Colorado

2013 Adventures Denver

Our second-annual Adventures Denver is a family friendly day of fun in the outdoors trying out new gear and activities...for free!

Local Hikes in the West

Make a late-season hike to an aspen-dense Colorado mesa, spot bears in the Beartooths, explore gypsum dunes, and discover more fall must-hikes.

The High Life: Never Summer Yurts, CO

Discover your own private Rockies paradise.

Rip & Go: Kannah Creek Basin Loop, Grand Mesa NF, CO

Descend from a cliff-rimmed mesa to a trout-filled lake.

Killer Trips: Wildlife

Our favorite high-risk, high-reward adventures in North America.

Killer Trips: Terrain

Our favorite high-risk, high-reward adventures in North America.

Killer Trips: Weather

Our favorite high-risk, high-reward adventures in North America.

The Other Way In

Hike to life-list hot spots without waiting in life-list lines. These under-the-radar trails deliver everything but the crowds.

Best Week: Continental Divide Loop

Tour glacial valleys and navigate to off-trail lakes and waterfalls on this six-day circuit.

Best Weekend: Gorge Lakes

Hike cross-country to explore this secluded chain of hanging lakes.

Best Day: Longs Peak via Clarks Arrow and the Keyhole

Scramble up a 12.7-mile sneak route to the park's highest peak.

Rocky Mountain Adventure Guide (2012 National Parks Series: Part 2 of 6)

Our map team scouted more than 500 miles of trails and cross-country routes to bring you a summer's worth of escapes in the Rockies.

Local Hikes

Jump-start your hiking season on these spring-ready trips from around the country.

America's Best Campsites

Park your tent in one of these 10 spots, and you'll be happy in the morning. Guaranteed.

Ultimate Adventure Handbook: Climb to Heart-Pumping Heights

Scramble a class 3 route and claim your own private peak.

Tired of the same old weekend loops? Looking to create memories your grandkids will talk about? In this how-and-where guide, we serve up 15 extraordinary escapes that will shatter your expectations of "normal." From adventure moviemaking to canyoneering, we'll take you places you've never been—but will long to visit again soon.

America's Best Backcountry Ski Tours

Upgrade your winter fun at these 8 beginner-friendly, expert-ready spots.

Readers' Choice 2012: Your Neck of the Woods - Mountain West Hikes

Scramble on red rock, camp at alpine lakes, cross a high pass, explore a trailless moonscape, and bushwhack to a peak.

A Piece of Quiet

America�s leading advocate of wilderness silence shows the way to Mt. Rainier National Park�s quietest corner. Plus: 9 more campsites with life-list listening.

Backyard Everests: Mt. Alice

Feel like you've notched a first ascent.

Rip & Go: Tonahutu Loop - Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Cross elk-filled woods and bighorn- busy flats on this park's quiet side.

Going to Extremes

Can you ever really have too much of a good thing? Once you've seen the biggest tree, largest glacier, and deepest canyon, nothing else compares.

The High Life: Hiking Utah's Highline Trail

Watch your step on Utah' Highline Trail. The nonstop views and rampant wildlife are distractingly spectacular. Plus: Gaze away on 9 more elevated hikes.

Local Hikes: Mountain West

Hike these long trails in Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and Colorado, and raft an eight-mile section of the Arkansas River.

Local Hikes: Mountain West

Hike Denver's lost wilderness, a twofer of peaks in Idaho, lava tubes in New Mexico, Zion's sneak route, and Bozeman's trout-filled lake.

America's Best-Kept Secrets: Eagles Nest Wilderness, CO

America's Best-Kept Secrets

The only thing better than enjoying the life-list scenery in the country's premier national parks? Getting that same scenery, minus the crowds. Find it in these 10 backcountry hotspots, along with no-hassle permits, choice campsites aplenty, and solitude to match the world-class terrain.

Trip Finder: West

Your favorite western hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Readers' Choice 2011: America's Best Hikes

The undisputed local experts—you—chose the top parks, trails, campsites, and weekend getaways from Alaska to Alabama.

Print & Go: Lost Creek Loop, Denver, CO

Skip Colorado's wildly popular Fourteeners and their buzzing crowds. Instead, explore Lost Creek Wilderness's granite domes, mansion-size boulders, and fingerlike spires on a rugged, 27.6-mile circuit packed with sweeping Continental Divide views and killer riverside campsites.

Readers' Choice: Rockies

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Rockies.

Trip Finder: Rockies

Your favorite Rockies hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Rip & Go: Four Pass Loop

Like peaks, lakes, and wildflowers? You'll love this Rockies classic in White River National Forest.

Fall/Winter Gear Guide: Best Winter Trips

We traveled to Fjordland and discovered that nothing compares to skiing glacier-clad mountains above deep-water fjords. Plus: 20 winter adventures, from California to New York.

Top 25 Winter Trips: United States

Find the best skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and winter camping trips in the U.S.

Best Hikes Ever: Four-Pass Loop, CO

See the Rockies' most iconic mountains.

Best Hikes Ever: North Vista Trail, CO

Aim upward for majestic views over an ancient canyon.

Best. Hikes. Ever.

We've covered 245,591 miles of trails in our 37-year history. Here are our 20 all-time favorite trips, plus—shocking!—20 routes we never covered.

Best Hikes Ever: The Needles Traverse, CO

Forge your own route through the Rockies' most rugged corner.

Natural Wonders: Hells Canyon, Bighorn Sheep, and Longleaf Pines

See North America's deepest river gorge, the west's most violent mating Display, and the Southeast's last longleaf pines.

Natural Wonders: Sparring Bighorn Sheep

Witness bighorn rams' skull-bashing attempts to win a date.

Local Hikes: Aspen, CO

The best hikes near Aspen, CO.

Local Hikes: Grand Junction, CO

The best hikes near Grand Junction, CO.

Local Hikes: Denver/Boulder, CO

The best hikes near Denver/Boulder.

Local Hikes: Mountain West

The best local hikes in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana.

Top 3 Trailhead Pub Hikes: Buttermilk Falls SP, NY

Explore waterfall-filled Gorges with fossils preserved in the shale walls.

Top 3 Trailhead Pub Hikes: The Barr Trail, CO

Climb a fourteener for a view across the continental divide.

Top 3 Trailhead Pub Hikes: Deschutes River Trail, OR

Hike streamside near pacific northwest greenery and caribbean-blue eddies.

Top 3: Ghost Town Hikes

Walk 100 or more years back into history--and deep into wilderness outposts now reclaimed by nature--with these routes to three abandoned frontier communities.

Top 3 Ghost Town Hikes: Boston Mine, CO

Visit a Wrecked alpine village.

The Map Vault: Inside the USGS Repository

No one loves maps more than a backpacker, and the USGS's central repository in Denver is a veritable cartographic paradise.

Local Hikes: Mountain West

Spot a grizzly, basecamp amid Fourteeners, and relax in secluded hot springs. (Click linked trips for GPS waypoints, photos, and more.)

Local Hikes: New Hikes Near You

Our army of reader-reader scouts mapped 59 local hikes from South Carolina to Northern California. See their favorites, then learn how to download tracklogs and waypoints.

Life List: Colorado Trail

Bag a peak every day (and a view every step) on the country's highest-elevation footpath.

Colorado Trail: Find Solitude

How to beat the crowds and find solitude in the Rockies

Colorado Trail: Top Peaks

The top peaks for every type of hiker.

Colorado Trail: Best Of

Find your hike on the country's highest footpath.

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Natural Wonders: Smallest Deer, Frozen Waterfall, and Death Valley's Wildflowers

Three treks to life-list phenomena from Death Valley to Colorado.

Top 3 Luxury Hikes

Hit the trail, then hit the oh-so-soft mattress at one of these hiker-friendly lodges.

Ultimate Rocky Mountain Destinations

Disappear into Yellowstone's forgotten peaks. Bag Colorado's most exciting Fourteener. Hike Utah's unknown long trail Our field editors pick 24 epics for your Rockies life list.

Southern Rockies: Twilight Peaks, CO

Explore a secret wonderland in the West Needle Mountains.

Southern Rockies: Continental Divide Trail, CO

Hike high on this above-treeline route through the Weminuche Wilderness.

Central Rockies: Mount of the Holy Cross Loop, CO

Scramble to a remote refuge on this peak's secret side.

Natural Wonders: Colorado's Tallest Frozen Waterfall

See a 365-foot cascade turned to ice at Bridal Veil Falls.

Luxury Hikes: Navajo Lake Trail, CO

Hike to a hot springs and private cabin.

Your Favorite Places: Readers' Choice Trips 2010

Who knows the secret trails and must-do classics in every corner of the country? Our teams of regional experts, recruited from the ranks of readers like you. Here are their top hikes from coast to coast.

Mountain West Readers' Choice Hikes

A weekend in Glacier, a quiet 14er, and the Rockies' best hot springs.

Readers' Choice Mountain West Hike: Santa Maria Spring, Grand Canyon NP

Gaze into the world's most beautiful labyrinth.

Readers' Choice Mountain West: Mr. Bubbles, Yellowstone NP

Relax in an effervescent bath far from the dayhiking crowds.

Readers' Choice Mountain West Hike: West Maroon Pass, CO

Trip through kaleidoscopic color amid high-alpine splendor.

Readers' Choice Mountain West: Mills Lake, Rocky Mountain NP

Get big payoffs on an easy hike.

Readers' Choice Mountain West: The Colorado Trail

Thru-hike America's highest trail.

Readers' Choice Mountain West: Gunsight Pass, Glacier NP

See the park's famed glaciers from a high mountain pass.

Insider's Guide to Peaks

Think you know all there is to know about these famous peaks? Get an insider's guide right here.

National Parks Hall of Fame: Best Cross-Country Adventure

Traverse alongside delicate ecosystem, open tundra and hit nine summits on this "grand slam" of cross-country treks.

America's Scariest Trails: Supernatural Sights

Alpine views and starry skies are nice, but on these unsettling hikes you might see something really stunning.

Your Daily Tread: Local Hikes Across the U.S.

What's better than hiking every weekend? Hiking every day. Here are the best big-city escapes from New York to Los Angeles. Plus: Bill Donahue explores the remote reaches of Portland's Forest Park and discovers secrets even locals don't know.

Free Maps! Our Contributors Favorite Local Hikes

Online or via your cellphone these trips are ready to be downloaded and explored.

Undiscovered Hikes: 19 New Trails

Hike these paths before the masses find them.

Footprints Needed: Colorado's Undiscovered Black Canyon

Descend into Colorado's Black Canyon and explore a park that has everything–life-list scenery, challenging terrain, a revitalized river–except hikers.

The Peak: Windom Peak, CO

Take a historic train to the trailhead and climb this Colorado beauty, nestled deep in the Weminuche Wilderness.

Vote on America's Best Trail

For our 2010 Readers' Choice issue we want to know your favorite trail in America.

Jonathan Dorn's Photo Slideshows

Our editor in chief digs through his years of trips, trails, and tales to share some of his adventures in the wild, from the Grand Canyon to Mount Rainier.

Where Solitude Rules

Sharing is for kindergarten. Take one of these 30 hikes and you can have the wilderness all to yourself.

Where Solitude Rules - Surprise Escapes

Find real solitude amid the crowds at these secret stashes.

Where Solitude Rules - Wilderness Hideaways

Lose yourself in a private paradise the crowds have overlooked.

Insider's Guide Rocky Mountain National Park

From the top day hike to the key skills you'll need, we'll have you ready for the Rockies in no time.

Full Circle: The Rocky Mountain Grand Loop

Follow a long-forgotten loop in Rocky Mountain National Park across the Continental Divide, through moose-infested meados, and up Longs Peak via a rarely climbed route.

Party Peaks

Ten perfect summits for your next group hike

Weekend Planner: Quick Escapes

Get big views and rack up long miles with these close-to-home adventures.

America's Newest Wilderness

A quick guide to the best acres, trails, and views.

Hike It, Save It: Red Buttes, Oregon/ California

Threatened by OHVs, logging, and overgrazing a 120,000-acre proposed addition to Red Buttes Wilderness would quintuple its size and benefit the Pacific Crest Trail.

Hike It, Save It: Handies Peak, Colorado

The biggest threat to his critical gap between the Weminuche and Uncompahgre Wilderness Areas? Off-highway vehicles.

Top Cities to Raise A...

Does your kid want to be an ice climber? How about a thru-hiker, or paddler? These cities have just what you need.

The Best Cities To Raise An Outdoor Kid

Which towns offer the ideal mix of accessible trails, inspiring teachers, and great recreational resources? We worked with The Outdoor Foundation to identify America's top 25 places to beat nature deficit disorder.

The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid: The Winning 25

From Boulder to Juneau to Bozeman, see which cities made the cut for the best place to raise an outdoor kid, and why.

Rocky Mountain National Park's Grand Loop: 3D Flyover and Tracklog

Fly the Rockies with our 3D video, then download the GPS track to do the route yourself.

America's Best Dayhikes

From dawn-to-dusk epics in Utah canyons to lazy-picnic blueberry strolls in Maine–plus hikes to peaks, redwoods, hot springs, beaches, and more–here are 100 ways to spend a perfect day on the trail.

Rip & Go: Bowen-Baker Loop - Never Summer Wilderness, CO

Get national park scenery without the crowds on an alpine overnight with lakeside camping.

MOUNTAIN WEST
Special Survey: Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid

Locals get to enjoy what out-of-towners dream about–mountain-ringed horizons, alpine lakes, and bluebird skies that make these Rocky Mountain states the pinnacle of outdoor recreation.

Ridge Runner

Undeterred by injuries that would cripple most men, a Colorado hiker nears the halfway point in a pioneering attempt to thru-hike the true crest of the Continental Divide. In this extended online interview, Dunmire talks about his gear essentials, near misses, and the challenges that lay ahead as he continues to trace North America's spine.

Top 3 Hot Springs Hikes

Native Americans consider hot springs sacred. Pioneer hucksters claimed they had magic healing powers. Hikers just think they feel awfully good after a long slog. The key, of course, is finding one far from beer-packing partiers. These wilderness springs require sturdy, crowd-discouraging journeys amid stunning scenery.

Hikes and Trips in all 50 States

Use our comprehensive state-specific pages to find hikes in your home state our a state you're planning on visiting.

Hikes and Trips in US Cities

Use our comprehensive city-specific pages to find hikes near your hometown or in a city you're planning to visit.

Readers' Choice Awards 2009

Discover the best hike in every state, as voted by BACKPACKER readers. Plus: your essential gear, most desirable tentmate, worst-ever adventure movie, and our picks for the best reader-submitted photos.

The Missing Lynx

In Colorado, wilderness hut managers recruit hikers to track an elusive wildcat.

Weekend Snow Climbs in the Pacific Northwest, Rockies, and Northeast

Pack snowshoes for these nine epic treks to snowy solitude in the Pacific Northwest, Rockies, and Northeast.

Mr. Haugen's Highpoints

Denver teacher Mike Haugen sets a new state summits speed record–fifty state highpoints in less than 50 days!

America's 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

Like your life and limbs intact? Then you'd better get skilled before visiting these trails.

America's 10 Most Dangerous Hikes - Barr Trail, Pikes Peak, CO

A hair-raising hike

Caught in a Colorado Snowstorm

An autumn climb turns life-threatening when a hiker endures a night in a whiteout at 12,000 feet in the Rockies.

When Disaster Strikes! 5 True Survival Stories

Read these real-life tales from five survivors who made it out alive, and learn what they did wrong–and right.

Rocky Mountain (Extra) High: Lightning On The Colorado Trail

Dodge high wattage on the newest stretch of the Colorado Trail.

Adventure Weekends: Luxury Hiking and Camping

We've got a selection of cozy shelters and trail-side restaurants from Washington to Maine. Check out these hikes in the Rockies, the Northeast, and the Northwest.

How to Score Denali's Choicest Permits

The system was rigged, says a former ranger. Here's how to beat it.

Denali National Park

Hike with grizzlies in this remote northern corner of Alaska's greatest park.

Yellowstone National Park

America's first national park is a playground for grizzlies, wolves, moose, and hikers (not in that order).

Olympic National Park

Explore two ecosystems in this hinterland of moss-draped forests, ancient trees, and snowcapped peaks.

How to Light a Campfire in the Smokies

Trees, trees are everywhere, but sometimes there isn't a dry twig in sight.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Graze blueberry patches, explore swimming holes, and tag the South's high points on this sultry hike.

How Your Kid Can Save a Park

Send him out on a work trip. Let wilderness do the rest.

Grand Canyon National Park

Drop into America's belly on a little-known hike that dips in and out of four different canyons, each blessed with gurgling spring water.

Yosemite National Park

Climb classic Sierra passes, ogle granite monoliths, and camp above treeline in John Muir's second home.

Glacier National Park

Scramble up class III peaks and cross late summer snowfields on this strenuous but straightforward trip through Montana's big-mountain country.

National Parks Lifelist: Intro

National Parks Lifelist

The ultimate vacation in one of America's iconic parks requires the ultimate hiking plan: classic scenery, no crowds, and secret campsites. Here's how to spend a perfect week in Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Olympic, Denali, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Trip Finder: Waterfall Hikes

Nine ways to get your cascade fix from Tennessee to Montana.

Where Can I Find The Highest Designated Campsite?

Head to the RMNP for the highest designated camp–find out where below.

Phenomenon: Glacial Relics

The Ice Age left its mark from Acadia to Yosemite. Here's scenic evidence.

Trip Finder: Ridgewalks

From the West Coast to the Rocky Mountains to New England, we've got nine epic ridgewalks just for you.

Nuclear-Free Hiking

How Cold War weapons sites are becoming America's most unusual new preserves.

Trip Finder: Wildflowers

Trek the best spring blooms from the Ozarks to the Olympics with these two, three, and four day treks.

North America's Highest Sandbox: Great Sand Dunes National Park

The most exotic hike in the United States is smack in the middle of the country: Welcome to Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The Continental Divide Trail Project

We sent 209 readers out to GPS the Continental Divide Trail, the biggest, baddest, long-distance path of them all. They brought back the makings of the first authoritative map of this American classic. Here, read the Backpacker Blog on the project, and view three exclusive on-the-trail video.

Top 3 Get-There-Fast Hikes

You can only get so far off the grid in a single day - that is, unless you take a shortcut into the mountains. Many ski resorts, including the three premier sites mentioned below, open a lift or two in summer and fall, offering an express route to places high and wild. There's no other way to get this deep into the woods this fast.

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