Explore the best rated trails in Highlands Ranch, CO. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Discovery Trail (CO) and Switzerland Trail. With more than 121 trails covering 730 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.
More than 150 miles of hike, bike and equestrian trails are available to residents of the Denver suburb of Arvada. The trails run the gamut from long regional trails to shorter, neighborhood pathways....
The Lee Lateral Ditch Trail is a hike-and-bike running east-west in the Denver suburb of Thornton. The trail connects residents to a number of recreational destinations along its route, from the...
The Legacy Loop is a ten-mile system of greenways ringing around downtown Colorado Springs. The trails serve to highlight the waterways and picturesque landscape that are such a core part of the...
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 Alameda Bike Path is a separated bike-ped facility along Alameda Parkway/ Avenue. The paved trail stretches for over seven miles from Jewell Avenue to just east of SR 95 in Lakewood, a suburb of...
Arvada's residents are lucky to have access to more than 150 miles of multiuse trails to fit every need. For every prominent regional trail like the 12-mile Ralston Creek Trail, there are many local...
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...
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...
The Cook Creek Trail is a short, paved trail located in the suburban community of Lone Tree. The trail originates in Cook Creek Park, home to a local pool, tennis courts, and a portion of the Willow...
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...
Two segments of the LaForet Trail are currently complete, offering 2 miles of pathway in northern Colorado Springs, just outside the United States Air Force Academy. The western segment is a...
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 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...
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 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 Midland Trail runs between Manitou Springs and America the Beautiful Park near I-25. The urban corridor mainly follows the course of Fountain Creek, paralleling US 24 (Cimarron St.). The first...
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 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 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...
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 Legacy Loop is a ten-mile system of greenways ringing around downtown Colorado Springs. The trails serve to highlight the waterways and picturesque landscape that are such a core part of the...
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...
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...
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 Interurban Trail is so named because it sits partly along the route of the Denver Tramway Trolley's Golden Line. The streetcar system once criss-crossed metro Denver and served the area for 40...
The Mesa Springs Greenway is a north-south route along the western side of Interstate 25. A sound wall between the highway and the trail helps makes the journey more pleasant. The pathway is also wide...
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 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 Rockrimmon Trail, named for the Colorado Springs neighborhood in which it lies, begins in Foothills Park, adjacent to Foothills Elementary School. From there, the crushed-stone trail winds its way...
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 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 Alameda Bike Path is a separated bike-ped facility along Alameda Parkway/ Avenue. The paved trail stretches for over seven miles from Jewell Avenue to just east of SR 95 in Lakewood, a suburb 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 paved Shooks Run Trail runs north–south along Shooks Run Creek near downtown Colorado Springs. It is one of the easier bike paths in the area; however, runs slightly downhill from north to south....
Although just over a mile long, the North Douglas Creek Trail provides access to one of Colorado Springs' natural treasures: Ute Valley Park. The trail begins at the intersection of Vindicator 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 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,...
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...
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 Coal Mine Trail is a short sidepath trail that connects the Columbine Trail with the Dutch Creek Regional Trail, running for most of its length alongside Coal Mine Avenue in the suburban community...
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...
The Pikes Peak Greenway Trail runs throughout Colorado Springs, from just south of the United States Air Force Academy to the El Pomar Youth Sports Park. The popular trail connects at both ends 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 Stetson Trail is a concrete pathway through residential neighborhoods that stretches 2 miles across northeastern Colorado Springs. It closely follows the south side of Stetson Hills Boulevard. As...
Two segments of the LaForet Trail are currently complete, offering 2 miles of pathway in northern Colorado Springs, just outside the United States Air Force Academy. The western segment is a...
The Interurban Trail is so named because it sits partly along the route of the Denver Tramway Trolley's Golden Line. The streetcar system once criss-crossed metro Denver and served the area for 40...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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 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...
Tallman Gulch Trail is a linear trail along one of Parker's watercourses. The concrete trail is open for multiple uses including jogging, biking, walking dogs and pushing strollers. The trail curves...
The Briargate Trail is located in northern Colorado Springs, beginning at the athletic fields of John Stone Park. From there, this pleasant trail travels southeast through residential areas for just...
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...
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.
This trail was easy to access and walk. Parking is available all around at memorials and in bordering neighborhoods. The only downside is that it follows a major road. You have to listen to the sounds of traffic. There’s not much nature.
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.
Terrible for anything other than walking and even that would be strenuous. HUGE gaps in the pavement ever 10-15 feet
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.
The city seems to love cement trails, i guess they have lots of money. I would prefer a nice gravel trail myself. The cranks and grinding to level the cement has improved the surface a lot.
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.
My husband and I biked this trail today. We liked it. Did not see any vagrants or encampments.
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
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TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!