Explore the best rated trails in Denver, 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 83 trails covering 617 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.
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The West Toll Gate Creek Trail provides a convenient north-south route through Aurora from Horseshoe Park to Quincy Avenue. The trail, just over 3 miles long, is dotted with trees and winds through...
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 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...
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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...
The Toll Gate Creek Trail begins on the south end of DeLaney Community Farm, a 158-acre scenic property that educates and allows members to sustainably grow agriculture. Here, it connects to the High...
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 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...
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 Spring Gulch #1 Greenway is a multiuse pathway in Longmont, Colorado. The trail stretches the length of the 16-acre Kensington Neighborhood Park, extending from 3rd Avenue north to a point not far...
At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the Coal Creek Regional Trail offers spectacular views of the front range. You can even identify surrounding peaks with the "peak finder" signage provided at the...
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...
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 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...
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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...
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 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 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 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...
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0.8 miles of trail isn't much on its own, but as part of a connective tissue of little trails linking major regional regional trails, the Turnpike Trail plays an important role. On the west side, it...
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,...
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 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...
0.8 miles of trail isn't much on its own, but as part of a connective tissue of little trails linking major regional regional trails, the Turnpike Trail plays an important role. On the west side, it...
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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...
The Spring Gulch #1 Greenway is a multiuse pathway in Longmont, Colorado. The trail stretches the length of the 16-acre Kensington Neighborhood Park, extending from 3rd Avenue north to a point not far...
The St. Vrain Greenway begins in Golden Ponds Park and travels east along the creek for more than half its distance. At the park, watch for the bald eagles, wood ducks, great blue herons and Canada...
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...
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 Fowler Trail is an easy hike in scenic Eldorado Canyon State Park that provides a great place to sight wildlife, watch rock climbers, or take in stunning views of the surrounding canyon....
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,...
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 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...
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 Happy Canyon Trail runs for just over 4 miles through the communities of Centennial, Cottonwood and Parker on the southern outskirts of Denver. To the north, the trail begins at in the Cherry...
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 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 Castle North Trail provides a safe, non-motorized connection between the Castle Rock Community Recreation Center and Castle North Park. The paved pathway cuts right through the heart of the...
The Loveland Recreation Trail encircles the "Gateway to the Rockies," offering views of the mountains and access to many of Loveland's natural treasures. While the trail is mostly complete, there are...
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,...
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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...
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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...
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...
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...
Aurora’s Piney Creek Trail provides a pleasant route across town with few street crossings. The paved pathway begins at the Ponderosa Preserve and heads northwest, winding through residential...
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...
0.8 miles of trail isn't much on its own, but as part of a connective tissue of little trails linking major regional regional trails, the Turnpike Trail plays an important role. On the west side, it...
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 Hangman’s Gulch Trail runs along Hangman’s Gulch, a dry stream in Castle Rock. The trail starts at Castle Rock Recreation Center, where it connects to the Woodlands Bowl Open Space on the other...
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 Greenwood Gulch Trail is a short paved trail that runs along the path of its namesake gulch in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village. The trail offers residents the chance to experience a little...
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 Sand Creek Regional Greenway follows Sand Creek in Denver's northeast metro area. The southern end of the trail, through Denver and Aurora, has a soft surface, which can make for a dusty ride when...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 Toll Gate Creek Trail begins on the south end of DeLaney Community Farm, a 158-acre scenic property that educates and allows members to sustainably grow agriculture. Here, it connects to the High...
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...
Never again. Although very scenic in some areas the signage along this trail is lacking, especially in important areas when there is a fork in the trail. I found myself going the wrong way several times. The City of Arvada needs to step up and provide direction for riders who don't know this trail. When it's getting dark and becoming cold, the challenge of finding your way back on the this kind of trek does not become fun anymore.
We had a fun day exploring the Clear Creek Trail in Golden and some of the city's numerous attractions. We began at Parfet Park, where there was ample parking along Jackson Street. The trail begins paved, but becomes crushed stone as you head west out of town. The path can get a bit bumpy here, but we were fine on our hybrid bikes. The pathway closely parallels the river and we saw lots of families tubing down the river and a couple of people with fly fishing gear. There was a great playground right along the trail, too, which my daughter loved. Nearby, we also visited the American Mountaineering Museum and took a tour of the Coors brewery.
I didn't get a chance to explore all of this trail, but I was very impressed with what I saw of if as well as the Denver cycling infrastructure in general (handlebar videos available at youtube.com/ratbas). The idea of being able to ride for miles through a major city without having to cross an intersection is very enjoyable. The trail is well maintained, has good signage and plenty of public are while taking you past many points of interests. There are also countless access points to make it very practical for commuters and tourists.
We had a wonderful time on the LoBo Trail, beginning our ride from Boulder's Celestial Seasonings parking lot after a great tour of the tea factory. The trail’s scenery was beautiful: a mixture of shady tree corridors and open fields with long grasses and wildflowers. Quiet neighborhoods buffered the trail just beyond the trees, and we saw many people out enjoying a weekend bike ride or walking their dogs. The trail was largely hard-packed crushed stone, which our hybrid bikes handled easily. There was a short break in the trail between Twin Lakes Road and Lookout Road, but that afforded us the opportunity to access a commercial area where we stopped for lunch.
This is a great concrete running trail that is moderately shaded and pretty easy to follow. It connects with a couple other trail systems, most notably the Clear Creek Trail on the eastern end. Sometimes there are concentrations of homeless underneath Wadsworth Blvd. but they seem to keep to themselves. Occasionally, the disc golfers at Memorial Park will take up the whole path and/or smoke, but that's just a minor personal annoyance.
The worst part of the trail is when the trail briefly ends and you have to run along Brooks Dr. and Johnson Way on either the sidewalk or the road to get back onto the trail at the Apex Tennis Center.
Traveling west is an ever slight incline and as you reach the end of the trail on the western end of the trail, there are some serious uphill climbs. In the winter, the city does a pretty good job of keeping the trail cleared of snow but there are still icy patches around.
Overall, this is a pretty good urban trail.
Pros: Pretty well shaded, well marked in most places and lots of places to access or exit the trail. Great views of the mountains around Pecos and Federal when running westbound.
Cons: There are a lot surface-level street crossings starting at and east of Huron St. Trail runs next to busy roads for stretches.
Perfect for an out of towner like myself. Trail was easy to follow especially with this app!
My wife and I rode this trail out and back this week. Parking was good but you do need to find the lots and that can be difficult. The trail itself is wonderful. Lots of shade, open areas, and mixed riding with a nice climb and decent coming and going. The surface is well packed and wide. We saw many other bikers and walkers even though it was a workday. Our biggest complaint, and it caused more miles than planned, is horrible to non-existent signage. There are large blue signs at some intersections with the trail name but no direction on the signs. There are numerous trail junctions to neighborhoods, other trails, and shopping but not one sign to show where the main trail leads. For added confusion these off-shoot trails have the same surface as the main trail and look the same. At one major intersection the trail split 3 ways, we took what looked like the main trail and ended up in a car wash and the trail literally disappearing. Talking with locals who were on the trail was no help as many only used the connector trails and did not know where the main trail was. After finally figuring out the main trail with many detours we turned around before we would have liked and headed back. So, if going on this trail, know the trail before you go.
This trail from Mile High Stadium north to Thornton was awesome. The path is all concrete with a few brief exceptions. The trail is well laid out, good signage. The are frequent rest spots and even quite a few places to relieve yourself if need be with porta potties that were surprisingly clean. Lots of wildlife and open areas. Well worth the trip.
This is one of the loveliest and nicely maintained urban bike trail I have ridden. The trail is paved and wide without many hazards on the pavement. The trail is well marked for the most part. I did miss a turn at one point and found myself on a different trail. Eventually, I turned back and found the correct trail again. I had missed the sign on a fork in the road and turned on to the wrong trail. The scenery is very lovely - it follows along a stream with pretty waterfalls.
Several different trailheads make this a fun spot to try many times. It is deceptively big and can be challenging or moderate depending on the route you choose. It is very popular- and in the fitness crazed Golden CO area, so you will meet others on the way.
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