Explore the best rated trails in Boulder, CO. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Sheep Draw Trail and Loveland Recreation Trail. With more than 114 trails covering 725 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Gaining only 200+ feet in elevation, the Narrow Gauge Trail is in Pine Valley Ranch Park, a beautiful open space near the mountain community of Pine, Colorado. The trail follows the north bank of the...
The Pioneer Trail links Bergen Park to Evergreen Lake through Elk Meadow Park. The trail can be accessed from the Bergen Park and Ride, and stretches south for about a mile before ducking under SR 74...
Not to be confused with the longer Saint Vrain Greenway of nearby Longmont, the Saint Vrain Avenue Trail is a hard surface, multiuse trail in the Rocky Mountain resort town of Estes Park. While Estes...
The Independence Trail sits right at the northern edge of the Denver suburb of Arvada. The trail pushes right up against the southern border of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. It travels...
The Bear Creek Path begins just south of the University of Colorado Research Park and winds its way southwest to the Martin Acres community. The trail is paved and generally flat, although there is a...
The Scott Lancaster Memorial Bike Path is a short, but pleasant 5 miles of mostly off-road route that allows cyclists and walkers to get between Idaho Springs and Floyd Hill, which is otherwise only...
The Montezuma Spur Recpath is a short trail along Montezuma Road near Keystone, Colorado, home to the popular Keystone Resort. From the path's western end, trail users can take the Snake River Recpath...
As its name implies, the Lake Link Trail connects many of the region's lakes, offering picturesque views of the water and surrounding mountains. The trail begins in Hunter Douglas Business Park and...
With only 4 miles of an eventual 65 miles open, the already award-winning Peaks to Plains Trail is attracting new users every day. While US 6 basically parallels Clear Creek, the Peaks to Plains Trail...
The Longmont-to-Boulder Regional Trail (nicknamed the LOBO) extends more than 10 miles between these two major cities and taps into the region's vast network of trails. Most of the pathway has a...
The Long View Trail is a north-south trail connecting Loveland to Fort Collins. The trail is a ribbon of pavement winding across Larimer County’s scenic outdoors. In fact, as it parallels 57th Street,...
The Fossil Creek Trail offers over 8 miles of paved pathway (in two disconnected segments) on the south side of Fort Collins, a college town at the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The...
The Mason Trail runs northsouth through Fort Collins, paralleling McClellan Drive north of Horsetooth Road (CR 40) and the railroad tracks south of Horsetooth/CR 40. The trail is a nice alternative...
When complete, the US 36 Bikeway will offer a convenient and safe non-motorized route for traveling between Denver and Boulder. Eleven miles of the paved trail—which locals refer to as a “commuter...
Rainbow Trail is a short neighborhood hiking and biking pathway in northeast Arvada. The concrete pathway travels in the space between houses while providing connections to three local parks: Arvada...
The Clear Creek Trail runs more than 20 miles from metro Denver, through Wheat Ridge, to Golden along a picturesque creek with views of the North and South Table Mountains. A highlight of the trail...
The Massey Draw Regional Trail, located in the southern suburbs of Denver, connects the longer Columbine Trail to a series of local parks and amenities. This quiet, pleasant concrete path takes you...
The Kipling Trail sits beside Kipling Parkway/ State Route 391 extending from Lakewood to Littleton, southwest of Denver. While there’s enough miles to offer a good workout, or to run errands between...
The Fraser River Trail runs between the town of Fraser and Winter Park, paralleling US 40 for its entire route. The trail offers lovely views of the surrounding mountains and is a great way to connect...
The Bear Creek Trail provides a taste of the country in the city, connecting downtown Denver with the foothills of the Rockies. Along the way, enjoy scenic views of woodlands, meadows and Bear Creek,...
The Mary Carter Greenway (a.k.a. Arapahoe Greenway) runs for 8 miles along the South Platte River from Chatfield State Park near Columbine north to Englewood. Here it meets up with the Platte River...
The Niver Canal Trail parallels the Coronado Parkway for nearly 2 miles across Thornton, a northern suburb of Denver. About mid-way, the trail passes Rotella Park, which offers restrooms, picnic...
The Platte River Trail is just one of many of Denver's superb multi-use trails, this one stretching from just north and west of Englewood and heading north toward Henderson. The 28.5-mile trail...
Westminster, Colorado, has over 145 miles of dedicated non-motorized trails, from major bike thoroughfares to the smaller local routes like this one, which knit them all together. The trail on...
The Bear Creek Trail provides a taste of the country in the city, connecting downtown Denver with the foothills of the Rockies. Along the way, enjoy scenic views of woodlands, meadows and Bear Creek,...
The Switzerland Trail in the peaks west of Boulder was named for the spectacular mountain scenery along this remote and former railroad route. Although why it had to be named after another country...
The Niver Creek Trail winds through Thornton, a northern suburb of Denver, connecting parks, riparian areas and open space inhabited by prairie dogs, coyotes, numerous bird species, and other...
The High Line Canal Trail is a popular stretch of path through Denver's southside suburbs, winding for 71 miles between Aurora and Roxborough State Park. The trail is owned and operated by Denver...
The Left Hand Greenway is a diagonal path along its namesake creek in southern Longmont. It begins at a juncture with the St. Vrain Greenway, a scenic 8-mile route across the city. From there, you'll...
Weir Gulch cuts a narrow, jagged path through the landscape of west Denver down to the Lakewood border. A greenway path imitates the course of the stream, winding from the edge of the Platte River...
The Snake River Recpath begins in Dillon and follows the river southeast just over 6 miles to the popular Keystone Resort. Along the way, you'll enjoy spectacular mountain scenery and views of Dillon...
Elmer's Two Mile Creek Greenway begins just north of Elmer's Two Mile Park on the north end of Boulder. It's paved and generally flat, traveling through open spaces, parks, neighborhoods and...
Although less than a mile long, the Inca Street Multi-Use Path provides an important connection between the neighborhoods of Sunnyside and Globeville on Denver's north end. The paved pathway and its...
The Powerline Trail provides a convenient east-west route across Aurora. This concrete pathway begins in Horseshoe Park, where trailheads for the Cherry Creek Spillway Trail, Toll Gate Greek Trail and...
The trail on the east side of Bradburn Boulevard is relatively short, but it makes an important connection between two major Denver metro trails. Following the trail north brings you to within feet of...
The Lake Estes Trail is a paved pathway that loops around its namesake lake, offering scenic views of the water and surrounding Rocky Mountains. In the fall, watch for elk that roam in the area. On...
As its name implies, the Lake Link Trail connects many of the region's lakes, offering picturesque views of the water and surrounding mountains. The trail begins in Hunter Douglas Business Park and...
Built on the site of the historic "City Ditch" in Littleton, which is over 150 years old (portions of which are still in use today), the Littleton Community Trail provides a short but pleasant urban...
The Mason Trail runs northsouth through Fort Collins, paralleling McClellan Drive north of Horsetooth Road (CR 40) and the railroad tracks south of Horsetooth/CR 40. The trail is a nice alternative...
The Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail opened its first 7-mile section in 2016, but is one day planned to stretch 25 miles across the northern Denver Metro area, including the suburbs of Westminster,...
The Dutch Creek Regional Trail provides an opportunity to experience some natural beauty and tranquility amidst the suburban surroundings southwest of Denver. Currently running for a shade over three...
The Van Bibber Creek, Park and Trail all owe their name to Isaac van Bibber, an early settler to the area. The trail begins on Oak Street and heads west in the swathe cut by the creek through the...
The Massey Draw Regional Trail, located in the southern suburbs of Denver, connects the longer Columbine Trail to a series of local parks and amenities. This quiet, pleasant concrete path takes you...
The East Plum Creek Trail begins in a field across the street from the Native Legend Open Space. It goes through an underpass under Meadows Blvd near Castle Rock Middle School. The next few miles of...
The Clear Creek Trail runs more than 20 miles from metro Denver, through Wheat Ridge, to Golden along a picturesque creek with views of the North and South Table Mountains. A highlight of the trail...
Quail Creek Trail is a wide, concrete bike-ped trail connecting residents of Broomfield to the regional Big Dry Creek Trail in neighboring Westminster. The trail begins in Quail Park in Broomfield,...
The UCAR Multi-Use Path runs just a short distance from the campus of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research on Center Green Drive, linking buildings CG 1 and CG 3, to the other side of...
The Sulphur Gulch Trail is a concrete hike-and-bike path in Parker, Colorado, 20 miles southeast of the state's capital. The trail acts as a feeder, a way for Parker residents to connect to the...
The Long View Trail is a north-south trail connecting Loveland to Fort Collins. The trail is a ribbon of pavement winding across Larimer County’s scenic outdoors. In fact, as it parallels 57th Street,...
Most of the Ralston Creek Trail follows its namesake waterway, winding through several parks, neighborhoods and open areas in Arvada. On its western end, the trail becomes gently hilly and passes...
The Scott Lancaster Memorial Bike Path is a short, but pleasant 5 miles of mostly off-road route that allows cyclists and walkers to get between Idaho Springs and Floyd Hill, which is otherwise only...
The Wonderland Creek Greenway stretches just over a mile along its namesake waterway on the north end of Boulder. The trail begins at Norwood Avenue near Centennial Middle School and meanders...
The Sheep Draw Trail is a 10-foot-wide paved regional trail along the scenic Sheep Draw Creek corridor connecting neighborhoods to shopping, recreation centers and schools. The trail travels through...
The trail on the east side of Bradburn Boulevard is relatively short, but it makes an important connection between two major Denver metro trails. Following the trail north brings you to within feet of...
The Switzerland Trail in the peaks west of Boulder was named for the spectacular mountain scenery along this remote and former railroad route. Although why it had to be named after another country...
The Poudre River Trail tracks a 21-mile, scenic course along Cache la Poudre River between Windsor and Greeley. The paved trail is popular with hikers, runners, cyclists and inline skaters. The path...
The Spring Creek Trail travels more than 7 miles across Fort Collins, providing an important off-road route between the east and west halves of the city. The trail is paved and relatively flat, though...
Located on Aurora’s south end, the Railroad Bed Trail offers a 2-mile diagonal pathway within Cherry Creek State Park, a recreational gem with opportunities for camping, fishing, swimming and...
The Powerline Trail provides a convenient east-west route across Aurora. This concrete pathway begins in Horseshoe Park, where trailheads for the Cherry Creek Spillway Trail, Toll Gate Greek Trail and...
Blunn Trail forms a link between two of Arvada's most popular trails: Ralston Creek Trail and Van Bibber Creek Trail. The north end of the trail is at Ralston Creek Trail on the west side of Virgil...
Walked the whole trail (in segments) from August to late December 2020. Loved most of it. Spectacular views of the mountains and a great way to explore the burbs around Denver. Disappointed by lack of signage in many places and very annoyed that it ended unceremoniously without documentation.
I just decided to try this trail today and I’m so glad I did! I started at around 88th and Colorado. I went almost 4 miles (on roller skates) and the ride was amazing. There was one small spot with some twigs and pebble debris but I made it over without too much trouble. I didn’t skate as far as I wanted to, but there was only like 1 steepish slope under a bridge (it has a railing on the left side though so you can still make it if you’re a beginner). I highly recommend this trail; smooth as butter and people are respectful.
Sweet trail - super colorful in the fall. Not as many walkers, runners but definitely a lot of bikes. Cyclists are respectful and usually announce. Paved walk. No directional signage at trailhead after parking off Union. That could have been a lot more clear.
We visited the western tip of this trail—from Lake Village Park to Eagleview Elementary School—a distance of about 1.5 miles one way. It made for a pleasant October weekend ride with large old cottonwoods and other trees offering shade and hints of fall color. The trail begins with a nice parking area, a large picnic pavilion, porta potty, and exercise stations. At many points as we rode along, the trail split, offering a paralleling finely crushed stone surface for runners. Much of the way, the trail also followed a narrow shallow ditch. You could tell how popular this trail was as many adjacent homeowners had built their own small footbridges across the ditch to reach the trail. A fun surprise for my 10-year-old was a small trailside playground with two climbable life-size horses made of concrete and a large pig sculpture. For my husband, another fun unexpected find was a dirt mountain biking trail that paralleled the main trail for a short distance.
Other highlights included two heritage areas with railroad artifacts and informational signage about the history of the area. The signs also marked the route as part of the Eastlake Heritage Trail. According to the signage, a Union Pacific Railroad spur once ran through the corridor. Built in the early 1900s, the trains ran to Denver carrying passengers, farm products, and business freight.
Towards the end of our journey, we reached Colorado Boulevard; the crosswalk was well-marked. On the other side of the street the houses got closer to the trail, but it was still a lot of fun as the trail winds through a nice neighborhood.
We rode from DILLION TO Keystone very few hills and the scenery is tops. The entire area is trail riding heaven.
I have been walking this trail and others and am so disappointed with the lack of pride people take in this area. Benches littered with cigarette butts , broken glass that can damage a dogs foot pads, and just general lack of upkeep. Not sure who is responsible but this is not what this should look like, we can and should do better....
This is another nice trail in the area. As others have noted, much of the trail has been improved to very rideable. We did have one detour that took us through a neighborhood to avoid a repair area in progress. We picked up the trail from the C-470 bike way trail which has a slight stretch that runs beside the 470 just before you cross under the 470 from Chatfield Park. The C-470 trail has some of the traffic noise on it in that stretch, but don’t get discouraged and continue on to the Columbine Trai if you enter from that direction
This is an easy trail that connects to many others. There are some areas where you can stop along the way and have a snack. There are just enough bike riders, joggers, and walkers to pass along the way as to feel safe at all times.
I’ve ridden south from this junction down past Dartmouth where the trail connects westward to the Bear Creek trail. However the app indicates that the Platte River trail ends past Dartmouth but that’s incomplete information cuz the Platte trail continues many miles south past Littleton. Great ride but it does have some rough patches (and some rough neighborhoods)
I had a great time here! I have disabilities and walking this was less stressful due to the paved path. Many bikers and climbers out for the difficult terrain as well. The water is beautiful and great to focus on while walking through here.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy
(a non-profit) and we need your support!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!