Sometimes a high-country hike is just too much to consider. It’s too cold, or you have a kid in a stroller, or your parents are visiting from Connecticut and can’t quite manage the mile-high altitude, let alone a few thousand more feet in elevation. Lucky for us all, there are hundreds of miles of flatland hikes to try. While pushing a baby carriage, Denver Post staff writer Christine Tatum field-tested five urban trails. She reports on why you too might want to give them a whirl.
A great Colorado hike doesn’t require high altitude.
There are plenty of reasons to set your sights lower. Perhaps the old knees aren’t what they used to be. Maybe out-of-town guests need a day or two to adjust to the thin air. Or maybe you’re just not in the mood to take on a fourteener.
There are plenty of low-altitude options to explore. We dived into some of Glen Hanket’s “Urban Trails” guidebooks, pored over a bunch of maps and chose five close-in treks to put to the test with an infant in tow. Some gave us closer contact with the great outdoors than others, but all got us out of the house and into the fresh fall air.
Golden City Loop
The rap: A loop around Golden that provides some stunning views and peeks into the city’s older neighborhoods.
Start: At Vanover Park, northeast of downtown, at the intersection of North Ford and Water streets
The experience: This nearly 4-mile loop is the most difficult of the trails covered here. It is mostly off-street but still manages to give hikers a great look at Golden’s charming downtown and some of its quiet neighborhoods. There are a lot of twists and turns and the route plotted in Hanket’s “Jefferson County Central Urban Trails” takes in both trails and city streets.
The trail climbs steadily, but not too steeply. It begins and ends northeast of downtown in Vanover Park and crosses Clear Creek, where hikers can stand on the banks to take in views to the east of Golden’s signature Castle Rock butte on South Table Mountain.
The urban leg of the loop gives hikers easy access to some of Golden’s main attractions, including the Golden Pioneer Museum at 923 10th St., and Clear Creek History Park at the edge of Lions Park at 11th and Arapahoe streets, where guides wearing period garb re-enact life in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Barr Lake State Park
The rap: Trails run through about 2,600 acres of wildlife habitat. Includes a boardwalk and gazebo and views to forever.
Start: Take Interstate 76 northeast from Denver to Brighton, exit on Bromley Lane. Go east to Picadilly Road, then south to the park entrance. $5 admission fee.
The experience: There is, it seems, a critter around every corner in this scenic wildlife refuge. The park is a favorite with deer and red foxes as well as home to the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. More than 330 species have been spotted in the park, including a family of eagles that nests there each spring. Lakeside trails range from a quarter mile to 8.8 miles and provide views of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado’s eastern plains. Nature stations scattered along the trials provide information about the park’s animal and plant life and make the walks fun for hikers of all ages. Those seeking solitude might find the refuge particularly enjoyable because pets and most motorized activities aren’t allowed there. The park’s nature center features an array of fun exhibits – as well as a comfy couch at a large window to allow close views of birds and squirrels feeding out back. The center offers plenty of nature courses and guided tours. Visit parks.state.co.us for a schedule.
Ralston Creek Trail East
The rap: Underappreciated trail that links several small Arvada parks.
Start: Pick it up on the south side of West 56th Avenue, just west of Sheridan Boulevard at the eastern edge of town.
The experience: It’s oddly appropriate that the site of Colorado’s first documented gold discovery is still an industrial district. A parking lot on West 56th Avenue provides easy access to the path from the small Gold Strike Park, where Lewis Ralston found the precious metal back in 1850.
Don’t let the huge rock piles, heavy machinery and smell of diesel fuel deter you from giving this paved 3.5-mile leg of Arvada’s most complete trail a spin. Just north of 56th Avenue, the sights, sounds and smells of hard work give way to the gentle rush of Ralston Creek. Railroad fans might enjoy watching freight trains rumble across an overhead bridge. The trail crosses Old Wadsworth Boulevard, giving hikers a chance to detour a few blocks into Arvada’s quaint downtown district for shopping and maybe a little lunch. The path also cuts through a few neighborhood playgrounds and Memorial Park, where skateboarders and disc golfers show off their skills.
Gateway Mesa Open Space
The rap: Stay the course for some stunning views.
Start: In Castle Rock, about 2 miles east of Founders Parkway on Colorado 86. There’s a parking lot on the right side of the road, just as the highway starts to head north.
The experience: This magnificent bluff in Castle Rock overlooks Franktown and the Cherry Creek Valley. Head clockwise around the 1.8-mile trail, which is rocky in parts, to save some of the most beautiful views for last. Small rock cairns mark the pristine nature trail and keep hikers on track. If you do veer off course, take a minute to take in the beautiful views of evergreens and the Rocky Mountains, extending from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak. The trail’s expansive views can be yours at an elevation of no more than 6,550 feet. Make sure to hold on to little ones, though. There are no guardrails here.
Stapleton neighborhood
The rap: Critical mass of show homes and near constant construction gives you design insight and great lunch opportunities.
Start: Enter the neighborhood on East 29th Avenue at Quebec Street in east Denver. Pick up a map at the Stapleton Town Center on 29th Avenue just east of Quebec Street.
The experience: While the miles of walking trails and 1,100 acres of parks in Denver’s burgeoning Stapleton neighborhood are nice, sticking to main roadways will pay off handsomely for those looking for home-decorating ideas.
Nearly two dozen model homes priced from roughly $150,000 to in excess of $1 million are open daily during business hours. Each is marked by a large American flag easy to spot over Stapleton rooftops. Floor plans and furnishings range from traditional to contemporary. Several houses feature themed rooms that would please movie buffs, music-lovers and sports fans. The models also tend to feature the latest in home-entertainment gadgetry.
Hit the circuit weekdays about noon. You’ll find great Mexican food sold by vendors who circle the neighborhood to serve construction workers.
Don’t path this up
Glen Hanket walked from Maine to Oregon, so we think he knows what he’s talking about in his series of guides to bike, blade and foot paths.
For this story, we used books from his 14-book “Take a Bike” series that maps out loops in 11 metro communities, plus Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and resort towns in the central mountains. Although the books are written with the cyclist in mind, they’re perfectly serviceable for pedestrian travelers.
“Take a Bike” books are available at most bookstores, and online at bikepaths.com.
If you’re traveling with a person with disabilities and need help picking accessible hikes, check out “Access Anything: Colorado Adventuring With Disabilities.” New this year, the guide by Craig P. Kennedy and Andrea C. Jehn is a comprehensive assessment of travel destinations statewide with details about trails. The hikes were field-tested by Kennedy, who uses a wheelchair.
“Access Anything” is available at Tattered Cover and at .
