Hundreds of exciting adventures for the whole family can be found near the Denver metro area.
If you’re planning a hike with young ones, Colorado Mountain Club’s “The Best Front Range Hikes for Children” guidebook details 46 hikes that vary in difficulty that you can find in the Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins areas. The hikes are grouped by area and classified with a handy rating system that parents can use to select age- and ability-appropriate trails at a glance.
Here are a few hikes in the Denver area to try:
The 1.3-mile Audubon Nature Trail in Littleton is an easy loop hike. Admission is free and dogs are welcome if they are leashed. This trail is good for spotting birds and wildlife and is known by some as “Animal Tracks” because of the hoof, paw, talon and webbed prints embedded in the cement. In addition to an easy hike, there is also an education center where kids can learn all about birds through programs and nature activities.
Nearby, Waterton Canyon Trail is another fun option for kids of all ages. This wide and relatively level trail follows the South Platte River. Children will almost always be able to spot the Bighorn sheep that live in the canyon and can often be found on the trail or the cliffs that border it. You can set your own length on this out-and-back hike or follow the route length suggested in the book.
The full Rawhide Trail, a 4.1-mile trail in White Ranch Park, is a more difficult hike that might be more suited to older kids or those with previous hiking experience. There are shorter and longer loops that give you the flexibility to adjust the length of the hike to suit your family’s needs. If you complete the full trail, it will take you through meadows filled with grasses and wildflowers into forested hills. You’ll be rewarded for your hard work with the Princess Anne View, which looks across a unique and gorgeous canyon to the towering Ralston Buttes.
You could spend a full day exploring all that Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge has to offer. This nearly 16,000-acre sanctuary is home to more than 300 animal species, and you can see them on the trails, in the nature center or on their scenic self-guided Wildlife Drive auto tour. (If you do the drive, you’ll be able to go through the bison habitat and might see them up close!)