Hiking Trails
With over 65 trails winding through red rock formations, pine forests, and open meadows, Douglas County is a hiker's paradise. From easy family walks to challenging summit scrambles, the Front Range delivers.
Douglas County hiking ranges from flat-topped mesas with Pikes Peak views to the canyon trails of Castlewood and the namesake butte above Castle Rock. We hike these and report the real details: distance, difficulty, the parking that fills on weekends, rattlesnake season, and which trails actually welcome dogs, so you know what you are getting before you drive out.
22 places
East Plum Creek Trail - Meadows Trailhead and Parking
Colorado Trail / Indian Creek Trail Junction
Colorado Trail Trailhead: South Platte River
North Fork Trail Parking Lot
Falls Spur
Castlewood Canyon State Park
Expansive park with hiking trails, rock climbing walls, wildlife viewing opportunities & more.
Limbaugh Canyon Trail Head
Lake Gulch Trail
Rueter-Hess Incline
Sandstone Ranch Open Space
Daniels Park
Set on a high mesa, this 1,000-acre park has a rustic shelter & views of canyons & roaming bison.
Palmer Lake Reservoir Trailhead
Morrison Trailhead
Public park with trails, scenic overlooks & historic sites, plus picnic tables & restrooms.
Lincoln Mountain Loop Trailhead
Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space Trail
Waterton Canyon Trailhead
Columbine Open Space and Trail
Homestead Trail
Deer Creek Canyon Trails
McCabe trailhead
Gateway Mesa Open Space
