Outdoor Project

Sylvan Lake State Park and campground is an out-of-the-way, tranquil oasis that offers beautiful scenery, hiking, fishing, and relative solitude without the crowds of Summit County, Rocky Mountain National Park, or some of the other popular state parks. Not hard to get to, Sylvan Lake is just 15 miles from I-80 south of Eagle, Colorado, and it is perfect for a short getaway or a longer stay to explore the area.

The Wasatch Crest Mountain Bike Trail near Salt Lake City is consistently ranked among Utah's top mountain bike trails, but it also easily measures up against as one of the America's best mountain bike rides. You won’t get very far down the trail before you realize why.

The Mill Creek Pipeline ride is a Salt Lake City mountain biking favorite due to its easy accessibility, long riding season, and beautiful views.

The Dog Lake mountain bike ride usually begins at the Great Western Trail trailhead in Mill Creek Canyon, though it is possible to get to the lake by climbing up Mill D or by dropping down from Wasatch Crest through Lake Desolation.

There are a variety of ways to access the Desolation Trail for great Wasatch mountain biking. You can drop into it from Wasatch Crest, climb up from Mill D, or start at the Great Western Trailhead in Mill Creek Canyon, climb up to Dog Lake, and take the connector down to where Mill D connects into the Desolation Trail.

Finding camping close to Denver is potentially a nightmare unless you are using an RV park or a KOA. Luckily, Sawmill Hikers Campground is a fantastic hike-in campground at White Ranch Open Space Park just outside of Golden, Colorado.

The hike up to Ice Lake and Island Lake in Colorado's San Juan Mountains is truly an amazing one. It is moderately difficult, clocking in right at 8 miles with a total 3,000 feet of elevation gain, but the waterfalls, fantastic lakes, and wonderful views below and above the tree line are absolutely fantastic.

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and Campground centers around the Chief, a 600-meter tall tower of granite that erupts from the parking area in Squamish just above sea level and climbs abruptly to over 700 meters. Popular for its rock climbing and hiking trails, the 1,300 acres around the Chief became a provincial park in 1997.

The Chasm Lake Trail is a high alpine gem of a hike within Rocky Mountain National Park. The lake shadows the base of the Diamond face of Longs Peak, which towers 2,456 feet above Chasm Lake. This elevation is all the more impressive considering the lake already sits at 11,803 feet.  

This charming loop hike in Sylvan Lake State Park is an easy and flat 1.6 miles with ever-changing views of Sylvan Lake and the surrounding hills. Unlike most of the lakes in Colorado that were named in the 1800s, Sylvan Lake’s name is the result of a contest held by Colorado Parks and Wildlife when they acquired the lake property in 1962.