My 3 Favorite Hikes in Boulder, CO

Boulder is such a beautiful city. You can see the mountains in the parking lot of Target. Almost everywhere you go, even the regular errands, have great views.

I love how Boulder is an urban mountain town. They have food halls, restaurants, movie theatre, and malls. But you can also access some really great trails too.

My kids went to school in Boulder, and many times, I would be able to get a hike in before picking them up in the afternoon.

Here are 3 of my favorite hikes in Boulder, CO.

First up is Mount Sanitas through Sanitas Valley. This is a hard hike, but the beauty of the trail makes up for it.

Mount Sanitas is a 3.2 mile loop trail. You’ll forget you’re in boulder for a minute. There are beautiful views the entire hike. Its mostly uphill and challenging. A few spots will have you scrambling over rocky surfaces.

I’ve seen this trail get crowded on the weekends. But I’ve also had it to myself in many spots during the week. This trail is spread out with many lookout points so it shouldn’t be hard to find some spots where you can enjoy solitude, even on busy days.

Next up is Royal Arch Trail, which is a 3.3 mile loop trail.

This is another one mostly uphill and challenging, but I love it. I’ve done it several times. It was my stress hike last year. Any time I felt overwhelmed, I did this hike and always felt nothing but peace afterwards. The arch is cool to see and the view past the arch is beautiful.

This trail starts at Chautauqua Park. There is a parking lot and also street parking when the lot is full. There are a few different hikes that start here so pay attention to the signs to ensure you’re going the right way. If you’re standing at the beginning of the trail head, go straight up the hill or to the left to access Royal Arch Trail.

This trail can get crowded on the first half, but most hikers don’t go all the way to the end. On busy days, you may have to wait to get a good photo under the arch or past the arch. But I’ve had the end of this trail to myself many times. I’ve even done a 10-15 minute photo shoot without any around.

The arch is pretty cool to see, and the view is gorgeous. It does include some city views, but looking out across Boulder from this height is pretty awesome.

Boulder Falls is another favorite, especially when I adventure with the whole family. The drive to the falls is beautiful.

This is a .3 mile out and back trail. It’s easy and quick and the falls are beautiful. You do have to take stairs to the falls so it’s not wheelchair or stroller friendly.

The falls are pretty popular so go early before noon or later in the day after 4 pm to avoid the largest crowds. Because it’s an easy hike, I’ve seen tour buses pull up and drop off big crowds of tour groups like camps and corporate groups.

This one is great for kids because they can play in the water. When you go, take some time to explore the entire area and not just the falls.

Stepping onto the rocks and playing in the water surrounding the falls is really fun. I was even brave once and visited the falls in the evening and it was quite majestic.

There is a small parking area across the street from the falls. Be conscious as you cross the street as there aren’t any lights, crosswalks, or yield signs. Most times this street isn’t very busy except during rush hour.

These are some of my favorite spots in Boulder.

Which one of these Boulder trails would you hike?