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 whether you’re 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!
Flying J Ranch Park
It’s snowshoe season! Snowshoeing is just like hiking, except it has some extra equipment. But the technique is pretty similar, and it isn’t something you have to “learn” to do… just do it. Start on a flat trail, and definitely go with someone who has done it before.
A fun and easy trail I like to visit just after a big snow dump is Flying J outside Conifer. This park gets lots of snow and the forest is absolutely magical. This is a pretty small park, and there’s one nice loop about 3 miles long.
I start from the main lot and go to the right. About a mile in you’ll cross a creek so if you’re doing this hike in the summer be prepared to jump pretty far, or just walk through it - in the winter it’s dry and/or frozen.
Be sure to take a pause in the meadow where there is an incredible view of The Divide. And then you’re back in the forest where it is blissfully quiet and the sound of your boots is amplified.
On a morning when you feel out of sorts and need to be reset, take the trip out to Conifer to Flying J Ranch. Three miles later and you’ll have a sense of calm in your heart… I promise!
Trailhead GPS: 9661 County Highway 73, Conifer, CO 80433
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.
