joy on the trails

Find Joy on the Trails at Elk Meadow

 

Photo courtesy of AllTrails

 

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!

 

31627 Broadmoor Dr
Evergreen
MLS 8412732
Listed at $1,200,000

 

Elk Meadow

If you’ve ever dreamed about living just steps away from premier single track hiking trails, West + Main Homes’ agent Melanie Erdmann has a brand new listing you’ll want to take a peep at. It’s across Evergreen Parkway from one of my favorite Jefferson County Open Space parks, Elk Meadow Parl, and the spectacular Painters’ Pause trail. 

Elk Meadow Park is just off Evergreen Parkway, and there are two trail heads. To take the Painters Pause and Meadow View trails, park at the trailhead just off Lewis Ridge Rd. This route is longish at 4.5 miles and doesn’t have steep incline.

 
 

The lower portion of the trail is through the meadow just off Evergreen Pky and isn’t the most pleasant because of the traffic noise, but once you head up into the forest, it’s lovely!

I ALWAYS carry a traction device for my boots when I hike in the winter.  Patches of packed snow in the shade settle in like mini ice rinks. So as soon as the trail heads up the mountain with northern exposure, these bad boys are mandatory. After a quick set of switch backs, you’re on a flatter portion of the trail for a couple miles and you are treated to some rich pine forest, as well as grassy meadow views.

There is an important trail junction at the end of the Meadow View trail, and if you don’t make the right decision, you’ll end up at the wrong parking lot - just trust a sister when she tells you, grab a map at the trailhead!  

So if you’re in the mood for something long and flat-ish, check out Elk Meadow’s lower loop along Meadow View Trail. But until the end of March, remember your spikes or boot traction.

Elk Meadow GPS Locator: 2855 Bergen Peak Dr, Evergreen CO

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.

Related Links

Find Joy on the Trails at Red Rocks Trading Post Trail

 

Photo courtesy of AllTrails

 

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!

 
 

Red Rocks Trading Post Trail

Guys… I am so embarrassed. We had such a gorgeous fall in Colorado and I was out hiking all the time. Then it got cold and I turned into a giant wimp and haven’t been hiking in weeks! This is not like me. Hiking in the winter has always been my second-favorite season on the trails because there are no crowds and it’s way less sweaty.

So this week I bought some new hiking shoes and had to break them in. I hit the Red Rocks Trading Post Trail which is a quick 1.5 mile loop that starts and ends at the Trading Post. We added in a little extra workout by walking up to the amphitheater, and we took a few minutes to stand on the stage and pretend to be Bono or Steve Miller or Lyle Lovett or Todd Mohr… What a truly magical place.

 
 

If you’re looking for something to do with guests from out of town, this is THE HIKE! After a little exercise, go to the hall of fame museum, watch the hard core routines people do on the steps, and stay for a picnic. Park at the Trading Post and just to the left you’ll see the trail head. The loop has ups and downs and finishes with a steep stair climb back to the parking area. Grandma and the kiddos will love it!

GPS Locator: 17900 Trading Post Rd, Morrison, CO 80465

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.

Related Links

Find Joy on the Trails at Three Mile Creek Trail

 
Photo courtesy of AllTrails

Photo courtesy of AllTrails

 

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!

Three Mile Creek Trail

My daughter and I stumbled on this trail completely by accident this fall.  We were planning a high altitude hike to Silver Dollar Lake over timberline on Guanella Pass, but when we parked and got our packs on, I started having a really fast heart rate and started feeling nauseous.  This is altitude sickness!  Don’t ever attempt to hike with altitude sickness - and if you are hiking and have these symptoms, immediately get to lower ground. I can not stress this enough - your brain will start to play tricks on you and it can be very dangerous. 

Anyway, my super cool kid didn’t make me feel bad because I trained her to be a good human, and we headed down the other side of the pass knowing we’d find something lower. And sure enough, just a few miles from Grant, CO we found Three Mile Creek trailhead.  We didn’t have cell service so we couldn’t check out any details, but we decided to just head out and see what we would find.

This trail is pretty flat, mostly in the woods, and completely gorgeous!  We hiked about three miles in and the trail opened up to the most gorgeous view of Mt Logan in the distance and I grabbed a pic of my daughter loving life.  The woods were full of mushrooms, moss and other leafy treasures, and we even found wild strawberries to snack on.

A week or so later, I brought my hubby back here to see the leaves changing and it was a real treat.  The forest had dried up, and the aspens were magical.  This trail links with miles of forest land and many people backpack in. You need to sign up on a registry before entering forest land, but there’s no fee.

I am so lucky to have such fantastic hiking buddies in my family and we found a real treasure. I hope you have a chance to check it out!

 
Photo courtesy of Day Hikes Near Denver

Photo courtesy of Day Hikes Near Denver

 

Local Real Estate

If you’re looking for a home just outside the city, but a reasonable drive to still feel connected to Denver, the areas between Conifer/Indian Hills, and Grant are fantastic. You’ll be about an hour from town, you can have acreage, and most of the houses are really cute!  $650k will get you something totally fantastic.  You will need plenty of resources and a long due diligence period when buying in this area and I absolutely love selling homes here. 

GPS Locator - here’s a link to the Google Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Three+Mile+Creek+Trailhead/@39.4822776,-105.7124898,14z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x876baa3606f9657f:0x4c8f9bcbab3ab242!2sGuanella+Pass!3b1!8m2!3d39.5949872!4d-105.7111165!3m4!1s0x876b0196e51cdc7b:0xfd5eafa4d3b26cc!8m2!3d39.4816224!4d-105.6931659

Managed by: Colorado 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.

Related Links

Find Joy on the Trails at Mount Falcon Back Side

 
Photo courtesy of AllTrails

Photo courtesy of AllTrails

 

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!

Devil’s Elbow at Mount Falcon

Just outside of Morrison, just a quick jaunt up the hill, is an amazing open space called Mount Falcon.  I have been hiking here for decades and always explored the same few trails. But I did a different route this time and I’m so happy I found it… Now I have a new favorite trail at this gorgeous park!

Heads up, this is a very popular park, but the fun thing is that Jefferson County Open Space has a live tracker on the number of parking spots available at the lots! Visit Jeffco.us for all kinds of fantastic info. 

My daughter and I went in the mid afternoon and didn’t see more than a couple people on the trail the whole time. The scenery is incredible, and right now the Fall colors are lovely! You definitely don’t need to go searching for vast Aspen groves to enjoy the changing colors in Colorado… the scrub oak, the rabbit brush, the kinikinik… all of it turns colors and makes for a real treat in the Fall. 

Here’s the route, and it’s easy peasy - about 4 miles and mostly flat.  Take the Castle Trail out of the west parking lot.  We explored the fire lookout on Tower Trail, but you could keep it super easy and stay on the Meadow Trail.  Then connect with the Old Ute and Devil’s Elbow trails and make a figure eight for variety!  There are some great lookouts, and if you’re with a friend you can chat the whole way.

When you’re done, have a picnic back at the lot, or at the picnic shelter on Tower Trail. There are spaces with grills and tables so you can really do it up right if you plan ahead! 

 
Photo courtesy of Day Hikes Near Denver

Photo courtesy of Day Hikes Near Denver

 

Local Real Estate

The homes in the area as you are driving up Parmalee Gulch Rd are spectacular.  The popular Indian Hills Neighborhood has homes in the mid $500ks to well over a million.  And further up Parmalee you’ll find some pretty spectacular ranches in the $2-3 millions (I’m not talking about single story homes… I mean horse property and working ranches!)

GPS Locator: 21074 Mount Falcon Road

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.

Related Links

Find Joy on the Trails at Eldorado Canyon State Park, Rattlesnake Gulch Trail

 
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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!

 
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I’ve had a couple requests for some hikes on the north side of the metro area, and since my daughter is heading to CU Boulder in the fall, I am more than happy to explore this area and report back!

Eldorado Canyon State Park is just a few miles in from Hwy 93 heading west. The river has cut a gorgeous canyon through the area, and it’s popular for a great reason - it’s beautiful! Even rock climbers enjoy the steep cliffs, and tubers love the gentle rapids.

 
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There is a lot to pick from at any difficulty level, and we opted for the moderate Rattlesnake Gulch trail this week.  It became a bit easier when we discovered that the back side of the loop is closed for the season for forest fire mitigation and we ended up doing an out-and-back to the Continental Divide Lookout - about 3.5 miles total.

The trail starts heading uphill and shortly, you’ll make a decision to choose the easy Fowler Trail which heads back down out of the canyon at a flatter incline - great for kids or an evening stroll! Or head to the right up to the hotel ruins and the lookout. The views are stunning and there are a couple benches for resting or snacking.

Heads up… there is a $10 per car entrance fee into the State Park. Make the most of your time and bring a picnic because there are lots of spots with tables along the creek. This area is jam packed on the weekends, so try for a weekday afternoon and stay until close to sunset. The area is truly magical. 

GPS Locator: 9 Kneale Rd, Eldorado Springs, CO 80025

Managed by: Eldorado Canyon State Park

 
 

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.

Related Links

 
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