Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Open Space
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!
Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Open Space
Lookout Mountain Nature Preserve
I had completely forgotten about this gem since I haven’t really needed a super short 1.5 mile hike in a while. But this week I found myself really crunched for time, but wanting some mountain air and the sound of gravel under my feet!
The Lookout Mountain Nature Center is super easy to get to… just off I-70 at the Lookout Mountain exit, just follow the signs. The address in the GPS locator below gets you right there.
There are just two little loops at the top perfect for kiddos, or old ladies like myself, LOL! There is not much incline, but plenty to see. You’ll usually see elk, and you’ll always catch the gray squirrels busy foraging no matter what time of year. During the week, this place is really quiet and you can usually have the trails to yourself.
Stop in at the nature center to say hello to the ranger volunteers… they are so knowledgeable and I always grab a nugget of new info every time I talk to them.
If you want to do all of Lookout Mountain, of course there’s a trail for that starting in Morrison at the Windy Saddle trailhead (blog post coming soon!). Happy trails.. Even when you have less than an hour you can still clear your brain and breath the fresh air.
GPS Locator: 910 Colorow Road, Golden, CO 80401
Managed by: Jefferson County Open Space
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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