Category: Front Range
Hallett Peak (12,713′), Front Range
Hallett Peak, in Rocky Mountain National Park, is very distinctive when viewed from the east side of the park with it’s slanted square structure towering over the landscape. As you near the summit, however, the square melts away and you Read More …
Lake Helene (10,630′), Front Range
There is no signage and you must follow a social trail to get to the lake, but despite it’s obscurity, Lake Helene is a spectacular destination. Read More …
Garden of the Gods (6,400′) Front Range
Garden of the Gods 480 acre park is geologically unique, having one of the most complete and complex exposures of earth’s history anywhere in the country. It is popular for hiking, technical rock climbing, biking, and horseback riding. There are Read More …
Mills (9,965′) and Jewel (9,990′) Lake, Front Range
Located within Glacier Gorge, Mills and Jewel Lake provide dramatic views of the surrounding peaks. Mills Lake is named in honor of Enos Mills (1870-1914), who is considered the father of Rocky Mountain National Park. The view from Mills Lake Read More …
Mirror (10,325′) and Crater (10,400′) Lake, Front Range
Mirror and Crater lakes are found deep in the heart of the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Cascade Falls, found along the trail and a popular destination, is about 4.5 miles in and comprises of multiple waterfalls. The destination, Crater Lake, sits Read More …
Almagre Mountain (12,360′), Front Range
Almagre Mountain is the second highest peak, after Pikes Peak, when viewed from Colorado Springs. Located in the Pike National Forest just south of Pikes Peak, this hike is rated easy, but getting there can be a challenge. In order Read More …
Mt Rosa (11,500′), Front Range
Mt Rosa is located in the Pike National Forest just south of Pikes Peak and is the only cone shaped summit in the area. This provides rare unobstructed 360 degree views from it’s small but lofty summit one mile above Read More …
Blue Lake (11,360′), Front Range
Blue Lake is accessed from the Mitchell Lake trailhead in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Brainard Lake itself is a small lake at the junction of two major valleys in the east central Indian Peaks Wilderness. The northern of the Read More …
Cheyenne Mountain (9,565′), Front Range
Cheyenne Mountain’s geological summit lies on the southwestern portion of the mountain. The mountain always intrigued me because the front range seems to fall away after Cheyenne Mountain.There are no trails leading to the summit, so it is necessary to Read More …
Lake Haiyaha (10,244′), Front Range
Located in lower Chaos Canyon, Lake Haiyaha is unlike other lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park because it is surrounded by enormous boulders on all sides, left behind by a retreating glacier. Since my trip was in winter, with substantial Read More …
Longs Peak (14,255′), Front Range
Iconic Longs Peak (14,259′) is the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the northern most 14,000′ peak in the Rocky Mountains. The peak is guarded by granite cliffs and does require Class 3 climbing, although the first 6.5 Read More …
Mt Evans (14,264′), Front Range
Mt Evans can be accessed via the highest paved road in North America, reaching an elevation of 14,130′. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway offers easy access to Colorado’s inspiring high mountain environment, which is why it is included on this Read More …
St Vrain Mountain Trail (12,162′), Front Range
The St Vrain Mountain trail straddles the border between the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area (south) and Rocky Mountain National Park (north). It stands just east of the Continental Divide with views across the Middle St Vrain Creek drainage and Wild Read More …
Nymph (9,705′), Dream (9,905′), and Emerald(10,110′) Lake, Front Range
Starting at the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park, the trail passes Nymph and Dream Lakes on the way to Emerald Lake, with prominent views of Longs Peak, Glacier Gorge, Flattop Mountain, and Hallett Peak. If you have limited Read More …
Carpenter Peak (7,166′), Front Range
Carpenter Peak is located in Roxborough State Park, which is a Colorado Natural Area and a National Natural Landmark. The parks 4000-acres is filled with dramatic red-rock formations, distinct plant communities, and a host of wildlife ranging from black bears Read More …
Estes Cone (11,007′), Front Range
Estes Cone is located about 3 miles from the Longs Peak trail-head on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Hiking from Longs Peak trail-head takes you through the abandoned Eugene Mine area (although the ruins are hard to Read More …
Devils Head Fire Lookout (9,748′), Front Range
Devils Head Lookout, the last of the seven original Front Range Lookout towers still in continuous use, is over 100 years old and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bill Ellis and his wife have been operating Read More …
Spruce Mountain (7,635′), Front Range
Spruce Mountain is located on the Palmer Divide near Palmer Lake, Colorado. It offers great views of the Palmer Divide with interesting sandstone formations on the mesa. A nearly flat trail, the Eagle Pass Trail, takes you along the edges of Read More …
Sky Pond (10,900′), Front Range
Begin at the Glacier Gorge trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park and follow a well maintained trail to Timberline Falls. The trail ends there and you must scramble up the side of the falls to continue past The Lake of Read More …
Twin Sisters (11,428′), Front Range
The Twin Sisters ridge runs nearly two miles along the east central boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park. From the summit there are panoramic views of the eastern plains, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Longs Peak. The trail travels through heavily Read More …
Alberta Falls (9,400′), Front Range
Alberta Falls, located in Glacier Gorge, is one of the more popular hiking destinations in Rocky Mountain National Park. The scenic 30-foot waterfall thunders down a small gorge along Glacier Creek, and offers excellent views. The falls are fed by Read More …
Mt Morrison (7,881′), Front Range
Mt Morrison stands above Red Rocks park, home of the famous Red Rocks amphitheater. The mountain can easily be identified for the large outcropping rock that forms the summit called The Dome, and the adjacent antennas to the north of Read More …
Grays(14,270) and Torreys(14,267) Peaks, Front Range
Grays and Torreys are the only two 14er’s situated on the Continental Divide and provide great views of the area. Grays is considered the highest point on the Continental Divide. The peaks are in close proximity to each other so Read More …
Mt Bierstadt (14,160′), Front Range
Mt Bierstadt is a few miles east of Guanella Pass, in the northernmost part of the Pike National Forest. This is one of the best maintained trail-heads for a 14er and is close to Denver, making it one of the Read More …