines at specific points, but nothing serious enough to rate the difficulty at anything over moderate. You'll find the entrance around Idaho Springs, a few miles west of city centre Denver.

Castle Rock is a relatively easy trail suitable for the whole family that offers a satisfying loop throughout easily traversable terrain with vivid flora and scenic views. The trail is only 1.3 miles long, and the elevation gain is a modest 328 feet.

Visiting this trail means coming across an array of wildflowers amongst the central castle rock, an elevated stone towering on top of a hill. Dogs are welcome as well, but you'll need to keep your pup on a leash. You'll find this trail a short distance south of Denver's city centre along I-25.

The Deer Creek Canyon Loop hike is an easy one through a valley that lets you escape Denver for an immersion into nature, with rolling hills and rock formations. The total distance is about 2.7 miles, and it generally takes about 2 hours to complete if you take the time to enjoy your surroundings.

This trail is open all year long, easy enough for children to conquer, and dog-friendly, provided you keep them on leashes. You can try it out for yourself in the park of the same name just a few miles southwest of city centre Denver.

North Table Mountain is home to several different relatively moderate trails, with shorter and longer paths available and each offering stunning views. The hike distance of the loops ranges between 2.7 miles and 7.7 miles, taking an hour to 4 hours to complete.

Whether you plan on hiking or biking, you'll find plenty of room to venture out. The trails themselves are always open, but spring to early summer is amongst the best times of year to visit, thanks to the wildflower blooms. You can get to this trail just a few miles west of city centre past Fruitdale.

Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop is a popular trail that's moderately difficult to negotiate, but there is a high chance of seeing some local wildlife from this trail. Much of the wildlife in the area consists of various bird species, so birdwatchers will especially enjoy their hike.

If you're not looking to hike this trail on foot, you'll find opportunities for horseback riding available for an activity a bit different. It's 6.7 miles in length, so this horseback riding is an excellent choice for this trail. This path starts around Morrison, a few miles southwest of city centre Denver.

The Green Mountain and Hayden Trail Loop is a relatively easy and relaxing hike that takes less than 2 hours to walk. The trail's ease comes from a well-maintained path that stretches 3.2 miles with just a 633-foot elevation gain.

This trail is home to an array of colourful wildflowers that are best seen in spring to early summer, and you're free to bring your dog along on a leash. You can get to this trail around Lakewood to the west of city centre Denver.