Trails in Colorado
12 mapped routes in Colorado: 6 cycling routes, 4 hiking trails, 1 off-road 4x4 route and 1 scenic drive. Together they cover 568 km with 7,988 m of climbing, and the highest point reaches 3,643 m. Every route has a GPX download, elevation profile, gradient and surface analysis.
- Mapped routes
- 12
- Total distance
- 568km
- Total climbing
- 7,988m
- Highest point
- 3,643m
- Water crossings
- 15
Destination guide
About trails in Colorado
Colorado's trails split between the Front Range plains and the high Rockies behind them. Boulder anchors the easier end, with reservoir loops and in-town rides at about 1,600 m, and trails around Lyons and Larimer County climb into the foothills. To the west, the Gore Lake Hike in Eagle County reaches a lake basin in the Gore Range at nearly 3,500 m, and the Sheep Mountain Approach Hike in Park County starts well above 3,000 m.
For drivers with high-clearance vehicles, the Georgetown High Passes 4x4 Loop covers 271 km of mining roads and passes topping out above 3,600 m. Road cyclists can take on the Berthoud Pass Ride from Winter Park, an 81 km route up to the pass on the Continental Divide. The Highlands Ranch East/West Regional Trail Ride is a longer paved option south of Denver.
- Best time to go
- July through September is the window for high trails and passes; many 4x4 routes stay snowbound into June or July. Start alpine hikes early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms, which are common in summer.
- Terrain
- Almost everything here starts high: even the plains rides sit above 1,500 m, and the mountain routes reach 3,600 m. Difficulty is mostly moderate to hard, with altitude adding to the effort for visitors from lower ground.
- Permits & access
- Most national forest trailheads are free, though popular areas near Denver and Boulder may charge parking or require reservations in peak season. Give yourself a day or two to adjust to the altitude before tackling the high routes.
Ways to explore
Activities in Colorado
Difficulty spectrum
How hard are trails in Colorado?
- Easy
- 25%3 trails
- Moderate
- 42%5 trails
- Hard
- 33%4 trails
Signature routes
Limitless routes in Colorado
Interactive map
Map of trails in Colorado
Cycling routes in Colorado
View all 6 →Hiking trails in Colorado
44x4 & off-road routes in Colorado
1Scenic drives in Colorado
1Keep exploring
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Navigate Colorado with TrailX
Download any route as GPX, or open it in the TrailX app to follow it on the trail and record your own.