Best Dog Friendly Hikes In Colorado – I grew up in Littleton, Colorado and didn’t really appreciate the mountains until I moved away. I think that’s normal – we take things for granted that are always… In college, the plane from Dallas made me miss the Rockies, and when I got home, I started spending more time hiking and exploring. And now, even though I’m very much in love with New York, I have to escape to the mountains a few times a year.
Alice may be small (and old), but she’s a strong, fast, fearless little hiker! When we visit Colorado, we hike as much as possible – often just the two of us, but sometimes friends or family join us. Whether you live in Denver or travel from sea level, it’s very important to be aware of elevation when hiking in the Rockies – this applies to humans and dogs alike! Alice and I are going on short hikes at lower elevations the first few days we’re in Colorado until we get used to being a mile above sea level. The summer sun can also be very intense at high altitudes – wear sunscreen and watch out for dark or particularly furry dogs. Even if you only plan to hike a mile or two, bring plenty of water for you and your pup! Take frequent breaks and pay more attention to their energy level.
Best Dog Friendly Hikes In Colorado
I divide the dog-friendly hikes into two groups: those that are an hour or less from Denver and those that are 1-2 hours from downtown Denver. This is approximate and if you are staying outside of Denver, travel times may vary! Unfortunately, there aren’t many options to get to these hikes without a car. Some of the hikes involve unpaved roads that are rocky and a bit unpredictable… so a high mileage vehicle is recommended. Also expect that this time may be unusable for your carrier! So pay attention to directions and your surroundings so you can get home, even if you can’t connect to Google Maps right away.
Breckenridge Dog Lovers Guide
Especially in the mountains, many hikes are only (easily) accessible from late spring to early fall. Even in June or July you may encounter wet or muddy conditions on the trails as snow settles at higher elevations. You can check the latest trail conditions on any trail comments or other websites for the specific trail you plan to hike.
Running around a snowy glacier and wading in a lake of melted snow in the middle of summer. The hike to the lake is fairly short, about 3/4 mile, but steep and rocky. But I recommend continuing around the lake and up the glacier a bit! You can also camp on site. There are two parking lots on either side of the trail that cost $5 cash and there are restrooms in the lots.
This four-mile moderate trail is very close to St. Mary’s Glacier Trail and climbs to another magnificent alpine lake. Most of the path to the lake is a service road, but with a nice view. The lake itself is beautiful and you can walk a bit around it, or the upper lakes if you dare! There weren’t many other people on the trail on a weekday in July.
The Eagle View Trail in Reynolds Park has one of my favorite views! You can see Peak Peak as well as many other mountains. There is plenty of shade, access to the river, and usually not too crowded. I highly recommend this moderate (sometimes steep) four mile loop near Conifer. Free parking at the Reynolds Park Trailhead, which also has restrooms!
Best Dog-friendly Hikes
Alice and I love this park. There are several different trails, all easy and moderate – some for hiking only, others for hikers, mountain bikers and horses. All trails are dog-friendly as long as dogs are on a six-foot leash. One of the closest trails is the Horseshoe Trail, located just behind the Visitor Center. This trail features May wildflowers in late spring and summer, as well as amazing golden aspens and fall foliage in September/October. But it’s worth going a little further to Panorama Point, with stunning views and a cross deer or raccoon trail. Pay the $10 pass at the visitor center (which has restrooms) when you arrive. You can also camp here!
In early April, I hiked this four-mile moderate trail with my mom, Alice, and Amy. The trail was full of snow, so we used Yaktrax traction cleats which you can wear over normal hiking shoes/boots. The mountain was so beautiful in the snow – the contrast of the trees against the white ground looked amazing. There are several viewpoints, including one from Mount Evans.
Echo Lake itself is quite beautiful and would make a great stop if you are driving Blue Sky Mountain (highest paved road in North America). The trail is really fun with great views and stream crossings. The track is about an hour from Denver.
The view from the Continental Divide Overlook is divine. It’s a pretty steep incline in parts and you’ll pass some cool hotel ruins on the way up! I would stop and go here and take the short Fowler Trail to the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail to make it a 3-4 mile hike (depending on if you go up). There is a $10 fee per vehicle and restrooms near the Fowler Trailhead.
Exploring Dog-friendly Silverton & Ouray, Co
The Flatirons are the iconic backdrop of the Boulder area. You can hike through Chautauqua Park to reach the First and Second Flatirons on a 3.5 mile trail. This is a moderately difficult hike that requires climbing over several boulders at the top! This may not be possible for many dogs, but the hike up to this point is great. There are many other trails in the park that you can also explore. Chautauqua tends to be
It gets crowded in the summer, so go early in the morning or on weekdays if you hope to find parking!
The Royal Arch Trail is also part of Chautauqua Park in Boulder. I would describe this four mile hike as moderate, but there are a few steep spots and some large rocks to climb over/around. When you reach the top, you’ll see an amazing, large stone arch and a view of Boulder Valley below.
Maxwell’s Falls is a very popular four-mile hike near conifers and evergreens, so parking can be difficult at times – there are two trails, lower and upper. The trail itself is mostly in the shade with a beautiful view and cascading waterfall. The hike is quite easy, free parking, no toilets.
The Top 10 Dog-friendly Off-leash Hikes In The U.s.
The trail is located in Morrison’s Corvina Park. It’s an easy three-mile hike that includes a trail across the creek that takes you to the Break Creek Trail loop. Halfway through the loop, you’ll find Panorama Point, which offers a great view of the Continental Divide. Access to the trail is incredibly easy and parking is free – although there are no restrooms at the trailhead, you can find them at the nearby Bear Creek trailhead. You can also get to Panorama Point from the trail, but if I recall you’ll miss the access/view of the river.
Yes, the famous Red Rocks amphitheater is also a park with several hiking trails! The trails are fairly easy and short, but have great views of Denver and the colorful cliffs that surround the park. Don’t wear white – the red dust will leave you a different color than when you arrived – and know that there is no shade on the trails! You can park in the lot and use the amphitheater bathrooms for free (and wander around the amphitheater to get a view of downtown Denver) if there is no concert that day.
This trail is east of Red Rocks and overlooks the Red Rocks Park hike! The hike is about five miles out and back with some ups and downs along the way. Our friends Casey (@caseylaynechampagne) and Chessie joined us! The course was very busy on Sunday afternoon, although there was still a lot of snow in some parts for late March. It has a large parking lot, but when I arrived in the afternoon, it was probably three quarters full. Although there are no bathrooms on the trail, there are two gas stations on the other side of the highway. The trailhead is right off I-70, so you can easily walk into the mountains from here!
There are several trails in the park in Morrison, about 30 minutes from Denver. Be sure to head to the Castle Walk to see the remains of the burnt castle and the Tower Walk which offers stunning views of the Eagle Eye Shelter and the Fire Tower. The other paths lead you through the forest, around the meadows and to the point
