Sophia May
Hiking Trails In Boulder Colorado – Length: 3.5+ miles Elevation: 1,423 feet Starting Elevation: 5,720 feet Difficulty: Medium Distance from Denver: 35 minutes Sarah’s Rating: 5/10 Total Time: 2 hours Parking: Small, Summer Price Best Season: All Full year, tomorrow Features: View, additional rock climbing information: all routes about the area:
Boulder, CO University of Colorado – Best known for Boulder and the Celestial Seasoning Tea Factory, but for outdoor enthusiasts, it’s also well known for its scenic hiking trails and rock climbing. Among these countless opportunities is the famous Flatiron rock formation.
Hiking Trails In Boulder Colorado
Flatirons are large rocks shaped like iron cloth. Five of these formations line up to form flatirons. These rocks are numbered 1-5 by locals to help identify locations in the park. The first Flatiron is the northernmost, the fifth is the southernmost.
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There are several trails around the Flatirons, including the Flatirons Vista Trail, the First and Second Flatiron Trails, and the Royal Arch Trail. To get a better picture of all the hiking trails, here is a map. There are also many ways to rock climb. In fact, the Flatiron climb is world famous!
Many of the Flatiron hikes are located in Chautauqua Park, a beautiful park with spectacular views of the Flatirons. From here, you can follow a series of custom routes and trails that will improve your hiking skills.
The start of the trail is here. From downtown, take I-25 and head north. After about five miles, take exit 217-A and continue on US-36W. Follow this for about 20 kilometers. Once in Boulder, take the Baseline Road exit onto CO-93 and turn left onto Baseline Road. It’s a mile. When you type in residential area and see a fairy tale house, you are in the right area. Turn left on Kinnikinic Road to the Chautauqua Park parking lot.
For every hike, I always bring ten hiking essentials and a good pair of hiking boots. Ten points are essential for a comfortable and safe day’s hiking and have saved me from many accidents!
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We arrived in Boulder just after 8:30 on a beautiful Saturday morning. Chautauqua Park was easy to find, but the parking lot was full. After walking around the lot, we lucked out and grabbed a spot as someone was leaving. Score!
After grabbing our daily gear, we hit the road. There is a sign near the parking lot with a map and details of the park. I’m glad I found it before I left because many of the trails can be overwhelming and confusing to navigate.
We decided to connect the Flatiron Loop with the 1st and 2nd Flatiron Trails, but the route we followed was the same route Alltrails planned for their 1st and 2nd Flatiron Trails.
The first half kilometer of the trail is smooth, wide and well maintained. It is in a beautiful open meadow and grows slowly until it reaches the forest line. Once we got off the paved road, the climb got a little tougher and harder to follow.
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Fortunately, there are plenty of maps and signs at each intersection, so finding your way to First and Second Flatiron Streets is pretty easy.
When we reached the main part of the road that runs between the first and second floors, the surface became very steep. There are many modifications to help with climbing, but many people struggle. This is the main reason why this trail is rated as “difficult” on Alltrails.
By ten o’clock, the road began to move quickly. Many of the rock climbing areas were packed to the brim and we went through three separate groups of over 40 people. So if you’re planning an adventure in the area, make sure you hit the trail in the early afternoon or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. It’s a far cry from the crowd that was walking today.
Once near the summit, the path is difficult to follow. I had downloaded the Alltrails app and had good service so I read the map to make sure we were going in the right direction. I’m glad we came prepared!
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Once at the top, the rocks block most of the view, so we did some climbing to ensure the best views on this hike.
On the way back, we decided to head south on the Flatiron Trail for another mile or so. We found some good places to climb, so the extra effort was worth it!
After hiking the Flatirons, there are so many great places and things to see! If this is your first or only trip to Boulder, I highly recommend a visit to the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory. This is a free 45-minute tour that takes you through the process of making their tea, from start to finish, and gives you a unique opportunity to visit their famous mint, tea shop and cafe.
Another must-see in Boulder is the famous and historic Pearl Street Mall. It’s a beautiful and lively outdoor area with lots of shops, live entertainment, great restaurants and more. They often hold free events and have some activities and entertainment. If you decide to visit the Pearl Street Mall, be sure to visit one of its amazing restaurants. We love stopping here after a long hike to refuel.
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Appropriate cookies are required for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensure the functionality and security of the website. These cookies do not store personal information. There’s nothing like a recommendation to reward all your sweat and hard work in travel. Most streets in Boulder have a refreshing view or two, but the following streets are especially good for scenic views, making them one of the best rides near Denver.
Help protect Boulder’s natural beauty by remembering the mountain’s character, and before you leave, check here for trail closures.
Chautauqua Trails & Hikes
(OSMP) will follow plans and temporary closures during the summer and fall of 2022. We recommend checking in advance for current closures.
Located in a beautiful small lake and park community in the foothills of North Boulder. As you start down the nice flat trail, you’ll admire the Flatirons in the distance across the water. Keep an eye out for paragliders, who use the top of the Wonderland Hill Trail as a reference point.
The tour is accessible to the average wheelchair, walker or scooter user. Learn more about the City of Boulder’s Mountain Parks and Open Space Program at AccessibleOSMP.org.
Check out this post on Instagram A post by Adriana Miller (@drimiller).
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Make mud! Always stay on the road, even if it’s muddy. Outcrops cause erosion and invade the natural environment.
While the most prominent symbol of the Flatirons is the Chautauqua Trailhead, south of town this trail leads from afar to the iconic symbol, giving you an unparalleled view of the entire mountain. Perfect for hikers and families, the open nature of this trail (bring plenty of sunscreen) lets you get a feel for the scale and areas you won’t be able to reach on the trail. which leads directly to Mt. In addition, for those who want to travel longer, many connections make it possible.
View this post on Instagram A post by Christina Stern | Health Coach (@christina_healthcoach) on Apr 15, 2020 at 8:27pm PDT
Driving solo from Flagstaff to Realization Point is a great way to see the University of Colorado Redstone and all of Boulder below. Once on the road, start on Chapman Drive, a wide dirt road (shared by mountain bikers) and see dense forest along the forest floor and beyond to the snow-capped Indian Peaks to the west. oh
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