17 1 Day Treks to Explore in Larimer County

Checkout places to visit in Larimer County

Larimer County

Larimer County is one of the 64 counties in the U.S. state of Colorado.It is the seventh largest county in Colorado based on population. The territory was home to Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho in the early 19th century before the arrival of the Europeans.

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1 Day Treks to Explore in Larimer County

Alberta Falls

Alberta Falls is a 30-foot waterfall located in Rocky Mountain National Park. The falls are accessible via a short hike from the Bear Lake trailhead, and the area is popular with both hikers and photographers. The falls flow over a bed of metamorphic rock, and the water is cold even in summer due to its source high in the Rockies. Visitors can see a variety of plant life in the area, including aspen and Douglas fir trees. Wildlife is also common.

Alpine Visitor Center

Alpine Visitor Center is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park, sitting at an elevation of 11,796 feet, it is the highest visitor center in the US National Park system. The center offers stunning views of the Rockies and features exhibits on the park's wildlife, geology, and history. Visitors can also take ranger-led hikes and learn about the park's land management practices.

Arthur's Rock Trail

Arthur's Rock is a popular 3.4-mile hiking trail in Larimer County, Colorado. The trailhead is located near the town of Estes Park, and the trail winds its way through a variety of scenery, including forests, meadows, and Rocky Mountain views. The trail is well-marked and relatively easy to follow, and it offers hikers a chance to see a variety of wildlife. The hike to Arthur's Rock takes approximately two hours round-trip, and it is considered to be moderate in difficulty.

Boyd Lake State Park

Boyd Lake State Park is a smaller area that surrounds Boyd Lake and sports a boat ramp, marina, swim beach, concessions and so more. The park sometimes holds events for the public including fishing derbies and clinics, education programs, and volunteer projects. Activities permitted within the park include boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming, hiking, biking, and hunting.

Dream Lake

Dream Lake is a glacial lake located in Larimer County. Surrounded by towering peaks and evergreen forests, It is a popular destination for hikers and nature lovers. At the end of the trail, hikers are rewarded with a refreshing dip in the clear waters of Dream Lake. You can enjoy hiking, fishing, picnicking, and camping.

Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth Reservoir is a man-made reservoir in Larimer County, which was created in 1950 by the construction of the Horsetooth Dam on the Big Thompson River. The reservoir is open to recreation from late May to early September and is popular for swimming, boating, fishing, and camping. It has a capacity of 156,735 acre-feet and a shoreline of 40 km.

Lily Lake and Trail

Lily Lake is encircled by an easy, one-mile trail that offers stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. The trail is popular with hikers, birdwatchers, and nature lovers. Lily Lake is a beautiful place to relax and take in the scenery. The trail is well-maintained and features interpretive signage detailing the geological history of the area.

Mount Ida

Mount Ida is a mountain summit in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 12,874-foot peak is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, 13.4 miles west of the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide between Grand and Larimer counties. The mountain was probably named after Mount Ida on Crete.

Old Fall River Road

Old Fall River Road is the name of a narrow one-lane dirt road with perilous heights located in Larimer County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. This Road climbs almost to the same height as Trail Ridge, but does so via an unpaved road. The road ends at 3.602m above the sea level. Typically, the road is open by the Fourth of July weekend and closes for the season on October.

Pinewood Reservoir

Pinewood Reservoir occupies 100 acres of water within Larimer County's Ramsay-Shockey Open Space. It is popular for trout fishing and camping. The purpose of this water project is to divert water from the west slope to the east slope for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower generation.

Rainbow Curve Overlook

Rainbow Curve Overlook in Rocky Mountain National Park provides fantastic views of Hidden Valley, Horseshoe Park, Alluvial Fan, Fall River and the Beaver Ponds, and several prominent mountain peaks.Note the light-colored alluvial fan on the north side of the park. It formed in 1982 when Lawn Lake, a small reservoir in the Mummy Range, broke after heavy rain.

Roosevelt National Forest

The Roosevelt National Forest is a national forest located in north central Colorado. The forest encompasses a mountainous area of the foothills on the eastern side of the Continental Divide of the Front Range in Larimer County and Boulder County. In Larimer County it includes the upper valleys of the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson Rivers. There are six officially designated wilderness areas lying within Roosevelt National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Thatchtop

Thatchtop is a large peak with a nondescript summit in RMNP and is home to several of the Park's classic mixed and ice routes. It has a spherical summit plateau, located between the spectacular Loch Vale and Glacier Gorge drainages. Most of Thatchtop’s lower slopes are ringed with rugged cliffs while the upper slopes are talus laden, providing easy class 2 hiking.

The Loch Trail

Loch Vale is a short hike in Rocky Mountain National Park rewards hikers with a spectacular lake and alpine backdrop. Fantastic spot at sunrise!The main trail continues to the right, but make your way to wherever you feel is the best vantage point of the lake, the views are wonderful.

Timberline Falls

This scenic 30-foot waterfall thunders down a small gorge on Glacier Creek, and is named after Alberta Sprague, the wife of Abner Sprague, one of the original settlers in the Estes Park area. One of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many thihnsd to see and do.

Tundra Communities Trailhead

Tundra Communities is rated as a short, family-friendly trail but don’t think it’s an easy walk in the park. Near the top of Trail Ridge Road at Rock Cut, the trailhead sits at 12,110 feet in elevation. This tree-less land is tumbled with lichen-covered rock shards and a crust of low-growing greenery and wildflowers.

Twin Sisters Peaks

The Twin Sisters Peaks are mountains in Colorado, located in the Front Range in Larimer County, Colorado, straddling Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest. It offers a good choice to acclimize for hikes/climbs up Long's Peak, Pagoda, Chief's Head or Mt. Meeker. as the trail is easy to follow and round trip time will only set one back a couple to three hours. Twin Sisters offers a lot of reward for little commitment.

Map of 1 Day Treks to explore in Larimer County