Good hikes near Denver?

[ColoradoKrazy1]

Hermans Gulch you will definetly need snow shoes as I was up there a couple weeks ago and the snow was still deep enough to post hole up to my waist not to mention some mild avy danger.

[scott goldberg]

i think you should also consider most of the hikes in the Lost Creek Wilderness...Bergen is a great hike, but it can get pretty crowded on the weekends with mountain bikes. LCW has plenty of trails and peaks to choose from, and lots of solitude.

[MountainMan88]

I suggest James Peak which really isn't that far from Denver and is the highest mountain in Gilpin County. It is 13,294 feet high, has 2,920 of elevation gain and it is 7 miles round trip.

[ivnabru]

Awesome stuff, I think I have my hikes all the way until August figured out now.

Thanks for all these suggestions.

[zoriloco]

I did all of these during winter and they were awesome.

Beaver Brook trail - Genesse Park (8 miles)
Lost Lake - Nederland (3 miles)
Silver Dollar Trail (3 miles)

[Derek]

Goat Mountain http://www.localhikes.com/HikeData.ASP? ... D=&ID=5643

almost 7.5 miles, a lot of up and down to add up elevation and very close to denver. Trail is sometimes hard to follow, but that adds to the fun.

--Derek

[Slow Moving Fun Seeker]

Green Mtn in Boulder via Gregory Canyon: 5 mi loop hike with approx 2200 ft elev gain with excellent long-range views of the Indian Peak Wilderness, Long's Peak. There's a $3.00 daily parking fee for this one.
Bear Peak/S. Boulder Peak in Boulder from the Mesa Trailhead: 7.8 mi r/t, 3K elev gain - great conditioning hike

I did all three of these on Saturday starting from NCAR (no parking fee and lots of space). It was 11 miles and well over 4000' elevation gain, but not really too bad. The wildflowers are prime right now. So is the poison ivy, so be careful. This is simply a great hike (Bear Peak via Fern Canyon, then out and back to South Boulder Peak, down the Bear Peak West Ridge, up Green Bear to Green Mountain, and finally back down to Bear Canyon and out Bear Canyon to NCAR).

[highcountryhiker]

Edit: a guidebook I have (Colorado Summit Hikes For Everyone) lists the elevation gain for the Bergen Peak Trail as 2700'.

The elevation difference between the trailhead and the summit is 1948' based upon published elevations. The CMC consistently lists the total elevation gain for this hike at around 2200', which would include approximately 250' of extra elevation gain due to the obvious ups and downs along the trail. The elevation gain of 2700' in the guidebook description apparently also takes into account all of the subtle small extra elevation gains each way that are hardly noticeable. Regardless of the total elevation gain, this is a fun hike through varied terrain to a summit that provides very nice views.

Bergen is a great hike, but it can get pretty crowded on the weekends with mountain bikes.

Agreed.