Fun Colorado Hikes offers many such hikes that have been tested with small children and deemed as some of the best trails on the Front Range! 

Also check the other posts in this blog for easy day hikes 30 minutes from Denver and others that are deeper in the mountains 60 minutes from Denver. They are really fun hikes for kids and the whole family!
Plan ahead: three or four days in advance of your hike day, tell your family which hike you plan on going to. The anticipation of the event is half the fun. Explain where you will go and what you might see. Get the imaginations going! And don’t forget to plan a treat after the hike (pizza or icecream stop on the way home is a great way to end the day).

The Fun Colorado Hikes website is the place to find it.  With so many trails across the state it can be very difficult to find a hike that is not too far or too difficult for a beginner or a family with children.

Below is a listing of some great hikes with beautiful views and fairly easy hiking that are within a 30 minute drive from Denver:

Alderfer Three Sisters Open Space

Elk Meadow/ Bergen Peak

Deer Creek Canyon

Coyote Song Trail

Meyer Ranch Park

Reyonold’s Park

Glendale Farm Open Space

Castlewood Canyon State Park

Mt. Falcon Park

If you are not familiar with the pass, it is the road that leads from Georgetown up to the Mt. Bierstadt west face. It is a wonderful drive with sheer beauty all the way. If you travel over the other side of the pass, you will come out at Grant and US 285. The road has trails scattered along the way, many of which are detailed on the Fun Hikes website. The pass also has a new set of parking lots and restrooms! Wonderful conveniences, but now busier than ever too. Plan to go early in the morning to avoid crowds.

This is a recommended scenic tour for anyone – it’s one that we like to take out-of-town guests to leave them in awe of Colorado’s beauty.

Looking to take a break from hiking and enjoy the mountains in another way? Grab your kids and your bikes and head for the hills. Take a beautiful ride in the mountains, and don’t worry if you don’t have a mountain bike. Your regular street bike and helmet will do just fine.

We have often enjoyed the scenery around Lake Dillion and Breckenridge. We always see it in the car and we have ridden our bikes from Frisco to Breckenridge more than once. There is a paved path that is perfect for a day ride with the family. It is flat and wide. Perfect for kids who have a good handle on their biking skills. We like it because you don’t have to be a pro to make the trip.

It takes a half day to make the round trip. We love to have lunch in Breckenridge (the half-way point). We like to eat at Breckenridge Brewery (on main street at the south end of town).

Try it out – it’s another fun day in the mountains.

The great Rocky Mountains and wineries – what a surprisingly delightful combination!

There are more than 60 wineries across the state. Many of them are open for tours and wine tasting. As our family travels around the state this summer, we plan on dropping by one of these treasures. Before or after a day of hiking, we’ll squeeze in a quick visit.

Our favorite wine is Sparkling Riesling which I’ve read is available at The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City.

Here is a short list of some of the wineries in Colorado:
Colorado Cellars Winery (Palisade)
Creekside Cellars (Evergreen)
The Terror Creek Winery (Paonia)
Trail Ridge Winery (Loveland)
Plum Creek Cellars (Grand Junction)
Pikes Peak Vineyards and Winery (Colorado Springs)
Check out the internet for more!

This park is a great place to spend the day(s) hiking, camping and picnicking. It offers beautiful views of the canyon from either rim – Stunning 2,000 ft drop to the canyon floor!! There are activities and programs that everyone is invited to participate in.

We enjoyed a nice visit to the South Rim Visitor Center and a short hike closeby. There are rim trails (for hikers of all capabilities) and inner canyon routes (for experts only – permit required).

The park also offers interpretive programs and a Junior Ranger Program for kids at the South Rim Visitor Center. During summer weekends, there are nightly presentations at the South Rim Campground.

This park has it all! Check it out when planning your next southwestern (Grand Junction, Gunnison, Montrose) Colorado vacation.

If you want to see a lot of this beautiful state, or any state for that matter, check out touring it by car.

Make frequent stops for rests, meals, exercise, or photo shots all along the way and cover hundreds of beautiful miles all in one day!

We have planned a trip like this through Colorado, making a huge loop and returning home by dinner time. We really enjoyed the scenery, visiting a state park for a short hike and eating in some quaint cafes at the top of the world.

My favorite and most memorable scenic byway through Colorado is called the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway. This one leads through Leadville, Vail, and Redcliff all very distinct towns nestled in the Rockies.

Take in all the beautiful scenery in one day – or maybe make it a weekend trip! Check out the official Colorado Scenic Byways Website for all of Colorado’s highways and byways!

Get out your map, pack up the family, and enjoy the scenery!

If you are coming from out of state, plan a hike. The only extra gear you will need to spend some time on the trails may be water bottles, jeans, jackets, hats, and a good map! It’s not a lot of extra packing.

Spend part of your day hiking and the other part exploring some of Colorado’s most charming mountain towns. Some of our favorites are Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Breckenridge, Evergreen and Vail!

Georgetown has its very own railroad open to the public for 1 hour rides, a main street nestled at the base of several mountains, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep viewing stations, and awesome Guanella Pass next door.

Idaho Springs has a quaint main street with shops and eateries – and Mt Evans Hwy next door.

Breckenridge has old silver mining town charm, concerts, hiking, lots of biking options and Lake Dillon next door.

Evergreen has a small main street with shops, ice cream and Evergreen Lake that offers fishing, paddle boats, and canoes for rent.

Vail is renowned for it’s Swiss Alps-like charm and for its beautiful and abundant surroundings!

Take your pick! There’s a lot more to do than that! And everywhere you go, you can find a great trail for you and your family!

Colorado is a great place to live! You don’t have to go far to get in a great vacation. Travel north, east, south or west and you will find something to do in any area of Colorado.

So, why not prepare yourself with a Colorado State Parks or National Park/National Rec. Area Season pass?! You can even purchase them online! It’s perfect for traveling all summer and you have so many choices of parks, trails, scenic drives, and camping areas.

For Colorado State Parks:
Purchase your 2006 annual pass. Your pass allows you entrance to all 41 beautiful state parks for the entire year – just $55. It pays for itself in about 10-11 visits to parks.

For Rocky Mountain National Park and other National Parks:
We purchased a park pass to Rocky Mountain National Park last year; it was a great investment! You can get a pass for Rocky Mountain National or other types of National Parks passes. Click here for more information about National Parks Season Passes. It is a great investment and provides you with a hundred choices of places to visit!

Prepare yourself and your family for traveling Colorado this spring and summer! Parks are abundant and diverse – check them out and visit soon; we plan to see many of them this summer! Happy Hiking!

I particularly like Breckenridge for all its size and the ambiance of the town below. This is also a favorite of mine in the summer. Beautiful.

The snow also reminds me every year how I would like to take up cross country skiing. It is one of the best cardiovascular exercises out there and it has the best scenery as well.

I have been particularly inspired recently by a Colorado Olympian who has her priorities in order. Not only is she a world-class cross-country skiier, she is also a wife and mother.

Rebecca Dussault competed in the Turin Winter Olympics this year and traveled the world circuit with her husband and son.

Her sport is not her god. She places God first in her life, then her family, and then her sport. It is so refreshing to see a young female athlete, who has her priorities straight and is so happy for it. She is a great role model for athletes and family life! Check out her website click here!