No Dogs Allowed! Just when you were looking forward to a good hike with your best friend, harsh realities can stop you in your tracks.
But all of Colorado isn’t that cold-hearted. There are many canine-friendly trails for you and Bruiser, even in some national parks. Consideration dictates bringing your own pooper-scooper bags, wherever you and your dog choose to hike.
Throughout the entire Rio Grande National Forest, your dog is welcome. Mind you, he must be under voice control, but he can romp in unleashed freedom. The only areas here where he must be leashed are in campgrounds. This 1.86 million-acre national forest affords you plenty of room to roam, stretching from the northern tip of the San Luis Valley to the New Mexico border, and from the Continental Divide west through the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. Here too are the headwaters of the Rio Grande River and the otherworldly wonder of the Wheeler Geologic Area, established by Teddy Roosevelt in 1911.
Hugging the western slope of the Sangres are 30 miles of the country’s tallest sand dunes, some reaching more than 750 feet high. It’s no wonder the Great Sand Dunes attained National Park and Preserve stature. The park also encompasses six peaks over 13,000 feet in the Sangre de Cristos, a number of high alpine lakes and forests of aspen and cottonwood trees. Anywhere throughout this national park, your dog may be taken on a leash. Remember, however, that the sands of the dunes get too hot midday in summer for us to walk barefoot; the same holds true for the tender pads of your dog’s feet.
The 1,600 bones and artifacts on exhibit, and those yet buried in Dinosaur National Monument in northwest Colorado, may be too tempting for your canine companion. For this reason, when he walks the trails of this ancient ground, he’s welcome but will need to be leashed. The canyons of the Yampa and Green Rivers run through the monument, revealing yet more geologic history with every step.
Closer to home, you’ll find plenty of dog-friendly terrain along the Mesa Trail, which was ranked the top dog route in the Boulder area by Rocky Mountain Sports magazine. The trailhead is 1.7 miles west of Colorado 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive. Once there, you can branch off on other trails, such as South Boulder Creek and Shadow Canyon.
In July, the Indian Paintbrush wildflowers on Shrine Ridge are at their peak. Your dog may not appreciate the aesthetics of this area, but both of you will enjoy the three-mile hike reaching 11,089 feet. After you’ve “summited,” you’ll have 360-degree views of the Ten Mile, Sawatch and Gore mountain ranges. And the Mount of the Holy Cross will display its identifying namesake. Leash your dog along this trail; it’s popular with Coloradans, as the trailhead is only a couple of miles south of the top of Vail Pass, via a dirt road.
Let Fido run on the 3.4-mile round-trip trail named, appropriately, Waterdog Lakes. Reach this hideaway from the west side of Monarch Pass (U.S. 50). At the Monarch Park turnoff, past the small town of Garfield, the trailhead reveals itself.
Along the road to Snowmass, off Colorado 82, Horse Ranch Park welcomes dogs in its grassy field, bordering a horse pasture. If you’re en route to Snowmass or Aspen, a stop here for some canine playtime will give him exercise, likely leading to a long nap while you peruse these tony towns.
Some cities and towns have dog parks within their boundaries. Carter Park in Breckenridge is the in-place for local dogs. Frisbee throwing is nonstop. Carter Park has its own supply of pooper-scooper bags and trash bins. Find the park at the south end of High Street.
Because dogs are not permitted on the grounds of Rocky Mountain National Park, you can give your friend some exercise at the Estes Valley Dog Park, located at the junction of U.S. 36 and Community Drive in Estes Park.
Rampart Dog Park in Colorado Springs is found at 8270 Lexington Drive. You can rest on a bench while your dog socializes with other four-legged friends. Bags are provided in this securely fenced park.
Back in civilization, at the open-air Aspen Grove shopping center in Littleton, many stores allow you to bring your leashed canine inside with you while you shop.
These are just some of the dog-friendly destinations throughout the state. Check with local chambers of commerce, national parks or monuments for individual rules and regulations for you and your best friend.
Lillian Ross is a freelance writer who lives in Howard.
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The details
For more information on the Rio Grande National Forest southwest of Denver, call 719-852-5941, or visit fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in the San Luis Valley, can be reached at 719-378-6399, or by visiting nps.gov/grsa
Call the Dinosaur National Monument in northwest Colorado at 970-374-3000, or visit nps.gov/dino.
For information on the Mesa Trail, call 800-444-0447 or 303-442-2911, or visit bouldercoloradousa.com.
Determine which shops allow dogs at the Aspen Grove shopping center with a visit to shopaspengrove.com.
