Looking For Colorado Hiking Information?

Colorado hiking can be beautiful, but know what to be cautious of in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. These weather, park, and other hike resources will get you started toward a great trip.

Colorado hiking can be a little different than hiking in other areas. The first reason is that the lowest elevation in Colorado is still over 3,000 feet above sea level. (The Arikaree River is the lowest point on the eastern side of Colorado right where it meets Kansas and Nebraska at 3,315 feet. To some it's a surprise it's not the Arkansas River after all.) So the added elevation makes it a little more challenging because of the thin air (3rd paragraph).

The second reason Colorado hiking is different is because it has a unique hazard to avoid... abandoned mines. While I admit they sounded interesting at first, I did some research and was surprised at how many people have been killed and hurt by abandoned mines. Falling, being overcome by odorless gases, cave-ins, floors collapsing under weight, ladders breaking, and drowning, are just some of the examples of the dangers of old mines. Be aware when you're in mining country because the dangers may not be marked well or at all.

Some of the wildlife you might see while hiking Colorado include elk, moose, black bear, eagles, bighorn sheep, cougars, and many more. Obviously most animals are best appreciated at a distance, but at times people are surprised when they turn a corner and there's a wild animal they weren't expecting on the trail. Ask what animals are in the area you'll be hiking, how to avoid problems, and what to do if you startle one.

Summer temperatures in July and August can reach well into the 70's (about 21º C) in the mountains and possibly the 80's F with night temperatures usually dropping into the 40's (about 4º C). The lower elevations, if you can call anything above 3,000 feet low, can average a high in the 90's (32º C) during the summer, with lows in the mid 40's to 60º F depending on the month. Spring at higher elevations (up to 9,500 feet or 2,896 meters) comes around late April. As with most mountain ranges weather is unpredictable so be prepared for extremely quick changes in weather and bring good hiking gear and equipment used for camping that will keep you dry and comfortable during your Colorado hiking trip.

Because of the elevation, especially in the Colorado mountains, you'll want to bring plenty of sunscreen to protect you from sunburn. Also drink plenty of water as it's easier to get dehydrated quickly.

Average precipitation around Estes Park (inside Rocky Mountain National Park) is close to 2 inches per month (5 centimeters) give or take, in the summer. Where Wray can almost average 3 inches May through July. All in all though the mile-high city of Denver averages just under a 70% chance of sunshine for the entire year. Not too shabby. :-)

The Rocky Mountains are great for a Colorado hiking trip. They start in Northern Mexico cross into the United States where they grow in height, 39 peaks in Colorado are over 14,000 feet, and breadth, over 300 miles wide in Utah and Colorado. Heading northwest the Rocky Mountains cross Wyoming and decrease again in size, the highest peak in Montana being 12,834 feet, and the width shrinks to 150 miles. The Rockies then cross the Canadian border where they run northwest for 450 miles through British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon.

Recommended Colorado Hiking Resources/Guides

100 Classic Hikes in Colorado (Classic Hikes), by Scott S. Warren: This book has nice high quality pictures to help show you what you'll see on a particular hike. Detailed to-the-point trail information with distance, difficulty, hiking time, elevation, seasons open, and more. The hikes are focused mostly in north, south, central, and west Colorado although there are a few on the eastern side of the state. This book also does a nice job mentioning the wildlife you might see as well as mentioning some of the history and at times what to be cautious of. Get it if you're doing any Colorado hiking.

Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide: A Scenic Guide to 33 Favorite Hikes Including Longs Peak, by Jerome Malitz: If you're planning on hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park take a look at this book. This book breaks the park up into regions and gives distance, elevation gain, and difficulty as well as information on the wildlife, history, and geology. It's the best Colorado hiking guide I know of for this park. You'll probably want a topographical map to go with it though.

Colorado Campgrounds: The 100 Best and All the Rest, by Gil Folsom, Bill Bonebrake: Tired of fighting for campground sites? This book is broken up by region and covers 434 campgrounds including popularity and when they're least crowded, alternatives to major campgrounds, best sites, amenities, and has 129 photos. This is a great time and money saver.

Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer, by Delorme: This is a great resource to have if you do a lot of back road driving or use Forest Service roads to find the trails you're looking for. It isn't detailed enough though for Colorado hiking trail use. You'll want to get a good detailed topographical map for that.

Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas, by Mark Pearson, John Fielder: This book has Colorado hiking trail descriptions, maps, pictures, and rates the trail for difficulty. The book was published awhile ago so there might be some details that could be slightly off, although I haven't heard of any. You'll also want to get a detailed topographic map to complement this book as with most guidebooks.

The Colorado Guide, by Bruce Caughey, Dean Winstanley: This isn't a book devoted to Colorado hiking, it's a nice complement to them though. If you're only going to hike you won't need this book, but if you would like to see and explore more of what Colorado has to offer including towns, festivals, museums, camping, food, etc. you'll want to get this. The book is organized to make it easier to find what's available in the area you're headed to. If you use it once it's pretty much paid for itself.

National and State Parks

Rocky Mountain National Park offers 355 miles of Colorado hiking trails and 60 peaks that skyrocket over 12,000 feet into the air. You'll want to make sure you're in shape because most of the hiking is at 7,500 feet and above. Sprinting up a few of these a day should turn your legs into spaghetti quicker than you can say pasta primavera. :-) If you tire out before seeing the whole park you could always drive your car to top of 12,183 foot high Trail Ridge Road (seasonal). It puts things in perspective when you consider the tallest summit in the park is Long's Peak at 14,259 feet.

There are only 6 campgrounds within Rocky Mountain National Park and some recommend reservations while others won't take any. Depending on the month campsites fill daily by early afternoon. Or if you'd like to look for other national parks that offer Colorado hiking click here. There's no direct link so click on "more >>" under "Search by Topic". Then under "ACTIVITIES" check the hiking box, select the state, and click the "Find a Park" button.

Colorado has 500+ miles of trails for a wide variety of uses. This link will take you to the Colorado State Parks that offer hiking.

I hope this guide has helped put you on your way to an awesome Colorado hiking trip.