Front Range
The easternmost Rockies rising directly from the Great Plains — Denver's backyard peaks, foothill trails, and the classic fourteener corridor from Boulder to Colorado Springs.
Trails
3
Best Season
May through October; some lower-elevation trails are accessible year-round
How to Get There
Trailheads are a 15-60 minute drive from Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins. Many Front Range open-space trails require parking reservations on weekends.
Permit Information
Rocky Mountain National Park requires timed-entry permits during peak summer months. Most national forest and open-space trails require parking fees or daily passes.
The Front Range refers to the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, visible as a dramatic wall rising from the plains from Fort Collins through Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs to Pueblo. This is Colorado's most-accessed trail region because of its proximity to the major population centers. Trails range from short foothill walks to the 14ers of the main divide — Longs Peak, Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans), Grays and Torreys, and Pikes Peak. The primary trailheads are in Boulder's Chautauqua Park, Jefferson County's open-space network, Pike National Forest, and Rocky Mountain National Park's eastern entrances.
The three to know
★ 01Longs Peak via Keyhole Route
Rocky Mountain National Park's signature climb — a 15-mile Class 3 route across ledges, the Trough, and the Homestretch to the summit of Longs Peak.
★ 02Royal Arch Trail
A steep, popular Front Range hike in Boulder's Chautauqua Park, climbing to a natural sandstone arch with views of the Flatirons and Denver skyline.
★ 03Grays and Torreys Peak Trail
The most popular pair of fourteeners in Colorado, climbed on a single route from I-70 — two Continental Divide summits for one trailhead effort.
Full index
- ★Royal Arch Trail5.6 km—→
- ★Longs Peak via Keyhole Route24.1 km1 days→
- ★Grays and Torreys Peak Trail12.1 km—→