While I love pulling up in a vehicle to a campsite and unloading right there, there’s something extra rewarding and enjoyable about backcountry camping where you have to park at a trailhead and hike your gear in. If you’ve never gone backpacking or camping in the backcountry, it can seem daunting, so we’ve made a handy guide for getting started! Pack Light While you may think you want that cozy blanket or two hardcover books to read now, once you’ve been carrying them for a few hours you’ll regret it. No matter how far you’re hiking, packing light is very important. Your pack should... Read More

You know what I love? Camping. You know what I don’t love as much? Paying as much as I would for a hotel room for a night! Luckily, there are plenty of free campsites in and around the front range, and we’ve compiled some for you to get you started!   West Magnolia Ridge 602-610 County Highway 132-W Nederland, Colorado GPS: 39.946961, -105.517587 Elevation: 8711′ If you can brave rough camping accessed by a currently washed-out road, you’re in for a treat. This site is near Nederland and many hiking trails with sweeping views of the forests and mountains. Pets are allowed, and... Read More

That summer feel is in the air, and many of us are itching to get outside after a long, cold winter. Lucky for us, there are so many wonderful events being hosted in the Boulder area! Here are 6 events you can’t miss this summer: 1. Boulder Plein Art Festival From June 3-June 10, join artists and enthusiasts in paint-outs as they paint beautiful landscapes, cityscapes, and teach workshops. This event is open to the public and you may participate for $35 an event. This fee covers water, sunscreen, and on-site food, but these events are BYOP (bring your own paints). Or attend one of the workshops... Read More

Looking to relax? Get out in nature? Get some delicious fresh-caught fish for your table? If you’re fairly new to fishing or usually drive a long way to get your fix, I’ve got some good news: you can find great fishing spots right here in Boulder County! 1. Wonderland Lake Size: 34 Acres Depth: 13ft at max depth Species: Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Carp, Bullhead Location: Trailhead off of Broadway and Sumac Boats and Wading prohibited 2. Viele Lake Size: 6 acres Depth: 15 feet at max depth Species: Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Carp, Pumpkinseed Sunfish,... Read More

Spring is in the air, and with all the snowmelt beginning to rush down from the mountains, it is peak waterfall season. As the weather gets warmer, the time is now to hit the trails and see some beautiful natural wonders. Lucky for you, there are plenty within an hour or two of Boulder that will make the trip totally worth it. 1. Eldorado Falls For a lovely hike close to home, head to Walker Ranch and the Ethel Harrod Trailhead. Take a nice moderate 1.25-mile hike down about 500 feet through pine forests until you hear the rushing water of the South Boulder Creek hitting the rocks. These cascades... Read More

Spring is in the air, and with warmer weather comes one of my favorite times of year: Farmer’s Market season! If you’ve never shopped at a farmer’s market before, you may not be as excited as I am. Luckily for you, I’m here to tell you why you should be! Get Seasonal The food you buy at farmer’s markets is fresh and local, so the selection changes based on what is ready to harvest. This is a great excuse to try new recipes and eat like our ancestors did. Variation is good for your body and keeps cooking exciting! Support Your Community Farmer’s markets specifically... Read More

Boulder is famous for the majestic sandstone flatirons jutting from the mountainside above the town. Most people probably know that you can hike these soaring monoliths. The first and second flatiron trail is one of the most popular in Boulder County, climbing 2.7 miles through rocky debris and pine forests to sit among the boulders for which the city is named. Our Ratings: Crowd: 2/5. This is a very busy trail. On fair days and weekends you’ll be following a steady stream of other hikers up and down the mountain. Even at sunrise and during the winter the trail is well populated. If you’re... Read More

We’re teaming up with REEL ROCK Film Tour to give one lucky winner a pair of tickets to Friday’s sold out FEST event at Chautauqua Auditorium! The event will have the best climbing and outdoor films of the year, a REEL ROCK IPA collab brew with Upslope Brewing, food trucks, gear giveaways, athlete appearances and more! Enter to win by emailing us your best climbing, adventure or outdoor photo.  Winner will be announced tomorrow before the event. Please email photo to scott@aboutboulder.com Be sure to check out Saturday’s FEST event with some of the biggest names in climbing! For more... Read More

It will be above freezing all weekend in Boulder, with highs in the upper 50s and full sunshine. It will be lovely and warm. And it is a three day weekend. And it is Valentine’s day. Its the perfect time for outdoor adventure. Looking to earn some points with your main squeeze for thoughtfulness and originality? Take your valentine on a hike this long weekend and make it special with these trips and tips. Snowshoeing Hikes 1. Hessie Trailhead: From the Hessie trailhead you can walk a short ways in to a waterfall or make it a 3 mile round trip to Lost Lake. Snowshoeing can be very tiring... Read More

Ah the Grand Canyon. One of America’s best and most beautiful features. And lucky us Boulderites, it is only a 10 hour drive from here! If you leave at 6 am, you’ll be there in time to find the perfect spot to watch the sunset on the canyon. That’s what I did anyways, a couple weeks ago. And it was rough and also a bit colder there than here, but amazing. It’s a great time of year to go; the crowds are at their lowest according to the Visitor Center rangers. I was still amazed at how many people were there, almost as many as Chautauqua on a sunny, warm afternoon.  But it... Read More

“The most wonderful time of year” right? Shopping malls, crowded parking lots, traffic, long lines, people who have seem to forgotten the joy of the season.  I love this time of year but sometimes Christmas gets too commercial, too much about spending money. Every magazine, blog, and “community” news piece is centered around listing the perfect gift ideas for the countless people in your life. Wouldn’t it be better to actually spend some time doing something with those people? We all have so much stuff. It weighs us down. Why not make a memory rather than make them... Read More

Well with Wednesday’s snow, Colorado sure is feeling the winter magic now. Around Boulder grocery clerks and friendly folks keep saying “stay warm.” Toes across the Front Range shiver in wool socks and boots. And leaves? They are pretty much all gone. But this all means that ski and snowboard season is upon us! Several resorts are already open and the others will be opening very soon. Here’s where you can check out the powder this weekend. Check out the links to the resorts’ websites for more information about specific lifts and runs. Open Now Arapahoe Basin–... Read More

This rain is kind of a bummer. Well honestly for all of us east coast transplants its a bit of nostalgia filled relief from the glaring sun. I like these cold rainy days even if they keep us from the sunshiney adventures were accustomed to – but of course I can only take it for a few days. So what do we do in Boulder on a rainy day? I mean all the amazing breweries are still open despite the rain (and the distilleries, the meadery, and all those bars) so there’s always that. However, I propose doing those things you “save for a rainy day” to prepare for your winter adventures.... Read More

The beginning of this week it felt like fall. Chilly. The weather has been lovely today and yesterday and it looks like that will continue for the weekend. Yay!! So lets have some fun outside before another rainy wet and cold spell hits. I’ve got a couple ideas for the weekend, although honestly my top choice is taking an afternoon nap under a tree after a long work week. Take a Fall Hike: Head to Ned, or the mountains, or now really any park you wish. The weather is perfect and all across Boulder the trees have at least some leaves turned golden. Remember layers and of course hello it’s... Read More

Each day, darkness descends upon us faster and faster. Days shrink unnoticeably at first, but soon, these minutes add up until the darkness is inescapable. Daily rituals change, our skin dries and cracks in the cold, windows close, and furnaces remain on call. Something terrifying is happening: the seasons are changing. We begin to dream of going South, somewhere untouched by this ghostly hand, a place where the sun still beats on bold rock faces and the air is alive with warmth. Though, for many of us, this is merely a fantasy, we may escape for a week or two, but in the end, we return to the... Read More

I stood on a small slanted ledge about two hundred feet above Eldorado Canyon, craning my neck, staring upwards, trying to catch a glimpse of my climbing partner, who had ventured into the third pitch of the classic Bastille Crack. As I stood there anchored into the wall, a number 12 stopper slipped from its carabineer somewhere above and fell, clipping the corner of my helmet as it bounced to the base of the climb. About 30 seconds later I heard my partner’s voice echo against the canyon walls, it was a voice diffused by thousands of pounds of granite, but still saturated with frustration. I... Read More

A little over a month ago, CNN reported that, “More than 3 million of gallons of wastewater from the Gold King Mine spilled into the nearby Animas River.” According to the Denver Post the river has been safe for recreational use since a little more than a week after the spill, and even the fish in the river are now safe to eat. However, this contamination caused quite a commotion for good reason, and there are reasons to be exceedingly cautious of this sort of event happening in the future. CNN reported that “Leading toxicologists say there could be health effects for many years... Read More

Eastern skies brim with light, streetlights flicker, until one by one, they switch off, leaving only the pale sun to illumination the empty roads. It is early, coffee steeps in an old French press, I rub the sleep from my eyes with fingers cut and callused from a summer spent climbing. Typically, the only prospect powerful enough to pull me away from sleep before sunrise is the idea of climbing or hiking in the seclusion of the alpine bubble, but today, I’m working. More precisely, I am working before work, because at some point in the last few years, I have become extremely busy. My life... Read More

It is Fall! We are past Labor Day (usually the official end of summer), but we still have a few days until the Autumnal Equinox on September 23. I’d expect lots of warm days in Boulder to come, but in the mountains, it is really starting to feel like fall. Once the aspen trees start to turn its a narrow window of time to see the mountains shrouded in gold.  There’s several places a quick drive from Boulder to go check out the leaves. Many people simply drive around and then turn back. But not you! Use this list to do some serious leaf peeping around Boulder. Hessie Trailhead, Eldora,... Read More

Each day, the stars come out a little bit earlier, there is a slight chill in the mornings, and the leaves appear a little yellower than they did last week. This means that tubing Boulder Creek is coming to an end and that unfinished alpine climbs may need to wait until next summer. However, as fall approaches, new opportunities arise and that slight chill starts to feel pretty good as you run, bike, or fish the Front Range. Over the next couple of weeks, the water levels along the Front Range will start to fall, yet there is plenty of time left for an amazing fishing season in Boulder. Rivers... Read More