Disclaimer: this is an opinion about our personal experience of this hike. Others may have a different opinion, and that is perfectly acceptable. Everyone has a right to their own opinion.
We’ve absolutely been loving the Conifer hikes lately. There is something to be said about finding hikes that are only 30ish minutes away from Denver! This hike is just south of Conifer in Reynolds Park. Considering how close this hike is to Denver, we headed out early to try to beat the crowds - and we are very happy we did! Here’s what we think you need to know about this hike!
Parking is free and the lot is actually decently sized.
We were pleasantly surprised to see a decent sized lot at the trail head that easily could fit 20 cars (or more) without having to park parallel or on the street! We arrived around 8:15 and had no issue finding a parking spot.
There are restrooms at the trail head.
Woohoo! This is always a great surprise when we see this. As comfortable as we are peeing in the woods, it’s always nice to not actually have to since a restroom is available!
The view makes this hike worth it.
The hike itself is a 4.2 mile loop trail which doesn’t sound too long, but considering the elevation gain you have during the first mile of the hike, we were glad it was on the shorter side. We went counter-clockwise and got a killer booty/hamstring/calf muscle workout in! Coming off the steep and steady incline and seeing the valley and mountain ridges for miles and miles and miles.. yeah, those views are why you do this hike.
Dogs are allowed on leash.
Unlike the Maxwell Falls hike we did, we did not see any dog poop on the trail! Thank you responsible dog owners!! This hike is STEEP and a good portion of it is not shaded, so if you bring the pups, be sure to bring them their own water. You do not want to be that dog owner that has to call the park rangers for assistance on getting their dog carried out after the doggo overheated. Yes, that happens.
We rate this hike 4.5/5 stars!
We loved the challenging incline on this hike, especially with the shorter distance this hike is. With the early start, we didn’t see more than 10 people on the trail until we were almost back to the parking lot. Having restrooms, a nice sided parking lot, and it being only a 30ish minute drive from where we live definitely adds stars to this hike for us.
If you hit this trial, let us know what you think by leaving a comment or sending us an email! We love hearing about everyone’s experiences!
Happy Trails!
~ Liz
