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Best Mountain Hikes near Denver

The directory currently contains 8 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Denver. Their average mapped distance is 92.0 km and average recorded ascent is 692 m (2,270 ft); the longest route in the set is 376 km.

This subset represents 19% of the 42 quality-checked routes near Denver. Its average distance is 92.0 km, compared with 25.4 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 692 m (2,270 ft), versus 235 m (771 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the mountain tag. Their measured distance and ascent are shown separately so the label is not used as a proxy for difficulty. Within this set, 3 routes (38%) are rated easy, 3 (38%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

2.0 km

Johnson to Anderson Park Loop, Clear Creek

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Johnson to Anderson Park Loop, Clear Creek

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

First National Bank of Douglas County (Colorao) on NRHP since April 14, 1995. At 300 Wilcox St. (at 3rd Street), Castle Rock, Colorado
Expert

Colorado · United States

Distance
376 km
/ 234 mi
Elevation gain
2,299 m
Typical duration
92 hr
  • Mountain
  • Castle and ruins
  • Long-distance path
The Cheesman Park Duplex, located at 1372 South Pennsylvania Street in Denver, Colorado
Expert

Colorado · United States

Distance
284 km
/ 176 mi
Elevation gain
2,503 m
Typical duration
70 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Colorado · United States

Distance
40.3 km
/ 25.1 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
9 hr 27 min
  • Mountain
  • Wildlife watching

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
Colorado Front Range TrailColorado376 km2,299 m92 hrExpertJune to October
Denver Orbital TrailColorado284 km2,503 m70 hrExpertJuly to September
Rocky Mountain Greenway TrailColorado40.3 km193 m9 hr 27 minExpertJune to October
Denver Orbital Trail - Segment 2Colorado12.7 km472 m3 hr 21 minModerateJune to October
Clear Creek Greenbelt Wheat RidgeColorado7.3 km18 m1 hr 32 minEasyJune to October
Johnson to Anderson Park Loop, Clear CreekColorado2.0 km0 m25 minEasyJune to October
Denver Orbital Trail - Segment 3Colorado4.9 km16 m1 hr 3 minEasyJune to October
Denver Orbital Trail - Segment 4Colorado9.6 km37 m2 hr 4 minModerateJune to October

Colorado Front Range Trail, Denver Orbital Trail, Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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