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

Mt. Sanitas has always been one of my favorite hiking areas. I grew up near the Goat Trail, which is an alternative path that some people use to access Sanitas, but I decided to use the more widely-used trailhead on Mapleton Avenue when I went to visit last week. Sanitas is a gorgeous mountain. It’s the crème de la crème. It has sprawling grassy fields and jagged mountain peaks- all in one place! On one path, you can choose to go along the easygoing field trail, which requires little to no effort. Alternatively, there is also the steep incline up to the top of Mt. Sanitas, which requires... Read More

Gregory Canyon’s trailhead has seen better days. Currently, it’s actually in the process of seeing better days, because construction vehicles are finally beginning to rebuild the road that was destroyed in last year’s floods. I hadn’t been in the Gregory Canyon area since before Boulder’s big flooding incident, so this road was quite a shock to me, but it was merely foreshadowing what was yet to come on the trail. The Saddle Rock trail looks quite a bit different since the floods. The flooding paved a huge riverbed through the forest area, leaving behind all of... Read More