Joy on the Trails is a blog series detailing all the incredible hiking trails within an hour of Denver. All the trails featured are accessible to anyone new to hiking, or just wanting to get out without driving for hours into the mountains. I hope you uncover your own joy of hiking and I hope you’re inspired to try a few of my favorite trails. And if you’re so inclined, join me sometime… I’m out there a lot!
Maxwell Falls
I have no idea how I found this trail head because it’s not very well marked and definitely not super popular - especially on the weekdays. But if you set your odometer at just the right spot, you’ll discover a fabulous set of trails that offer quite wooded stretches, rocks to perch on while you have lunch, and a creek to explore.
The “falls” is not super dramatic, and you really only get glimpses of it from the trail, but you can hear the water rushing for about a half mile. If you vere off trail, many people climb on the rocks around the trail, which to me seems dangerous and ruins the natural beauty of the falls.
My favorite and very quirky spot is at the top of the hike where a fire came through decades ago. The forest is coming back, and there is a huge span of tiny trees about 5 or 6 feet tall. I feel like a giant in the forest!
There are a couple routes to take, but plan for about 4 miles and nothing too steep. Definitely bring a picnic, and if you’re visiting in the winter, you’ll want to be sure to bring spikes or other traction since it’s completely shaded and can get icy.
GPS Locator: Set your Odometer at 0 when you turn off Hwy 73 onto South Brook Forest Rd. Go EXACTLY 6.2 miles on South Brook Forest Rd to the UPPER Falls trail head. Directions here
Managed by: US Forest Service
Come hiking with me!
If you want more information on this or other trails in the area, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Just like the homes I sell, I can even show it to you in person! And learn more about my Realtor life here.
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