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Moderate Hiking Trails in Colorado

The directory currently contains 86 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Colorado. Their average mapped distance is 6.7 km and average recorded ascent is 278 m (912 ft); the longest route in the set is 15.4 km.

This subset represents 51% of the 168 quality-checked routes in Colorado. Its average distance is 6.7 km, compared with 40.6 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 278 m (912 ft), versus 793 m (2,602 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set is rated moderate by the directory’s distance-and-elevation model. Technical terrain and live conditions are not part of that rating. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 7 (8%) 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

1.3 km

Lower Cascade Falls Trail

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

38 m

Lower Cascade Falls Trail

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

Mills Lake, Glacier Gorge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Moderate

Glacier Gorge Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
9.2 km
/ 5.7 mi
Elevation gain
263 m
Typical duration
2 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Glacier
Moderate

Upper Cascade Falls Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
784 m
Typical duration
2 hr 12 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

North Longs Peak Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
8.7 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
65 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Timber Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
443 m
Typical duration
1 hr 38 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
Moderate

Flat Top Mountain Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
6.8 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
875 m
Typical duration
2 hr 44 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Lower Cascade Falls Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
38 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Waterfall
  • Mountain
20020823 1657 Forest Plants on Black Lake Trail
Moderate

Black Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Ditch Road

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
457 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Emerald Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
273 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Lake Haiyaha Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
142 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
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
Moderate

Dexter Creek Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
871 m
Typical duration
2 hr 49 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Old Twin Peaks Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Ute Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
7.4 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
363 m
Typical duration
2 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
Beaumont Hotel in Ouray, Colorado
Moderate

Ouray Perimeter Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
9.3 km
/ 5.8 mi
Elevation gain
530 m
Typical duration
2 hr 44 min
Moderate

Colorado River Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
5.9 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
327 m
Typical duration
1 hr 43 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Portland Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
476 m
Typical duration
1 hr 43 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Wild Basin Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
5.3 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
425 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Thunder Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
578 m
Typical duration
2 hr 22 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Wasatch Descent

Colorado · United States

Distance
8.7 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
183 m
Typical duration
2 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
The Hornbek homestead in Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado
Moderate

Hornbek Wildlife Loop

Colorado · United States

Distance
5.8 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
145 m
Typical duration
1 hr 26 min
  • Mountain
  • Wildlife watching
Moderate

Frog Pond Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
12.4 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
595 m
Typical duration
3 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Jud Wiebe Memorial Loop

Colorado · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
514 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Silvershield Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
596 m
Typical duration
1 hr 36 min
  • Mountain
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
Moderate

Cutler Creek Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
177 m
Typical duration
1 hr 33 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Baby Bathtubs Trial

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
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
Moderate

North Fork Cutoff Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
392 m
Typical duration
57 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Mount Margaret Trail 10-3
Moderate

Mount Margaret Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
1 hr
  • Castle and ruins
Moderate

Lake Park Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
526 m
Typical duration
2 hr 18 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Moderate

CDT iipST

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
635 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Scenic Overlook Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint

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
Glacier Gorge TrailColorado9.2 km263 m2 hr 19 minModerateJuly to September
Upper Cascade Falls TrailColorado4.9 km784 m2 hr 12 minModerateJuly to September
North Longs Peak TrailColorado8.7 km65 m1 hr 54 minModerateJuly to September
Timber Lake TrailColorado4.7 km443 m1 hr 38 minModerateJuly to September
Flat Top Mountain TrailColorado6.8 km875 m2 hr 44 minModerateJuly to September
Lower Cascade Falls TrailColorado1.3 km38 m20 minModerateJuly to September
Black Lake TrailColorado4.6 km41 m1 hr 1 minModerateJuly to September
Ditch RoadColorado4.3 km457 m1 hr 35 minModerateJuly to September
Emerald Lake TrailColorado2.5 km273 m56 minModerateJuly to September
Lake Haiyaha TrailColorado1.4 km142 m31 minModerateJuly to September

Glacier Gorge Trail, Upper Cascade Falls Trail, North Longs Peak 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.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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