26 1 Day Treks to Explore in Boulder County

Checkout places to visit in Boulder County

Boulder County

Boulder County is home to more than 300,000 residents and includes some of the most diverse, natural landscapes and sustainable development along the Northern Front Range of Colorado.

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1 Day Treks to Explore in Boulder County

Bear Peak

Bear Peak is generally considered to be at the southern end of Boulder's Flatirons range, rock formations on the westernmost part of the city. The 8,459-foot peak is located in Boulder Mountain Park, 5.2 miles south-southwest of downtown Boulder in Boulder County,In addition to hiking, Bear Peak has at least three rock climbing formations directly adjacent — The Slab, The Goose, and Seal Rock.

Boulder Creek Path

The Boulder Creek path is popular, 5.5-mile multi-use path that extends to Boulder Canyon on the west end and Stazio Ballfields on the east end. It is apt for walkers, bikers and skaters leads from Boulder proper into the mountains, winding its way along Boulder Creek, a large park and a playground.

Eldora Mountain

Eldora Mountain is a locals’ favorite for snowboarding in northern Colorado. It’s large enough to enjoy different runs all day and has a surprisingly good mix of skiable terrain. The summit of the area is at 10,600 feet above sea level on Bryan Mountain, with a 1200-foot lift-served vertical drop. The slopes face primarily north and east. In addition to alpine skiing, the Eldora Nordic Center also includes 40 km of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails

Flagstaff Mountain

Flagstaff Mountain is a foothill on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. From the peak of Flagstaff Mountain one can see Boulder, Metropolitan Denver, and the surrounding mountains. There are hiking and bike trails, picnic areas, the Summit Nature Center, and an outdoor amphitheatre.

Green Mountain

Green Mountain is a mountain summit on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The mountain is renowned for the Flatirons rock formations on its eastern flank. The standard trailhead for a hike up Green is located in town at the base of Gregory Canyon on the perimeter of Chautauqua Park.

Isabelle Glacier Trail

Isabelle Glacier is an alpine glacier located .25 mi southwest of Shoshoni Peak. This trail is best attempted July through September. Snow-packed conditions can exist during the remaining months of the year.The short hike to Lake Isabelle is one of the area's most popular, however crowds thin on the rugged trek up-valley to its glacial origin.

Longs Peak

Longs Peak is the northernmost fourteener in the Rocky Mountains and the highest point in Boulder County and Rocky Mountain National Park.It extends about 300 miles south-southeastward from near Casper in southeastern Wyoming to Fremont county in south-central Colorado. Boasting 15 various trail routes, the majority include technical climbs with sheer vertical rock faces.

Lost Lake Trail

Lost Lake is an accessible 4-mile round-trip hike to a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by the mountains of Indian Peaks. The trail up to lost lake takes you along the course of Middle Boulder Creek, a slide waterfall, a set of tumbling cascades, and a variety of wildflowers that decorate the borders of the trail, the creeksides, and the small meadows that open up along the trail.

Marshall Mesa Trailhead

Marshall Mesa is a great hike if you want open valley views with mild elevation gain. It connects the Marshall Valley and Community Ditch trails. There are many different ways to link up the trails in the area, and options to cross Rte. 93 to access the trails on the east side of the highway. The high vantage point of the mesa offers great views of the Flatirons as well as far off destinations including Longs Peak to the north and Denver to the east.

Mesa Trail

The Mesa Trail has to be one of the best and most famous short trails in the country. It runs 6.7 miles from Chautauqua Park in Boulder to Eldorado Springs Drive, following a rolling and very scenic route along the foothills, with spectacular views of Boulder's famous Flatirons.

Mitchell Lake

Mitchell Lake is a beautiful lake located .9 miles from Mitchell Lake Trailhead in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. It occupies a broad, damp flat on Mt Audubon's south flank. Mild trail conditions are well-suited for families, winter recreation and those with limited time or abilities. It offers good views of surrounding peaks, abundant wildflowers, excellent fishing, and numerous outlying ponds to explore.

Mount Alice

Mount Alice is a high mountain summit in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is not climbed as often as many of the other mountains in Colorado. It is a challenging mountain to climb, simply because of the long approach. Most climbers ascent via Hourglass Ridge above Lion lakes or else via Boulder Grand Pass above Thunder Lake.

Mount Audubon

Mount Audubon is a high mountain summit of the Indian Peaks in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,229-foot thirteener is located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Roosevelt National Forest, 5.6 miles west-northwest of the Town of Ward in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The mountain was named in honor of John James Audubon.

Mount Meeker

Mount Meeker is a high mountain summit of the Twin Peaks Massif in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,916-foot thirteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, 4.8 miles west by northof the community of Allenspark in Boulder County, Colorado, United States.

North Arapaho Peak

North Arapaho Peak is the highest mountain in the IPW and highest mountain on the Continental Divide north of Denver. The 13,508-foot thirteener is located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, 7.8 miles west-southwest of the Town of Ward, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide separating Roosevelt National Forest and Boulder County from Arapaho National Forest and Grand County. This impressive collection of jagged peaks includes 35 named peaks.

Pagoda Mountain

Pagoda Mountain resides within the protected boundaries of Rocky Mountain National Park, or as some of us say “The Park.”Pagoda Mountain is connected to it’s higher and much more popular neighbor Longs Peak by a sweeping, tower-ridden ridge known as the Keyboard of the Winds. The Glacier Gorge area is as popular and tourist ridden a place can get. It is also a good trekking destination and also there are so many things to see and do.

Rattlesnake Gulch Trail

Rattlesnake Gulch is a very popular and fun hike located just inside Millcreek Canyon near Salt Lake City, UtahThis lollipop trail takes you past the ruins of the Crags Hotel, then on to gain views of the Continental Divide. Scroll down to look over the trail snapshot, then explore the trail details and tips below for this rewarding hike in Eldorado Canyon State Park.

Royal Arch

Royal Arch is a stunning rock formation located 1.2 miles from downtown Boulder. It is a heavily trafficked, classic Boulder trail that leads to a natural stone arch with great views of Boulder and the Flatirons.The trail starts near the Bluebell Shelter and goes up, passing the base of the Third Flatiron. Bears and mountain lions live in the area, so know what to do if you encounter one.

Saint Vrain Mountain

St Vrain Mountain straddles the border between the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and Rocky Mountain National Park. It stands just east of the Continental Divide with beautiful wide views across the Middle St Vrain Creek drainage and Wild Basin Area of RMNP. The Wild Basin area in RMNP to the north is home to some of the parks most famous peaks, including Chief's Head, Pagoda, Meeker and the best known, Long's.

Sourdough Trail

This is a popular trail for birding, hiking, and horseback riding, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. It is around 17.7-km out. It is generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 49 min to complete.

Map of 1 Day Treks to explore in Boulder County