Kid-Friendly Trails

Hidden Mesa (Franktown)

Flat and easy, Hidden Mesa is a fun trail that’s dog-friendly. We didn’t make it far (thanks to ice and slush), but what we did do was beautiful and perfect for a sunset hike. According to their website, the full area is 1,200 acres, so there’s plenty to explore.

It’s also great for cold but sunny days because it’s wide open.

There are also covered picnic tables at the start of the trail for a snack and a production-orchard that appeared closed up while we were there (maybe summertime it’s open?). 😄

✅ Picnic tables
✅ Easy parking
✅ Stroller-friendly (maybe in summer?)
✅ Dogs welcome!

So if you’re looking for an easy, flat, cold-weather hike, this is a good one to bookmark.

🏷️

Coot Lake is a beautiful kid-friendly trail, but I share it with some trepidation.

First, the good stuff:

☀️ It’s beautiful and in full-sun, which makes it a great one for the winter months.
☀️ The main trail around the lake is dirt/gravel and well-maintained, making it stroller-friendly in the warmer months and easy to navigate in the colder months.
☀️ It’s pretty flat, has benches throughout, and has a few spots for a picnic.
☀️ PLUS, there’s a playground across the street, so you get the double-whammy of a hike and a playground.

BUT….There are a zillion dogs and I’d say MAYBE 1 in 10 is on a leash.

According to Boulder County’s website, “dogs are only permitted off-leash if they are registered as participants in the Voice and Sight Tag Program.”

While we haven’t run into any aggressive dogs, just over half of the owners we’ve encountered let their dogs run up to the kids on the trail with a simple, “oh he/she’s friendly,” so if your child is not comfortable with dogs, this trail will probably terrify them.

Even my dog-loving toddler was overwhelmed by the amount of dogs that approached him and I had to carry him when new ones came along, so I don’t know that we’ll be back any time soon.

All that said, it’s a beautiful trail and if your kids are a little older, they’ll probably love it.

Here’s what it has to offer:

✅ Benches
✅ Picnic tables
✅ Restrooms (port-a-pottys, including family-sized)
✅ Stroller-friendly
❌ No public transit

Temps are dropping below zero this week, so instead of hitting the trails, here’s a photo of another cold day at Castlewood Canyon, which is (normally) a great place to hit on cold, sunny days.

❄️ Are you planning to head out in this cold or are you staying put?

🏷️

It’s that time of year when the weather gets cold, the sun shines bright, and the trails are still pretty mud-free.

Cheers to great hiking weather! 🥂

What’s your favorite late-Fall hiking spot?

Happy Colorado Day!

Today you’ll see a lot of pictures of mountains, I’m sure, and while I love them….. Colorado has so much more to offer!

One of my missions with this page is to highlight amazing kid-friendly trails here in our beautiful state, but more specifically, to highlight trails that are accessible by public transit. 🚌

So much of what our state has to offer in the way of the outdoors simply isn’t an option for many due to:

• A reliance on public transit, which is limited
• Inability to afford entry fees
• Difficulties taking a full day off to hit the trails, particularly for parents working opposite schedules or the night shift
• Limited accessible trails and available on-site equipment for those with physical limitations
• The outdoor culture, generally

These are big barriers, but my hope is to help you find your way to a trail that works for you.

That said, I’m a mom who works full-time out of the home, so while my posts may be intermittent, the trails are always there. 😉 (You can learn more about me over at ).

Have a favorite trail for kids? Drop it in the comments!

Friendly reminder that you don’t have to *go* somewhere to experience the benefits of hitting the trails!

Nature is all around us, so on the days you want to slowly sip an afternoon iced coffee and r•e•l•a•x, kick the guilt and embrace your yard or local park.

🌱 Follow for more trail recs.

🌱 To learn more about the mom behind the account, follow .

If you’re looking for a no-fuss trail to let the little ones run around on, then check out Lagerman Reservoir. There’s not much to it - just a simple trail around a simple reservoir, but it has great views and a wide path.

For kids who are still unsteady on their feet, this one will offer some easy practice, but older kids may find it lacking in excitement.

✅ Benches
✅ Picnic tables
✅ Restrooms
✅ Stroller-friendly
✅ Public transit

Harriman Lake Trail (1.6 miles, Morrison/Littleton) is a delightful little loop where everything about it is easy. It’s easy to get to, it’s easy to park, and it’s easy to walk. There’s almost no elevation (19 feet, according to ) and it’s very stroller-friendly.

One side of the trail has an elevated view of the road, which was endlessly fascinating for my one-year old, and there are pockets where you can walk right up to the water.

We went on a weekday and it wasn’t too busy, but the trail is also fairly wide so I imagine you’ll have plenty of room to maneuver on busier days. There’s not really any shade, though, so plan accordingly!

🚌 This one is also accessible by public transit and is a half-mile walk from the S. Kipling St. & W. Quincy Ave stop.

✅ Benches
✅ Picnic tables
✅ Restrooms
✅ Stroller-friendly
🚌 Public transit

Crown Hill Lake Loop (1.6, Wheat Ridge) is one of our favorite spots, although we don’t live too close by so we don’t go nearly as much as we would like. There are usually a good amount of people out, but there are two loops around the lake, so it’s easy to space out.

The inner loop is paved while the outer loop is not, but we have done both with a stroller without any issues. If you have a toddler who wants to toddle around, I recommend the outer loop because there are generally less people on it (and the ones who are tend to walk a little slower.

There’s also an urban wildlife refuge to check out (the lake is part of a larger 242-acre open space, picnic tables, plenty of benches, and restrooms. Plus, it’s on the bus line! RTD has several buses ( #’s 76, 100, 28, and 32) that run along various sides of the park, but the stop at Kipling St & W 26th Ave is probably your best bet.

✅ Benches
✅ Picnic tables
✅ Restrooms
✅ Stroller-friendly
✅ Public transit

Waterton Canyon (12.4 miles, Louviers/Littleton) has been on our list for while but it’s so easy to pass it by and head to Roxborough State Park, which is one of our favorites. This time, however, we made plans to check it out and stuck to them!

The full trail is over 12 miles, but we only did the first 1.5 or so because I brought the kid carrier (there was snow earlier in the week and I was unsure about the mud situation).

It was nice but, unfortunately, the best views don’t pick up until about a mile in, so we didn’t get to take full advantage of all it has to offer. We will definitely be going back with the stroller, though, so that we can keep on trekking and see what all the fuss is about.

What’s great about this one is that the trail is very wide (think road-width), so it’s easy to social distance. There are also picnic tables dotted along the trail and, from what we saw, restrooms, as well.

I’m looking forward to going back with the stroller to check more of the trail out, but I’d be lying if I said I plan to go back beyond that in the near future. I adore Roxborough, so if I’m going to make the trip in this direction, I think I’d much prefer to go there, particularly because I can get great views a lot quicker into my hike. But, maybe that will change when my son is old enough for a bike ride. 🏍

✅ Stroller-friendly
✅ Restrooms
✅ Picnic tables
🔸 Benches (there are picnic tables)

Have you been to Waterton Canyon? Do you prefer to bike it or hike it?

We are giving away a parks pass! Head over to Instagram.com/kidfriendlytrails to learn how to enter.

Bingham Lake Pinery Reservoir (1 mile, Parker) is a trail we came across when looking for a quick one with a water feature. Nestled between some *very nice* neighborhoods, it’s a simple loop that offers sweeping higher-up views of the landscape from one side of the reservoir and has a family vibe to it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The reservoir is small (which is to be expected, given its location) but the trail is packed gravel and is very well-maintained, which makes it really easy for strollers. There are also spots where other trails connect to it, so I imagine you could go for a longer walk using any of these connectors, if you wanted to.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
All-in-all, there’s nothing too exciting about this trail, but if you’re on the SE side of Denver and are looking for an easy, quiet loop, then Bingham is one you may want to check out.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✅ Stroller-friendly
✅ Restrooms (Port-a-Potty) at entrance
✅ Benches
✅ Picnic Tables