I'm hoping all my nature gurus here can help me find a fairly easy trail that has lots of aspens along it. My family is going to be in town the first weekend in October, right when the color should be pretty good, and I'd like to take them out to see it.
I would love to go to Golden Gate, but I'm sure the easier trails there (like taking Raccoon up to the meadow) would be more than my Mom can handle. The family is coming in from Illinois, so the altitude will probably be an issue with the flatlanders.
I like the idea of doing something up around Estes Park, since it would mean we could come down into town to explore after. Heck, I guess if there are easier trails up there with excellent views of any kind, then aspens or no aspens, I'd be pretty happy with that, too.
If you don't mind sharing it with a few hundred of your closest friends, Kenosha Pass fits your description.
Posted by Les Barstow on September 8, 2007 at 10:29 PM
Mueller State Park has some pretty easy trails; go all the way to the end of the park road (through the one campground); there's a nature trail at the end that's reasonably sane.
There's nothing at Golden Gate Canyon that qualifies as "easy" for a flatlander, though taking the short walk along Elk Trail between Bootleg Bottom and just below Old Barn Knoll is good for Aspen and not as horrendous as the trails up to the meadows. (You might want to start at Old Barn Knoll and go up first...)
Not much in RMNP for Aspens except the stands along the meadows by the road, but there's always the Sprague Lake and Bear Lake trails for easy with a good view.
Posted by Don Grall on September 9, 2007 at 12:10 PM
I'll second Kenosha Pass! A dirt road turn off on the south side of the pass leads to an aspen grove that's fairly level and and an easy walk through. Another is Wilkerson Pass, which has a half mile long trail through some easy to access aspens.
There's a Buffalo Peaks loop hike that goes right into aspen forest when you start clockwise.........don't do the loop, though. There are also some nice tarns and meadows.
Posted by Dave Gill on September 11, 2007 at 1:28 PM
If you're going to Kenosha Pass, consider taking Boreas Pass (between Como and Breckenridge). It has some good aspen on it and it comes out in Breckenridge if your looking for an upscale "mountain" town to visit afterwards.
Discussion
5 repliesI would love to go to Golden Gate, but I'm sure the easier trails there (like taking Raccoon up to the meadow) would be more than my Mom can handle. The family is coming in from Illinois, so the altitude will probably be an issue with the flatlanders.
I like the idea of doing something up around Estes Park, since it would mean we could come down into town to explore after. Heck, I guess if there are easier trails up there with excellent views of any kind, then aspens or no aspens, I'd be pretty happy with that, too.
Suggestions?
There's nothing at Golden Gate Canyon that qualifies as "easy" for a flatlander, though taking the short walk along Elk Trail between Bootleg Bottom and just below Old Barn Knoll is good for Aspen and not as horrendous as the trails up to the meadows. (You might want to start at Old Barn Knoll and go up first...)
Not much in RMNP for Aspens except the stands along the meadows by the road, but there's always the Sprague Lake and Bear Lake trails for easy with a good view.