Tracy Salcedo - Best Easy Day Hikes Denver

Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes Denver

Second Edition

Tracy Salcedo-Chourr

Copyright 2011 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

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Project editor: David Legere

Layout artist: Kevin Mak

Maps created by Trailhead Graphics Inc. Morris Book Publishing, LLC

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN 978-1-4930-0503-1

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Contents

The Hikes

The Hikes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to these organizations for their ongoing preservation efforts and for reviewing hike descriptions: the Jefferson County Open Space Department, Denver Mountain Parks, and Colorado State Parks.

Thanks to Tripp Addison of Denver Mountain Parks and Kim Frederick and Kelley Lehman of the Jeffco Open Space for help with the first edition of this guide.

A word about PLAN Jeffco: This grassroots organization, formed in 1971, is the soul of Jefferson Countys lauded open space program. As a onetime member of the watchdog organizations board, I found myself in awe of its movers and shakers, some of whom have been active since the beginning. Everyone who treads on open space trails is indebted to PLAN Jeffco. This guide would not be possible without Margot Zallen, Marilyn Mueller, John Litz, and the rest.

Thanks to the expert editors, layout artists, mapmakers, and proofreaders at FalconGuides and Globe Pequot Press for their skill and faith.

Thanks to these folks for company and advice on trails: Karen Charland, Penn Chourr, Peggy Biehoffer, George Meyers and Merrill Wilson, Mark Ohrenschall and Janice Schaake Ohrenschall, Molly Garbus and family, Sara Bruhl and family, and Sarah Warren and the Warren clan.

Most of all, thanks to my sons, Jesse, Cruz, and Penn, and my husband, Martin, for their unending support.

Introduction

The genesis of my life as a hiking-guidebook writer took place in Denvers foothills seventeen years ago. I was living in a little house with huge windows that looked out onto Bergen Peak. Caring for my infant twins, when I wasnt overwhelmed I wondered how I would meld my identity as a writer/editor with motherhood and my love of the outdoors.

Enter George Meyers and his wife, Merrill Wilson, also parents of twins, passionate about wilderness, and then owners of Chockstone Press. They asked me to write my first guide, 12 Short Hikes in the Denver Foothills, when the boys were just babes in packs. Ive been writing about the trail ever since.

Now in its third iteration, this guide to Denver-area day hikes includes some of my old backyard favorites and fabulous new routes in parks that didnt exist when I lived in Colorado in the 1980s and 1990s. While doing the research, which involved dropping GPS tracks on each trail, I was again struck by the diversity of ecosystems along the Front Range. In some places dense pine and aspen forests envelop trails in fragrance and quiet. In others the red-rock skeleton of the planet is exposed, or a vigorous stream continues to gouge out a canyon. The high peaks of the Continental Divide rise above it all. Its a truly unique and wonderful landscape.

Every trail I have set foot on in the Rockies has been superlative in a unique way, which made whittling down to the best a painful process. To add great new trails in great new parks meant some great old trails had to be cut. The good news is that theres not a dud in the bunch, and I have kept references to jettisoned hikes from the first edition as options for further exploration. But keep in mind that nearby parks, or trails within the same park, may offer trips better suited to your mood or level of fitness. Between Jefferson Countys open space lands, Denvers mountain parks, and Colorados state parks, there are enough trails for a lifetime of exploration. And thanks to the ongoing preservation efforts of the Jefferson County Open Space Department (the preponderance of hikes in this guide are on Jeffco open space for good reason), new parklands continue to come online.

It was both a privilege and a delight to rediscover my former home turf. Its as lovely as ever. Ive no doubt youll agree. Walk on the wild sideyour pleasure is virtually guaranteed.

The Nature of Denver

Trails in Denver and its foothills range from rough and hilly to flat and paved. Hikes in this guide cover the gamut. While by definition a best easy day hike poses little danger to the traveler, knowing a few details about the nature of the region will enhance your explorations.

Weather

Late spring, summer, and fall are the optimal times to hike trails in Colorados Front Range. Temperatures are generally moderate, and precipitation is usually limited to scattered afternoon thunderstorms.

Typical daytime temperatures in the prime hiking season range from the mid-50s and 60s (in early spring and late fall) to the upper 80s (in summer), with the occasional heat wave or cold snap. Generally, the higher you go in elevation, the cooler the air, so if hot weather is predicted for the plains, venture into the high country for cooler temps.

Thunderstorms are most likely early in spring and in late summer, when monsoon moisture from the south collides with cooler mountain air to create dangerous thunderheads. To avoid the potential hazards of lightning strikes and heavy rain, try to be off the trail by midafternoon. Be sure to wear layers and carry rain gear.

Winter cold, snow, and ice may limit access to trails between late October and April, but with the proper gear, especially waterproof footwear, many of the routes described herein can be traveled year-round.

Potential Hazards

While the only critters youre likely to encounter on Front Range trails are butterflies and bunnies, there is the chance you may run across an animal with the potential to cause harm.

Encounters with bears, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions are unlikely but possible. Signs at trailheads warn hikers if these animals might be present, and in most cases include information on how you should behave in the event of an encounter. Making noise while hiking will likely scare off any black bears that might be nearby. Snakes generally only strike if they are threatened: Keep your distance and they will keep theirs. If you come across a cat, make yourself as big as possible and do not run. If you dont act like or look like prey, you stand a good chance of not being attacked.