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I recently moved up to CO from AZ and have done a little hiking so far. I have done a ton of research and found more trails than I can read about! Anyone know any good hikes close to Denver (within 1.5 hrs or so) off the top of their heads? I have found so many that its hard to pick so I am looking for trails that other hikeaz users may have done or heard of at some point that were really good and/or hand good photo ops. I plan on doing as many different ones as I can but until I have been in the hiking scene here for a while it is a little overwhelming to pick! Thanks!

Don't think too much just go. There is SOOO much there that you just need to get your feet moving. Grays/Torreys is a nice one to start, Quandary Peak is nice as well. Also check out 14ers.com, tons of info there. I have never been disappointed on any hike up there.

I liked Quandary...Bierstad(sp) was another good one...they may be a little further out. Good advice from Ron...just go for it.

If you're into peak bagging and get out there early enough, you could do the Decalibron: Democrat, (Cameron), Lincoln, Bross. The drawback on that route is that the true summit on Bross isn't legally accessible right now due to private landowners not granting permissions. Some of it is based on safety issues; there are many uncharted mining tunnels right beneath the surface that could cave in. 14ers.com has a great deal of information on all that.

The other mountains previously mentioned are great hikes too. Quandary is a personal favorite. There's also Sherman and Evans, but most people drive up Evans instead..

Wow you make me jealous, what I wouldn't do to get back up there.
Ok here are some hikes, that I did the reports for local hikes about 7 years ago. Drake on Crosier Mtn. gravel pit. These two make a nice two vehicle hike, Go up the pit and come down by way of the drake. Then there is Round Mtn.. And North Fork which is just below Bulwark Ridge.
And there is Homestead Meadows. which goes all over, and I know of a nice way out from one of the Homesteads So you don't have to go back down the gulch.
I have a good friend up there that is with CMC and has bagged all of the ranked peaks in larimer County, all 255 of them. There are trails listed here by the group that I volunteered with the USFS.
And lastly there is this site. Have fun and any questions just send an EMail.

The Front Range and Mosquito/Tenmile Range 14ers can be rather crowded, although that may not be a factor for you. What ever you do hike, you should definitely post hike descriptions for them here on HAZ!

Ron is right. It's probably hard to go too far wrong. Just lace up the boots and start logging some miles.

Have you looked at the book
60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder--Including Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Rocky Mountain National Park
http://www.amazon.com/60-Hikes-within-M ... ikearizona

Scott Warren does a good job on hiking Guidebooks. Look at his 100 Classic hikes in Colorado.
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Hikes-Col ... ikearizona

Trails.com lists these as the most popular 20 hikes in Colorado. I don't know where these are from Denver
Best Hiking in Colorado
This list represents the most popular hiking in Colorado (learn more about Top Trails). Use this list to plan your next Colorado hiking trip.

#1. Glacier Gorge
In my opinion this is the most beautiful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park. Spectacular scenery, beautiful wildflowers, cascading waterfalls, and beautiful alpine lakes are what you will find on yo…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Front Range"
Estes Park , CO - Hiking - 9.6 miles (About Top Trails) ..

#2. Blue Lake - Indian Peaks Wilderness
A wonderful day hike up to Blue Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. This short hike takes you up to a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by stunning alpine peaks.…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Front Range"
Nederland , CO - Hiking - 5 miles (About Top Trails) ..

#3. Bergen Peak
A beautiful hike up to the summit of Bergen Peak (9,708 feet). Expect to see wildlife, wildflowers along the trail, and excellent views from atop the summit. This is an excellent hike and a must-do. I…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Front Range"
Denver , CO - Hiking - 9.2 miles ..

#4. Boulder County: Longs Peak
Located in north-central Colorado in the Front Range, about 70 miles northwest of Denver, and 10 miles southwest of Estes Park. The most famous Colorado climb, this alpine peak requires a long, strenu…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Summits"
Estes Park , CO - Hiking - 14 miles ..

#5. Canyon Loop Trail
If Grandma’s House were at trail’s end, this would be a fairy-tale “through the woods” experience. And nary a big bad wolf in sight… The Canyon Loop Trail weaves through the expansive Betasso Preserve…
From the guidebook "Best Easy Day Hikes: Boulder"
Boulder , CO - Hiking - 3.2 miles ..

#6. Arapaho Pass Trail to Lake Dorothy
This is a fantastic day hike up to Lake Dorothy via the Arapaho Pass Trail, one of the best trails in the wilderness area for viewing wildflowers. Trail conditions: The lower section of the Arapaho Pa…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness"
Nederland , CO - Hiking - 6.4 miles ..

#7. Lake County: Mount Elbert
Located in central Colorado in the Sawatch Range, about 11 miles southwest of Leadville, and 4 miles northwest of Twin Lakes Reservoir. The highest point in Colorado, this Fourteener provides a popula…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Summits"
Leadville , CO - Hiking - 8.6 miles ..

#8. Chasm Lake
Chasm Lake lies nestled in a rocky alpine cirque below the towering summits of Longs Peak (14,255 feet) and Mount Meeker (13,911 feet), the two highest summits in Rocky Mountain National Park. The cir…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Front Range"
Lyons , CO - Hiking - 8.4 miles ..

#9. Bear Peak
A strenuous but great hike up the summit of Bear Peak (8,461feet), one of Boulder’s most visible landmarks. The Bear Peak Trail follows Bear Creek up beautiful Bear Canyon, then makes a steep ascent u…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Front Range"
Boulder , CO - Hiking - 7.4 miles ..

#10. Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Trails
Nothing but superlatives roll off the tongue when contemplating the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness: the beautiful symmetry of the Maroon Bells, trails leading over nine passes above 12,000 feet in e…
From the guidebook "The Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas"
Aspen , CO - Hiking - 100 miles ..

#11. Aiken Canyon
Aiken Canyon harbors a rich diversity of life where plains and foothills converge. The nature preserve is home to bear, mountain lion, elk, mule deer, bobcat, fox, squirrels, rattlesnakes, and over 10…
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado"
Colorado Springs , CO - Hiking - 4 miles ..

#12. Arapaho Glacier
Nestled in a high alpine cirque in the south end of the Indian Peaks Wilderness, Arapaho Glacier is one of only a few glaciers still found in Colorado. Although geologists are not quite sure whether t…
From the guidebook "100 Classic Hikes in Colorado"
Nederland , CO - Hiking - 7 miles ..

#13. Green Mountain Loop
Rising impressively along the Front Range, the Flatirons provide a dramatic backdrop for the city of Boulder. They also form the centerpiece for the beautiful and surprisingly wild Boulder Mountain Pa…
From the guidebook "100 Classic Hikes in Colorado"
Boulder , CO - Hiking - 4 miles ..

#14. Baker Pass
Nestled up to the western border of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Never Summer Mountains got their name from the Arapaho Indian word Ni-chebe-chii or “No Never Summer.” Although the range does see…
From the guidebook "100 Classic Hikes in Colorado"
Grandby , CO - Hiking - 12 miles ..

#15. Chicago Basin
This is the most popular hike in the Weminuche Wilderness. One of the most scenic areas in the San Juans, Chicago Basin is surrounded by the stunning 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks of the Needle Range.…
From the guidebook "100 Classic Hikes in Colorado"
Needleton , CO - Hiking - 16.6000003814697 miles ..

#16. Booth Falls
While the elevation of Booth Creek Trail puts it in the montane zone, the stream-cut valley evokes images of a trek in the Alps. In two miles of trail, 1,100 vertical feet translates to a fair increas…
From the guidebook "Colorado's Best Wildflower Hikes: The High Country"
Vail , CO - Hiking - 4.2 miles ..

#17. Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Trails
The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness may very well possess the highest average elevation of any wilderness area in the contiguous 48 states. Eight peaks exceeding 14,000 feet are found here, including the…
From the guidebook "The Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas"
Buena Vista , CO - Hiking - 105 miles ..

#18. Lost Lakes - Devils Causeway
With 167 miles of trails, the Flat Tops Wilderness is quite conducive to long-distance hiking excursions. One particularly nice trip that accesses some of the most memorable topographical features of…
From the guidebook "100 Classic Hikes in Colorado"
Yampa , CO - Hiking - 19.5 miles ..

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park Trails
Glaciation has left its indelible imprint here like nowhere else in Colorado. The park contains valley after valley of glacial lakes placed one after another like beads on a string. In excavating thei…
From the guidebook "The Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas"
Estes Park , CO - Hiking - 355 miles ..

#20. Flat Tops Wilderness Trails
There is not a more idyllic mountain setting in Colorado than Trappers Lake in the Flat Tops Wilderness. Large by Colorado standards, the lake’s broad surface reflects a backdrop of towering volcanic…
From the guidebook "The Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas"
Flenwood Springs , CO - Hiking - 160 miles

Pondering a San Juan trip in mid-July, and there of course there is no Colorado equivalent to HAZ (we are so lucky, thanks Joe). Anybody have any day hike suggestions for the San Juans? Passenger car access required, I've already researched all the 14ers and 13ers. If I go I'll definitely hit the Ice Lakes Basin, maybe the Blue Lakes hike near Ouray. I'm preferential to hikes with pretty meadows, with vistas and wildflowers.

Highland Mary Lakes outside Silverton is a great dayhike in that general area.

@big_load
Looks nice! Looks like I could also bag Whitehead Peak (13,259) if I was so motivated. I overlooked that on Summitpost because the driving directions confused me (long live HAZ!). Thanks for the suggestion.