What To Do In Boulder Colorado
Boulder, Colorado is a vibrant and bustling city nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and thriving cultural scene, Boulder has something for everyone.
Visitors can explore the city’s many parks and trails, take a scenic drive up Flagstaff Mountain, or shop and dine in the bustling downtown area.
Boulder is also home to numerous museums, galleries, and performing arts venues, making it a hub for arts and culture in the region. With so many things to see and do, it’s easy to see why Boulder is a popular destination for travelers from around the world.
So what hikes should you do in Boulder Colorado? Below I give you lots of options that all have amazing views. (None of them are terribly difficult)
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado is a destination you need to add to your travel list. It’s a beautiful city in the Rocky Mountains but what can you do when traveling to Boulder Colorado?
I’ve visited Boulder and I want to share with you all of my tips on things to see and do while visiting and how to get the best experiences out of your vacation.
Getting to Boulder was quite the doozy. We had a series of unfortunate events happen that turned our 4 hour flight into a 7 hour flight. Not to mention a rental car fiasco.
Anyways, just know we had very little sleep, but we weren’t going to let that take anything away from our time there. This was a very quick 48 hour trip to Boulder Colorado for me to photograph my cousin’s wedding.
NCAR Mesa Trail
The first day we went location scouting for a Colorado-esque engagement session.
We checked out the NCAR Mesa Trail, Boulder Canyon Trail, and drove down Flagstaff Rd to Walker Ranch Trail. We landed on a field that was off of the side of the road! Perfect spot with no crowds. (Click here to see the photos!)
Red Rocks Trail
The next day we were well rested and decided to do a hike. We had heard good things about the Red Rocks Trail so we parked at The People’s Crossing parking lot and headed down the trailhead.
There were several trails that joined up with the initial Red Rocks Trail. We decided to go down the Anemone Trail Loop which was 4.5 miles. It was the perfect distance and beautiful views.
It was almost 1000 ft of elevation gain which we definitely felt especially starting at almost 6000 ft. For us New Englanders, that was HIGH! We go crazy for our 4000 footers here.
Coming down the Red Rocks Trail back to the parking lot was super slick with the red dust over the rocks. We had to walk super slow and watch our feet or we would slip.
From the top of the Anemone Trail we could see Rockies way out in the distance.
Lost Gulch Overlook
We wanted to get a better look from a higher elevation so we went back up Flagstaff Rd to Lost Gulch Overlook Boulder CO. This was an amazing overlook with a clear view of the Rocky Mountains! We were super bummed that we didn’t have time to check out Rocky Mountain National Park so you better believe we will be back to Colorado one day to check it out.
Best and Easy Hikes in Boulder, CO
- NCAR Mesa Trail
- Boulder Canyon Trail
- Red Rocks Trail/Anemone Trail
- Walker Ranch Trail
- Lost Gulch Overlook (just a lookout)
Because of the nature of our trip, this was all we could fit in to 2 days. I would love to come back and explore more of what Boulder has to offer.
Sitting on the rocks at the Lost Gulch Overlook and looking out to the Rockies made me very much want to check out Rocky Mountain National Park.
Colorado has so much to see, what an awesome place to visit!
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