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Best Autumn Hikes in Colorado

60 routes in Colorado qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 30.0 km and 183 m (600 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 388 km.

That is 36 percent of the 169 routes we map in Colorado. They are shorter than the local average, 30.0 km against 40.4 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 183 m (600 ft) against 792 m (2,598 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Autumn walking means cooler air, low light and, in the right forest, colour that makes a familiar route feel new. The mix is broad: 18 are rated easy and 10 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 44.
Expert

ADT - Colorado B - P - Seg 1

Colorado · United States

Distance
352 km
/ 219 mi
Elevation gain
859 m
Typical duration
84 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Wiggins Rest Area at Interstate 76 exit in Morgan County, Colorado.
Expert

ADT - Colorado A - O - Seg 3

Colorado · United States

Distance
388 km
/ 241 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
91 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 54.
Expert

ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 8

Colorado · United States

Distance
126 km
/ 78.4 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Keystone Hotel in Castle Rock, CO, on NRHP since June 20, 1997. At 219 and 223 4th St. across from the courthouse in Castle Rock. Now used as a cafe/bar. Castle Rock formation in the background.
Expert

Colorado Front Range Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
376 km
/ 234 mi
Elevation gain
2,299 m
Typical duration
92 hr
  • Mountain
  • Castle and ruins
  • Long-distance path
Machinist regrinding a diesel camshaft. Each lobe either needs to be welded up and cut or simply polished depending on the severity of the wear.
Expert

Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
40.3 km
/ 25.1 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
9 hr 27 min
  • Mountain
  • Wildlife watching
Commandant of Cadets Building, US Air Force Academy, in Aurora, Colorado. The building is located on East Severn Place between Boston and Clinton streets. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located on the former
Moderate

Westerly Creek Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
15.4 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
3 hr 14 min
  • River
I went up top of Table Mountain in Golden, CO to check out the sunset and it so happened a small herd of deer had the same idea.
Moderate

North Table Loop Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
446 m
Typical duration
3 hr 9 min
Relient K performing in Colorado on the 2008 Warped Tour.
Easy

Sports Walk

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
9 min
Telephoto image of the summit of Pikes Peak from The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs
Moderate

Cabin Canyon Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Canyon and gorge
Ridgway State Park
Easy

Mule Deer Meadow Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Alpine meadow
Ridgway State Park is a state park located in Ouray County, Colorado. It is the westernmost state park in Colorado.The park is 21 miles southeast of Montrose, 14 miles northeast of Ouray, it is also 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway and
Moderate

Scenic Overlook Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
North Cheyenne Cañon Park
Moderate

Columbine Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
769 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
North Cheyenne Cañon Park
Moderate

Mount Cutler Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
226 m
Typical duration
41 min
Telephoto image of the summit of Pikes Peak from The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs
Easy

Siamese Twins Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
14 min
Moderate

Triple Creek Greenway

Colorado · United States

Distance
9.1 km
/ 5.7 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • River
Rhus trilobata in Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Moderate

Talon

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
218 m
Typical duration
1 hr 9 min
Ridgway State Park
Easy

Forest Discovery Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Forest
Ridgway State Park is a state park located in Ouray County, Colorado. It is the westernmost state park in Colorado.The park is 21 miles southeast of Montrose, 14 miles northeast of Ouray, it is also 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway and
Easy

Wapiti Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
15 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
ADT - Colorado B - P - Seg 1Colorado352 km859 m84 hrExpertJune to October
ADT - Colorado A - O - Seg 3Colorado388 km43 m91 hrExpertJune to October
Old Spanish Trail - Northern Route - Carracas to DurangoColorado114 km865 m28 hrExpertJune to October
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 8Colorado126 km7 m29 hrExpertApril to October
Colorado Front Range TrailColorado376 km2,299 m92 hrExpertJune to October
Rocky Mountain Greenway TrailColorado40.3 km193 m9 hr 27 minExpertJune to October
Westerly Creek TrailColorado15.4 km15 m3 hr 14 minModerateJune to October
Clear Creek Greenbelt Wheat RidgeColorado7.3 km18 m1 hr 32 minEasyJune to October
Denver Orbital Trail - Segment 6Colorado18.8 km470 m4 hr 44 minHardJune to October
Denver Orbital Trail - Segment 2Colorado12.7 km472 m3 hr 21 minModerateJune to October

If you only have time for one, start with ADT - Colorado B - P - Seg 1, Old Spanish Trail - Northern Route - Carracas to Durango, ADT - Colorado A - O - Seg 3. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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