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Boulder County & Rocky Mountain Hiking Guide: Traditional Favorites
Rainbow Lakes campground is the start of two lovely hikes—one an easy 0.8-mile stroll and the other a strenuous 10-mile trek. The shorter Rainbow Lakes Trail travels through spruce woodland and passes a series of small, shallow, willow-lined lakes. This brief jaunt ends between the most westerly pair of lakes—a perfect spot for a quiet picnic. The much longer Arapaho Glacier Trail meanders upward through spruce and fir forests along the Boulder watershed boundary. The trees become elfin and contorted after a couple of miles, when the trail reaches tundra. The beautiful Goose, Albion and Silver lakes that provide Boulder’s drinking water lie far below to the north, and are strictly off-limits. Underfoot, the springy, green tundra is dotted with tiny wildflowers of every hue. The higher you climb, the better the views. On a clear day you can even see Mount Evans and Pikes Peak. The trail continues north of Caribou Peak and follows the ridge to the Arapaho saddle and a bird’s-eye view of the pocket glacier. (Look all you want, but glissading down the ice is forbidden.) Continue past cairns to the summit of South Arapaho Peak for a truly inspirational view. If you’re planning a rendezvous, the other person could start from Fourth of July (or Buckingham) Campground. You’d meet on Arapaho Pass Trail, which you’d access from Arapaho Glacier Trail after traversing a steep and rocky section.
From Colorado Highway 7, most people wouldn’t notice 11,006-foot Estes Cone because spectacular 14,255-foot Longs Peak would most likely occupy their view. But this rocky, symmetrical crag is a worthy destination and much easier to reach. The well-marked Estes Cone Trail (six miles round-trip) veers right off Longs Peak Trail less than a quarter-mile from the parking lot. (Get there early or you’ll have to park a long ways down the road!) The trail rambles gently through dry lodgepoles alive with chickarees and golden-mantled ground squirrels. The first mile is marked by the abandoned Eugenia Mine, with its cabin foundations, a spoil heap or two, and an upright, rusty boiler decaying on the banks of Inn Brook. The trail continues through tiny meadows and thinning woods to Storm Pass, where wizened trees illuminate this passage’s name, as no branches grow westward here. At this point, Estes Cone Trail forks right near a huge cairn. The final zigzagging 0.7 miles is a steep huff through dwarfed woods and tumbled boulders. Watch for ptarmigan, marmots and pikas. Toward the top, follow the cairns to stay on the trail. Two scrambly rock gullies on the final ascent are less strenuous to navigate than they look from below. The cone itself is a narrow, metamorphic platform (don’t step too far back when you take summit photos!), and the 360-degree view—complete with a panorama of Glacier Gorge—is your breathtaking reward.
Ceran St. Vrain (1802-70) was a fur trader and partner of Charles Bent, with whom he founded several forts including the one that bears his name at the confluence of the St. Vrain and South Platte rivers. Lovely Ceran St. Vrain Trail in Roosevelt National Forest above Jamestown is also named for this active businessman. The trail offers a cool, shady six-mile round-trip along the South St. Vrain River—a good-sized stream at the trailhead. A rustic bridge crosses the river over water-worn rocks, where the trail descends gently downhill. Sometimes it winds around craggy slopes in bobcat terrain high above the river. Other times it drops to the water’s edge among aspens, river birch, alders, Rocky Mountain maples and a tangle of shrubs and wildflowers. Along the river, dippers glean insects in the rocks and riffles. The rattlecalls of belted kingfishers are unmistakable, as the birds swiftly patrol the bank from one favorite snag to another. Turn left (uphill) at the old wagon road and ford, and follow the track through sunny clearings and fragrant woods until you reach Miller Rock, where a welcoming vista of Indian Peaks awaits. Plenty of picnic spots offer lunch stops along the way, as well as gray jays and chipmunks to entertain you.
Summer is a great time to climb Green Mountain, and a tangle of routes leads to the summit. The West Ridge Trail (three-mile round-trip) is a short westerly route that offers rolling terrain and a steepish ending. It’s a good place to see Clark’s nutcrackers and crossbills in years when the cone crop is good. Along the way, prickly purple thistles attract goldfinches and siskins. Mule deer browse clearings in the cool early morning, while chipmunks and golden-mantled ground squirrels scramble frantically across boulders, pausing only to nibble on a cone or two. Jet-black Abert’s squirrels are more secretive and harder to spot. Bark-gleaning nuthatches and brown creepers work dead snags along this ridge, as do elusive Northern three-toed woodpeckers. Ranger Trail (3.3 miles round-trip) is an alternate summit route. Park on Flagstaff Road opposite the turnoff to Flagstaff summit and head south down the dirt trail that leads to Green Mountain Lodge. Ranger Trail begins to the left of the lodge, where it zigzags upward through woods to a narrow ridge with views of the Continental Divide or the Plains, depending on the curve of the moment. The summit is a scramble of rocks that offers fine views. If you return via cool and shady E.M. Greenman Trail, the entire loop will be a woodsy experience, with low juniper and kinnikinnick, nice streamside tangles of hazel, and rare orchids that bloom in late summer. Watch and listen for mountain chickadees, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, brown creepers, siskins and kinglets. Just as all roads lead to Rome, nearly all trails lead to Green Mountain’s summit. For a longer hike, head up Gregory Canyon (1.1 miles one-way), stopping to enjoy this bird and butterfly haven, to connect with Ranger Trail. Or use Saddlerock or Amphitheater trails (each about 1.3 miles one-way) to join E.M. Greenman Trail. This area of Boulder Mountain Parks offers abundant diversions and delights, so enjoy!
Marshall Mesa is a steep, craggy arc of rocks that forms the southern backdrop to the historic town of Marshall. At one time, this former coal town was bigger than Boulder and boasted 800 residents and three saloons. An underground coal fire from more than 100 years ago still burns in the area, and wisps of smoke are often visible in winter. The mesa is a starting point for three trails. Marshall Trail wanders up from Marshall Drive, crosses Community Ditch Trail and makes its way to the rolling mesa top to become Greenbelt Plateau Trail, which leads south to Colorado Highway 128. This is prime grassland that offers long stretches of Flatirons vistas. The entire loop is about five miles one-way. Or continue on Community Ditch Trail across Colorado Highway 93 to Eldorado Springs. This treeless trek is a nice mountain-bike trip on cool mornings or late afternoons. Coalton Trail is further east on Colorado Highway 128. When Boulder County acquired this land west of Superior, about 2.5 miles of Coalton Road was converted to trail. This treeless stretch of wide-open prairie offers good footing, panoramic skies and a pleasant summer hike when it’s cool or wet outside. The county uses this area for prairie-dog relocation, which also makes it good for observing eagles and other raptors. A popular mountain bike shortcut from McCaslin Boulevard to Colorado Highway 128, Coalton Trail will eventually link with the Coal Creek and Rock Creek trails.
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