Your Guide to Day Hiking & Outdoor Tasting Throughout Colorado
Colorado is a boundless, jagged, sublime playground for outdoors lovers, with 350 miles of hiking trails in Rocky Mountain National Park alone, plus three other national parks and a plethora of national monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas. For long-distance backpackers, the Colorado Trail spans 567 miles from Denver to Durango. Add that to 42 state parks and innumerable municipal open space systems, and you’ve got more hiking opportunities than most could handle in a lifetime.
That’s where Moon Colorado Hiking comes in. Choose from the best trails, whether you’re looking for lakes, rivers, peaks, wildlife, wildflowers, or just a breath of fresh air. Afterward, sample Colorado’s craft beers and spirits, natural hot springs, historic railroad routes, and runnable rivers. Here’s our guide to not just trailheads, but all around the Centennial State.
Fort Collins
Climb to Horsetooth Rock (6.5 miles, 1,584 feet elevation gain) then head to downtown Fort Collins to New Belgium Brewing Company for a tour and a tasting of their famous Fat Tire Amber Ale.
Boulder
Eagle Wind Trail at Rabbit Mountain Open Space near Lyons offers an easy 3.8-mile hike with scenic views and a possible pairing with Spirit Hound Distillers, home of international gold medal-winning “Whisky of the Year 2022.”
McIntosh Lake Loop in Longmont is a flat 3.5-mile hike with picturesque lake views, just a couple miles up the road from Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids, an oasis on the south edge of Longmont, with a large outdoor patio and locally famous brews like Dale’s Pale Ale.
Hogback Ridge Trail, in the northern part of Boulder, is a moderate 2.8-mile hike with scenic views, and the trailhead is a stone’s throw from Upslope Brewery’s NoBo tasting room and porch.
NCAR Ramble Loop is a moderate 3.4-mile hike in south Boulder, up the road from Southern Sun Pub & Brewery, with a perfect view back up the mountain.
Denver
North Table Mountain Park has a fantastic trail system with many options; afterward, visit The Golden Mill for pour-your-own tap rooms, a food court, and a multilevel deck overlooking the rapids of Clear Creek.
Colorado Springs
Explore the beauty of Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs on an easy hike, then unwind at Red Leg Brewing Company with a Prospector’s Pick Kolsch.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Pin it for Later
