Colorado Trails

Lace up your boots for a hiking destination that includes Rocky Mountain vistas, alpine lakes, wind-swept sand dunes, and memorable urban parks.

Colorado Springs makes for an unforgettable gateway into the Rocky Mountains’ Front Range.

Explore a secret wonderland in the West Needle Mountains.

It's the most-visited 14er in Colorado. But that doesn't mean you should skip it.

Almost entirely above treeline, this 6.5-mile day-hike loop cruises below rounded 12,000-foot ridges en route to Tobacco Lake in the heart of Colorado’s South San Juan Wilderness.

If you're new to Colorado's 14ers or simply looking for a day hike into the clouds, try these (relatively) easy adventures on Colorado's tallest mountains.

Wildlife, wildflowers, and views await on this short but sweet Colorado hike.

The short and steep trip to Lake Agnes delivers with craggy peaks, scree fields (home to pika), and fish-filled alpine waters.

This 10.5-mile out and back promises wildflower drenched meadows, stunning vistas, and two pristine alpine lakes perfect for a cold dip or sunrise photo op.

Hopping Pawnee Pass might be the secret to escaping the Indian Peaks’ crowds.

Sample a Colorado Front Range classic on this hike across the Continental Divide.

Whether you’re after mellow snowshoe flats or steep powder runs, you’ll get both—as well as a four-burner stove and a full-size bed—in Gothic, Colorado.

More moose means more stress on willows, which has big implications for the park ecosystem.

The big cat is just one of several sighted recently around town.

The Centennial State's namesake route offers a tour of some of the country's best high alpine scenery in one monthlong hike. We break down the prep, practice, and travel you'll need to bag it.

Politicians invite the agency to consider the Centennial State as it eyes a relocation to the West.

One goat in particular grew bold in its search for salt.

The Fort Collins man disappeared after a dayhike up Mt. Meeker.

The Weld County woman found the rabid raccoon in her backyard.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife vets are treating the bear for severely burnt paws.

The Mile High City enjoys great beer, food, and a border with the Rockies. But get beyond the foothills for grander sights: From the sheer granite faces of Rocky Mountain National Park to the underrated Tenmile Range to the high lakes in the Indian Peaks, there’s an embarrassment of riches within a few hour’s drive of the state’s capital.

Backers of a plan to reintroduce the state fish to the Poudre River team up with the Fort Collins brewery and get a special-edition brew.

The WWII military training camp in Eagle County is part of a larger wilderness expansion bill.

And if a federal lawsuit prevails, the wildlife refuge won't open to the public at all.

Last-minute campsite options are shrinking starting this summer.

What Denver hikers need to know this weekend.

A mountain biker came upon the big cat lying across an Emerald Mountain trail.

The move comes as the 416 wildfire grows to more than 22,000 acres.

Rangers are looking for the person who spray painted words of love across a rock at the park.

What Denver hikers need to know this weekend.

The sow and two cubs had broken into (or tried to break into) six homes over a few weeks.

The pilot program is experimenting with ways to reduce conflict between trail users.

What Denver hikers need to know this weekend.

The animals were killed in separate incidents on northern Colorado's Highway 125.

The BLM plans to auction access to underground minerals within a mile of the national park.

What Denver hikers need to know this weekend.

An in-depth read on how online photos and beta might have contributed to last year's death toll on the Elk Range peak.

The $550 million plan isn't likely to be funded anytime soon.

Crews plan to clear the highway as far as Summit Lake.

What Denver hikers need to know this weekend.

Adams County asked Xcel Energy to clear its riverfront land between I-270 and I-76.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife identified two people who chased and fed moose through social posts.

Someone has been removing large rocks from the Lion's Lair Trail.

The 5-year-old girl is in good condition after a black bear tried to drag her out of her yard.

Wildlife experts warned people to look out for the snakes emerging from winter dens after two people were bitten near Colorado Springs.

The fee-based permit and shuttle system planned for the popular dayhike won't be implemented this summer after all.

What Denver hikers need to know this weekend

The concessionaire White River Recreation will take over several Forest Service campgrounds this year.

Officials want to identify a man who was photographed driving an angry moose across CO 9 in Frisco last weekend.

Colorado Springs's Mandy Horvath completed the grueling trail for Limb Loss Awareness Month.

Almost 300,000 kids are now prohibited from visiting the soon-to-open wildlife refuge amid concerns about toxic waste and radiation.

Strong winds pushed smoke from northern Arizona blazes to Colorado, worsening air quality.

Is Dylan McWilliams the world's unluckiest backpacker?

Colorado's drought coupled with low snowpack levels could mean dangerous wildfires.

Almost half of the windfall comes from out-of-staters, says a new Outdoor Industry Association report.

Jorge Rufat-Latre was one of two runners to complete this year's Iditasport Impossible ultramarathon.

Colorado's best multiday trips, as selected by BACKPACKER Local scout Stasia Callaghan

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service rejected a petition to remove the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, which is found only in Colorado and Wyoming.

The 71-year-old hiker suffered a concussion in a quarter-mile-long fall.

Dr. Heston LaMar happened upon the wounded skier at Beaver Creek.

The path will be part of the in-progress Peaks to Plains Trail.

The Boulder Falls and Anne U. White Trails were closed after 2013's major floods.

The skier was caught in a slide outside the Aspen Highlands ski area boundary.

With visitation booming, public lands reemphasize low-impact hiking.

President Trump's tariffs could significantly increase the price of outdoor equipment nationwide.

Aspen and Snowmass are unlikely to remain open past mid-April.

The wildlife refuge, which circles an old nuclear weapons facility, will allow hikers despite pollution concerns.

The bill, which passed unanimously, aims to head off a budget crisis.

The missing Colorado Springs woman is thought to have committed suicide.

A Boulder woman is fighting for her life after tumbling from the Goat Trail.

The ski resort will build a higher-capacity gondola and improve its snowmaking technology.

The city is weighing ways to deal with increasing visitation and congestion at the popular park.

The discovery, found near the Ring the Peak Trail, is being treated as a homicide.

Attendance at Colorado's marquee park has been climbing.

The small area outside of Durango relies on natural snow--which has been in short supply this winter.

A 2-mile stretch of the East Shore Trail will allow cycling after 18 years of efforts by bike advocates.

Low humidity and high winds contributed to the early-season blazes.

Tourism drops significantly in the cold season, spurring residents to create new reasons to travel to town

The writer and hiker shares her favorite local trails—and the one article of clothing she doesn't leave home without.