This is Thanksgiving week, and while we're gathered with friends and family — either around the dinner table or the TV watching football, or at a trailhead getting ready to go for a hike, run or ride — take a few minutes and show your thanks to the many groups in our region that help make ou…
There is one thing that's almost certain to happen when you're in the backcountry: If something goes wrong, your cell phone likely won't have any service. If there is, say, one bar, then a simple text message may get to someone, but a call likely won't. And, you don't have to be very remote …
Starting Veterans Day, November 11, 2022, eligible military veterans and Gold Star Families will get free lifetime entry to federal recreation sites, by obtaining a "Interagency Military Lifetime Pass"
In last week's column, I wrote about the Colorado Parks and Wildlife announcement that 11 miles of new trails had opened in Fishers Peak State Park, near Trinidad.
Fishers Peak, Colorado's 42nd state park, has moved at uncharacteristic speed in becoming an outdoor recreation destination. Named a state park in 2019, it was opened to the public with limited facilities in 2020. Fast forward to October 27th of this year, when the park opened 11 miles of ne…
This week's hike will take you to some of the more remote reaches of both Mueller State Park and Dome Rock State Wildlife Area. Not only is it remote, it's quiet, and after the first mile and a half, you probably won't see anyone on this trail except maybe a hunter — or another reader of thi…
Dome Rock State Wildlife Area (SWA) is home to some great hiking trails. While much of the property is open year-round, some of its best trails are only accessible for a relatively short period each year to accommodate big horn sheep breeding.
Colorado's great fall colors season continues; aspens in the northern part of the state are starting to fade as the show migrates farther and farther south.
There are only a couple more days to provide your thoughts on the Fishers Peak State Park draft master plan. The extensive document details proposed park entrances, campgrounds, trailheads and more. I interviewed park manager Crystal Dreiling for my podcast last December. We toured the park …
In last week's column, I gave some pointers for taking great photos of fall colors. This week: where and when to go, and a few more photography tips.
Although Mother Nature seems to be taking her sweet old time, autumn is coming, and with it, fall colors. It shouldn’t be too much longer before the mountains are covered in gold as the aspens change before falling into a long winters slumber.
The Keep Colorado Wild Pass, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023, will add a $29 fee to vehicle registrations, and in return serve as a year-round entry pass to all Colorado State Parks. Currently, the regular price for a yearly state parks pass is $80 for a single vehicle or $120 for a hang…
Mueller State Park has it all — beautiful wide vistas, old cabins, wildlife, campgrounds, many miles of trails, and in a few weeks, some of the best fall colors in the Pikes Peak region. It also has a number of ponds scattered around its more than 5,100 acres, and this hike will take you by …
Historically significant and visually compelling, the Devils Tower Lookout should be on every hiker's Front Range bucket list.
Roxborough State Park is defined by it's jutting fins of red rock, historic buildings, canyons, wildlife and even a peak to climb. For hikers, families out for a day in nature, birders and photographers, there is a wide variety of things to do there. Bordering a national forest, a designated…
If you know where to look, there is a treasure-trove of trails in south-central Colorado filled with rivers, mountains, lakes, reservoirs and amazing views. The area, most of it west of Colorado Highway 17 and extending north from the New Mexico border for about 18 miles, is also much less c…
The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area in Jefferson County is rich with outdoor recreation opportunities, especially hiking and cycling. I’ve written about a number of trails in that area over the last couple of years (go to the search bar at the top of this page and enter “Buffalo Creek”), and t…
Staunton State Park, one of Colorado's newest, has miles of trails, creeks, ponds, historic ranch buildings, rock climbing, a waterfall and great, great views. I've written about hiking various trails there over the years since the park opened, in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 (slideshow that a…
Along with having a whole bunch of 14,000-foot peaks (and many more that top out at 12,000 and 13,000 feet), Colorado has a thousands of lakes, many of them at high elevations. These lakes, especially in late summer when wildflowers are in bloom, are favorite destinations of mine, both for t…
Colorado isn't as well known as Utah for its natural arches, but we have some, including the highest concentration of arches east of that neighboring state. The Saint Charles Arch, deep in the San Isabel National Forest west of the small town of Rye, is a hidden gem. And best of all, the hik…
Over the last few months, I’ve published tips on my favorite 1- and 5-mile hikes, and this week we’ll stretch our legs a bit and feature a few scenic hikes of 10 miles or more within an hour or so of Colorado Springs. Some are easier than others, but this is all relative. Once the miles get …
Just in time for the summer fourteener climbing season, a unique public/private/nonprofit partnership has formed that will keep the popular "Decalibron Loop" in Park County open.
The trails we all enjoy in our parks and open spaces are a mix of old legacy trails or, as is increasingly becoming common, trails that are either entirely new or re-routes of older trails. Trail building nowadays is a bit different than it was not too many years ago. Gone are the days when …
It was about a year ago that word got around the hiking community that a landowner was threatening — via a ridiculously and obnoxiously large sign — to close the popular Horsethief Park Trail #704, due to the trail crossing a sliver of private property. How the trail ended up on private prop…
Signs posted at several popular trails around Pikes Peak have confused some hikers regarding who performs back-country rescues, and more importantly, who pays the costs. The signs, posted by Pikes Peak-America's Mountain, list good tips on how to safely ascend the peak, but then the signs po…
A few weeks ago, I featured a few of my favorite 5-mile hikes in the Pikes Peak region. This week, a couple more...
While writing this column or producing my podcast (or just to satiate my own curiosity), I often pull out a trail map, look for something new and then check it out. If I find it particularly interesting — or challenging, or scenic, or new or whatever — I'll share it here. Sometimes, as I wr…
Memorial Day weekend starts, well, now, and with it the unofficial start of summer. Kids are out of school, families will be trekking from one end of the country to other to hike, camp, cycle, take pictures — all while visiting public lands. And, much of that will happen right here in the Pi…
A little while ago I wrote a few columns about short — approximately 1 mile — hikes in the Pikes Peak region. Now, a 1-mile hike is pretty short, and not much of a challenge for most people, so for this week's column, we'll stretch our legs a bit further and look at hikes that are 5 miles — …
When I first meet people and they ask what I do, I tell them that I get paid to go hiking. I go for a hike and then write a column about it. And I really enjoy searching for a new trail, or an out-of-the-way, little-known trail to share. Last year, I attempted to find one that I, and as it t…
The North Slope Recreation Area on Pikes Peak opened for the season May 1, a sure sign that summer is rapidly approaching. A haven for picnickers, anglers and non-motorized boaters — think kayaking and standup paddleboarding — it's also a good place to take in some very scenic hiking. The v…
It was announced Wednesday that the cost of a daily vehicle pass to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) will rise to $30 just in time for this year's Memorial Day weekend. RMNP is one of a few national parks that charges a daily admission fee along with weekly and yearly fee options. The inc…
Spring has sprung, which means bears are coming out of hibernation, hungry and wanting to catch up on calories. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, bears spend the spring eating mostly vegetation, such as grasses, and if food is plentiful where they've been hibernating, they don't have…
On April 5, the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department announced on its Facebook page that it has temporarily closed the parking lot, 24/7, for the Blodgett Open Space South Trailhead, "...to reduce after-hour, unauthorized access which has led to vandalism and d…
On April 7, El Paso County will open its second new open space in as many weeks. While Kane Ranch Open Space near Fountain opened with no fanfare, Santa Fe Open Space, at the other end of the county in Palmer Lake, will launch with a lot of hoopla.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about short hikes in the Pikes Peak region. These were 2-mile hikes or less, round-trip. Today, a few more, including some suggestions from readers.
When I first pull up to Kane Ranch, I'm struck by the vast nothingness of El Paso County's newest park. And, to be honest, there is a whole lot of nothing. But spend a little time, keep an open mind and you'll find more there than initially meets the eye.
Hikers, by their very nature, have a thing about numbers: How many miles they hiked, how tall that mountain was they climbed, how many 14er's they've bagged, etc. And for many, including me, the longer, higher, further we go, the better. Even if the only person we're up against is ourselves,…
Two items on next week's Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting agenda could ultimately affect Coloradans' outdoor recreation experience.
Linda B. (she asked that we not use her full name) planned a regular hike for the afternoon of Feb. 16. She parked her car and started down a trail in the Monument Preserve when, a few minutes later, she heard what sounded like glass breaking. Although she was able to still see her car, noth…
Hiking, running, snowshoeing, skiing (whichever variety) and even biking in the snow can be a lot of fun, but, outside the high country, snow doesn't last long in Colorado. When it falls, you have to act quickly and enjoy it while the opportunity presents itself.
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