Best Hikes in Colorado
Colorado hiking is a short season at high altitude, and two of its best areas now need a reservation before you can drive to the trailhead. These are the trails worth the thin air, with the timed-entry rules and the altitude advice that keeps a first day from being a wasted one.
48 trail guides and 8 ready-to-book itineraries
Ready-to-book trips
Day-by-day, with the permits and the stays already worked out.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison: A 2-Day ItineraryWestern Colorado · Gunnison River
Colorado Springs in 3 Days: Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and the InclineColorado · Front Range
Denver Itinerary: 3 Days from Red Rocks to the RockiesColorado · Front Range
Fancy Pass Missouri Lakes Loop: A Holy Cross WeekendColorado · Holy Cross Wilderness
Indian Peaks Wilderness: Weekend Backpacking GuideFront Range · Continental Divide
Colorado River Kayaking Trips: A 3-Day Moab and Lake Powell ItineraryUtah & Arizona · Red Rock Canyon Country
Lost Creek Wilderness Loop: A 3-Day Colorado BackpackColorado · Lost Creek Wilderness
Maroon Bells Four Passes Loop: Backpacking GuideAspen, Colorado · Maroon Bells-Snowmass WildernessNational park hikes
Best Family Vacations Out West: Five National Park Trips Built for KidsThe best family vacations out west, compared: Utah's Mighty Five, the Olympic Peninsula, Rocky Mountain, Yosemite and Sequoia, and
Denver to Great Sand Dunes: Drive Time, Route and What to Do ThereFour hours south of Denver, the tallest dunes in North America sit against a 14,000-foot wall. Two routes get you there and one of
Denver to Yellowstone National Park: Drive, Route & StopsHow to drive from Denver to Yellowstone National Park: roughly 560 miles and 8-9 hours via I-25, I-80 and US-191 through Jackson. 
Best Time to Visit Black Canyon of the GunnisonWhen to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison for hiking, fall color, fewer crowds, and open roads, broken down month by month and se
Camping at Black Canyon of the GunnisonEverything you need to know about camping at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, including all three campgrounds, reservations, hookups,
Best Hikes in Black Canyon of the GunnisonA trail-by-trail guide to the best hikes in Black Canyon of the Gunnison, from easy rim walks to the brutal Gunnison Route into th
Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National ParkFrom the tundra-crossing Trail Ridge Road corridor to the alpine lakes above Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park packs more woBackpacking and multi-day routes
Conundrum Hot Springs PermitsConundrum permits do not run on a lottery. They drop on three fixed dates a year and disappear in minutes, which makes this one of
Backpacking in Colorado: The Best Loops, by Permit DifficultySorted by the thing that actually decides your summer: whether you can get a permit. From free self-issue routes to the ones you p
Four Pass Loop Permits: How the Booking Actually WorksTwo separate systems, and people book one and turn up without the other. What you need, when it releases, and the direction most p
The Sneffels Traverse: Hut to Hut in the San JuansA 34-mile hut-to-hut traverse beneath the Sneffels Range, four huts, no tent, and the option to climb a 14er on the way through.
Chicago Basin 14ersA practical climber's guide to bagging the three Chicago Basin 14ers deep in Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness.
Riding the Durango Silverton Train to Backpack the WeminucheEverything you need to know about using the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to access remote Weminuche Wilderness trai
Indian Peaks Wilderness PermitsEverything you need to reserve an overnight backpacking permit for Indian Peaks Wilderness, including zones, fees, and how to bookDay hikes
Best Day Hikes in Indian Peaks WildernessSix of the best day hikes in Indian Peaks Wilderness, from easy Brainard Lake strolls to the climb up to Lake Isabelle and Pawnee 
Crater Lake Trail at Maroon Bells: A Day Hike GuideA complete guide to the Crater Lake Trail at Maroon Bells near Aspen, with distance, elevation gain, trail conditions, and what to
Emerald Lake TrailA practical trail-by-trail guide to the Emerald Lake hike from Bear Lake, including distance, parking, and how to string together More guides in this state
Glamping Near Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park and Grand Lake OptionsThere is no glamping inside Rocky Mountain National Park, but Estes Park and Grand Lake both have yurts, safari tents and cabins j
Mesa Verde National Park in Winter: What Is Open and Which Tours RunMesa Verde stays open all winter, but the cliff dwelling tours stop and Wetherill Mesa closes. Here is exactly what you can still 
25 Fun Facts About Rocky Mountain National ParkFrom a 14,259 foot summit to the highest paved through-road in the country, here are 25 real, sourced facts about Rocky Mountain N
The Pool in Rocky Mountain National Park: An Easy Fern Lake Trail HikeThe Pool is a 3.4 mile round trip hike on the Fern Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, reaching a bend of the Big Thompson
Things to Do Near Mesa Verde National Park: Cortez, Durango and the Four CornersMesa Verde is only a day of your trip. Around it are two more sets of cliff dwellings, a historic train, the actual Four Corners, 
Colorado National Parks Road Trip: All Four in Nine DaysColorado has four national parks and they sit at the four corners of the state. Here is the 1,000 mile loop from Denver that links
Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 DaysA day by day Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary for one, two or three days, built around the timed entry windows, the Bear Lak
Denver to Telluride: The Drive, the Two Routes and the PassesSix and a half hours and two mountain passes, or seven hours and none. Telluride sits at the end of a box canyon, and every route 
Bears in Rocky Mountain National Park: What Actually Lives ThereBlack bears yes, grizzlies no, and the animal most likely to hurt you is neither of them. What the park actually holds and how to 
The Closest Airport to Rocky Mountain National ParkDenver is the answer for almost everyone, but it is not the nearest. The drive times, the smaller alternatives, and whether you ca
How Many Days Do You Need in Rocky Mountain National Park?One day gets you Trail Ridge Road or Bear Lake, not both. What each length of stay realistically buys, and the permit rule that de
Sky Pond: The Best Hike in Rocky Mountain National ParkNine and a half miles, three waterfalls, four lakes and a scramble up a waterfall to finish. The one hike in Rocky Mountain that i
Blue Lakes and Mount Sneffels: The Northern ApproachThe turquoise lakes on the north side of Sneffels, the mileage to each one, and how the pass links through to the summit route.
Mount Sneffels Deaths: What Actually Goes WrongPeople search this before they climb, and they deserve a straight answer. What kills people on Sneffels, where it happens, and how
Mount Sneffels Southwest Ridge: The Harder LineBetter rock, more exposure and far fewer people than the standard gully. What the Southwest Ridge involves and who should be on it
The V-Notch on Mount Sneffels: The Class 3 CruxA few moves near the top of the Lavender Col decide whether Sneffels is a hike or a scramble. Here is exactly what the V-Notch inv
Mount Sneffels Weather: What to Expect by MonthThe forecast for Ouray is not the forecast for 14,155 feet. What the weather actually does on Sneffels, month by month, and the tu
Mt. Sneffels Half Marathon: Ouray to RidgwayIt does not climb the mountain. A net downhill half on Ouray County dirt roads, capped at 500 runners, with the Sneffels Range in 
Sneffels Highline Trail: Telluride's Big LoopA 12 to 14 mile loop straight out of Telluride with about 4,000 feet of climbing, and one of the best days you can have without a 
Maroon Bells Fall Colors, Weather and Shuttle GuideWhen the aspens peak, the weather to expect at 9,600 feet, how the Aspen Highlands shuttle and timed reservations work, parking an
Easy Hikes in Rocky Mountain National ParkThe best short, flat, and stroller-friendly trails in Rocky Mountain National Park for families, beginners, and anyone short on ti
Estes Park Elk Rut: Where and When to See the Fall BuglingA local's guide to the Estes Park elk rut: the best viewing meadows, peak weeks, safe distances, and how to combine wildlife watch
Rocky Mountain National Park Timed EntryA clear walkthrough of Rocky Mountain National Park's two timed entry permits, when you need them, how to book on Recreation.gov, 
Trail Ridge Road GuideA complete guide to driving Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, including the best stops, when it opens, weather, an
Best Time to Backpack the Weminuche Wilderness in ColoradoA season-by-season guide to timing your Weminuche Wilderness backpacking trip in Colorado's San Juan Mountains.
Where to See Elk in Rocky Mountain National ParkThe best meadows, times, and seasons to reliably see elk in Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, including the fall rut an
Colorado 14ers GuideColorado has 58 peaks above 14,000 feet, and most of them are hikeable by fit non-climbers, if you understand the altitude, the weRocky Mountain National Park and Maroon Bells both gate access by reservation, and both release them on a schedule. The guides above cover how each system works before you book flights around it.
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Free permit watch
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
The WaveCoyote Buttes North · Arizona / UtahPermitLotterybrutal odds
Half Dome CablesYosemite NP · CaliforniaPermitOpens Mar 1fair odds
Mt. WhitneyInyo NF · CaliforniaPermitOpens Feb 1tough odds
Angels LandingZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds
The SubwayZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds
Mount St. Helens Summit ClimbGifford Pinchot NF · WashingtonPermitReservationtough odds
How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.