Find the top rated trails in Denver, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
In comparison to some of the lengthy, fantastic trails in the southern suburbs of Denver, the Lee Gulch Trail may not seem like anything special. However, it offers a wonderfully useful off-road...
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The Union Pacific Trail runs for just a short distance between E. 100th Avenue and Thornton Parkway in the Denver suburb of Thornton. The trail runs through a shadeless corridor alongside a railroad...
A short, but useful suburban trail, the Lilley Gulch Regional Trail helps to connect numerous neighborhoods in the community of Columbine with local parks and schools, and provides a safe and off-road...
The Cherry Creek Spillway Trail offers wide open views with the Denver skyline as a distant backdrop. Along the way, recreational opportunities abound as the path winds through Aurora's Wheel Park and...
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 6th Avenue Trail provides expansive views of the Rocky Mountain foothills as it follows its namesake thoroughfare (also known as US 6) from the Colorado School of Mines in downtown Golden to...
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...
The Clement Park Lake Trail is a 1.4 mile loop trail around the Johnson Reservoir in suburban western Littleton. The trail is paved and lit, and takes users around the sixty acre lake and into the...
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 Goose Creek Greenway offers a major east-west route through Boulder. Note that there is little shade along the way and the pathway runs through busy commercial areas, including the Villa Shopping...
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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...
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 Centennial Link Trail, parts of which were formerly known as the Little Dry Creek Trail, lives up to its name by providing a useful link between the outskirts of Littleton and Centennial, forming...
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Big Dry Creek Trail provides a pleasant connector between the High Line Canal Trail and the Mary Carter Greenway, two jewels in the trail network of the greater Denver area. Although the trail is...
The Weaver Gulch Regional Trail runs east-west across the northwestern edge of the suburb of Littleton, following the course of a greenbelt converted from a drainage ditch through a series of...
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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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 Little Dry Creek Trail provides a paved, relatively flat pathway for bikers, walkers and skaters through areas of Westminster and northern Arvada. The tree-lined route follows its namesake, Little...
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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...
The New Santa Fe Regional Trail provides a scenic journey along the front range of the mountains, from Palmer Lake Recreation area in northern El Paso County through the U.S. Air Force Academy in...
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...
The Willow Creek Greenbelt Trail is a six mile, paved and soft-surface trail that runs along a creekbed in the suburban area around Centennial. The trail begins in the north outside the Holly Park...
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...
Colorado's West Rail Line Bike Path parallels the W Line, a new light rail corridor through Denver and Lakewood that was known during construction as the West Rail Line. The Regional Transportation...
The Weaver Gulch Regional Trail runs east-west across the northwestern edge of the suburb of Littleton, following the course of a greenbelt converted from a drainage ditch through a series of...
Following a narrow, manmade waterway, the Fairmount Trail winds its way from Arvada to Golden. Along this flat, gravel and dirt pathway, trail-goers will enjoy scenic views of North Table Mountain and...
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...
A short, but useful suburban trail, the Lilley Gulch Regional Trail helps to connect numerous neighborhoods in the community of Columbine with local parks and schools, and provides a safe and off-road...
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 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 Cherry Creek Regional Trail is a picturesque 40-mile route that begins in downtown Denver and connects suburban and rural Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, including the communities of Parker,...
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...
Closely following its scenic namesake waterway for most of its journey, the popular Boulder Creek Path runs east from Boulder Canyon to the outskirts of the Valmont Reservoir. Its western end is dirt...
The Goose Creek Greenway offers a major east-west route through Boulder. Note that there is little shade along the way and the pathway runs through busy commercial areas, including the Villa Shopping...
The Columbine Trail runs across the eastern edge of the suburban community of Columbine, paralleling the busy S Platte Canyon Road. This paved trail serves as an important resource for local...
The Westerly Creek Trail provides a convenient north-south route through the heart of Aurora. It traverses residential and commercial areas and runs through two major community open spaces, Expo Park...
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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 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,...
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Big Dry Creek Trail follows an east-west course for 12 miles between Interstate 25 and Standley Lake in Westminster, one of Denver's northern suburbs. The trail is generally flat, with short stretches...
The Farmers’ High Line Canal Trail provides an easy, pleasant way to traverse the northern suburbs of Denver. The paved pathway stretches more than a dozen miles, connecting Westminster, Northglenn,...
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...
The Willow Creek Greenbelt Trail is a six mile, paved and soft-surface trail that runs along a creekbed in the suburban area around Centennial. The trail begins in the north outside the Holly Park...
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...
Denver's Sanderson Gulch Trail follows the small stream for nearly 5 miles through several parks, offering a natural oasis right in the heart of a major city. Much of the paved route has an open feel,...
The C-470 Bikeway—also known as the C-470 Trail and Centennial Trail in Douglas County—provides open views of the Colorado foothills as it follows the southwestern segment of Denver's beltway. Along...
The Cherry Creek Spillway Trail offers wide open views with the Denver skyline as a distant backdrop. Along the way, recreational opportunities abound as the path winds through Aurora's Wheel Park and...
The New Santa Fe Regional Trail provides a scenic journey along the front range of the mountains, from Palmer Lake Recreation area in northern El Paso County through the U.S. Air Force Academy in...
The Firestone Trail mostly parallels Colorado Boulevard between Dacono in the south and north of Firestone, at the northern end of the trail. The trail is paved and provides access to parks,...
The Centennial Link Trail, parts of which were formerly known as the Little Dry Creek Trail, lives up to its name by providing a useful link between the outskirts of Littleton and Centennial, forming...
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 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,...
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...
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...
The Mineral Trail, also referred to as the Railroad Spur Trail, is a short trail on the southern edge of Littleton that manages to pack in a suprising amount of variety and utility considering its...
The Columbine Trail runs across the eastern edge of the suburban community of Columbine, paralleling the busy S Platte Canyon Road. This paved trail serves as an important resource for local...
The trail is great in that it's separated from cars, in some sections it's even separated from walkers and runners, and it makes accessing downtown a breeze. However, there is a major disconnect between this trail and all of the bike friendly streets of downtown. Because the trail follows Speer, arguably the most dangerous and busy street in Denver, it's extremely nerve-wracking trying to get off the trail to access anywhere downtown from most exit points.
Denver's done a decent job of making their streets bike-friendly but the major thing the area lacks is connection of those streets to other streets and trails. Turning left is a nightmare and getting on the Cherry Creek trail is nearly impossible without riding on the sidewalk for a few blocks.
I know what you are thinking. It's a 5 mile trail it's hardly worth the drive. Idaho Springs has made an effort to improve the tourism in their historic town. The trail follows Clear Creek and winds through history. See a narrow gauge steam locomotive, a water wheel, a water fall and the historic district. This ride illustrates the the mineral belt and it's grand history. See how the west was won.
If you can find the 8" blue signs where the trail starts in Winter park, the first 2 miles are blacktop and really pretty traveling through a forested area with views of the creek and occasional benches to rest. The trail then becomes sidewalk through the busy touristy spots with nice food and beverage options, and LOTS of sidewalk traffic. Again, if you can see the tiny 8" blue sign, you can cross hwy 40 and continue on a blacktop trail for the remaining few miles. There is a great park along the way and this could be a nice stroll for a traveling family.
Good for an inline skate over distance. Some solid downhills and uphills. You will get some serious speed going on the final approach to Boulder. There are a few sharper turns to watch out for in other locations. 95% fresh, immaculate concrete.
Had fun on this trail. I started in Erie, although I couldn't locate the trail head by using the directions on here, instead it took to me a residential neighborhood, so I parked there without upsetting homeowners.
Didn't notice the gradual incline, although there were two significant climbs, it wasn't until my return from Superior back to Erie did I notice the decent and FLEW back..... Awesome! Will definitely do this again!
FYI: The bridge is out at the start of the trail (Greenway)
There is a visitor center, the bridge is out just past the center.
Approaching Santa Fe is where the trail seems to become really neglected. No crossing assistance whatsoever across Santa Fe is extremely dangerous. Once across Santa Fe heading SW, the trail is extremely rutted and then ends in the middle of nowhere with no signage or any instruction on how to get to the Chatfield section. This section appears to be run/managed by Denver Water but I would highly avoid this area until improvements are made.
It's an OK trail with a lot of surface street crossings that link cement paths behind backyards in the Northwest section. Heading east from 76th and Sheridan the path dips down into a concrete channel that carries the creek. The feel is industrial, it's an old urban / housing projects area. You climb back out of the channel around Lowell. This area has been closed for construction for about 4 years, but is nearing completion. You can get through it when they are not actively working, otherwise you will have to detour on surface streets. I recommend it for family walks, only OK for cycling.
That was fun. And yes it's not an aggressive trail, mostly flat but the length was perfect. Of course I never plan my water right but once I hit the end in Greeley (I started in Windsor) I rode into to town and fueled up on water. I went today 7/8/17, a bit warm but I didn't want to stop and double back because each part of the trail was so interesting, I wanted to see what each curve brought, even the few miles through "town" looking at the houses up against one of the many small lakes was interesting, Kinda want to live there now. Thanks Larimier County and or Weld and Traillink.
This is a bike ROUTE, NOT a bike TRAIL. Over 1/3 of this trail is on road. And not residential roads. These are busy thoroughfare's and I do not recommend for anyone who is not familiar or comfortable riding in traffic with cars, trucks, semi's, construction vehicles, and buses. I started at 57th Street trail head and it's basically random sidewalks intermixed with road with a tunnel that passes underneath highway 34 until you get to the Boyd Lake area of the trail. I ride bike trails to get out of traffic and this is not out of traffic.
I've done this trail on a double drop longboard. I've done sections of this trail many times and have only done the full loop once. I'm reviewing the full loop and give it four stars because it's not finished. When we started we parked at Boyd Lake which costs $8 to park which is kind of a bummer. We went clockwise around the whole loop and my GPS said we did 20.5 miles. There's a couple of tricky spots to navigate but not a big deal since they are short spots. The first spot is when you get to Wilson Ave. where the trail ends at 8th St. Head West on 8th and continue all the way to the end. 8th St. changes names to Imperial Ridge Dr then Zachary Dr. Once you've reached then end of Zachary walk through a short field and down towards the creek so as not to trespass. Once you've reached Namaqua Rd. the concrete trail begins again and you know are starting the second leg of the trail. You'll take the trail to its end at W 57th St. which is the worst part of the loop. 57th St. is a busy road with little to no shoulder and dangerous to pedestrians. Once you cross the rail road tracks you can access the trailer park and use S. Berry Dr. to make you way to Hwy. 287 (Garfield Ave.) Now the path begins again and you are on your way back to Boyd. This path in either direction offers fun little downhill sections that are great fun on a longboard. Our top speed never exceeded 20mph.
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