Views like this one from Chautauqua Park can be seen from the many hiking trails Boulder has to offer. (CU Independent/James Bradbury)
Fall in Boulder is a great time to get outside and witness the nice weather and changing leaves in Colorado. There’s no better way to experience this than hitting some of Boulder’s finest trails.
Royal Arch Trail
Boulder boasts some of the best hikes in the country at Chautauqua Park. Any of these trails will give you an outstanding view of beautiful Boulder and CU’s red-roofed haven. One of the best trails is Royal Arch Trail. This trail is a 3.2-mile hike from the Chautauqua Trailhead, but it is also straight uphill. You’ll get a great workout lunging up over boulders, while gaining over 1,400 feet round-trip of elevation. The view at the end is worth the work. Sitting under the spectacular arch and catching your breath, you’ll get an eyeful of the Boulder foothills and eastern plains.
Meyers Homestead Trail
Not far from Chautauqua, up Flagstaff Road, you’ll find some other excellent trails at Walker Ranch. A great one for the fall is the Meyers Homestead Trail. It’s best to hike this one on a cool fall day, as there is not a lot of shade during the 5.2-mile round-trip. The trail makes a slight incline, but it is a fairly easy trek. At the very end, you will come to a wooden bench where you can relax and enjoy the colorful fall foliage.
Mount Sanitas Trail
Head up Mapleton Avenue from Broadway to discover one of Boulder’s best-known hikes, Mount Sanitas. The total loop is 3.1 miles and doesn’t take more than a couple of hours to complete. Like the Royal Arch Trail, this one is mostly uphill with over 1,300-foot round-trip elevation gain. The summit offers an exquisite, all-inclusive view of the city that you won’t find anywhere else. The hike down the Mount Sanitas Valley Trail is a pleasant stroll along a wide fire trail with a striking spectacle of the mountain on the right. Dogs are welcome.
Anne U. White Trail
If you’re looking for a more leisurely walk through a variety of color-changing trees, check out the Anne U. White Trail. This 3.2-mile round-trip trail runs along Four Mile Canyon Creek and presents a picturesque landscape of various types of foliage. Bring your dog and a few friends along to experience all that autumn has to offer in Boulder.
Click here to learn more about Boulder’s hiking trails.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Natalie Proulx at natalie.proulx@colorado.edu.
