Outdoor Project

Golden Ears Park near Maple Ridge, is home to some of the most beautiful trails, pristine lakes, and majestic forests in the lower mainland. The park is saturated with trails, beaches, vistas, and whatever else you could possible dream of; it's almost overwhelming. The trail to Gold Creek Falls is a great way to get introduced. 

The Mount Carbon Loop at Bear Creek Lake Park is an excellent ride for for all skill levels. The trees, lakes, and streams make this a good place to hide from the heat of summer. The trail is located within a few miles of Red Rocks Park and Dinosaur Ridge outside of Morrison.  

Bear Creek Lake Park is a multi-use park with activity-specific trails. The park features beaches, swimming, horseback riding, hiking, biking, boating, archery, shelter camping, fishing, and just about every other activity and amenity you can imagine.

Scenic Highway 190, otherwise known as Big Cottonwood Canyon Drive, is a major corridor for outdoor recreation in Utah in all seasons. Once in the canyon you will have access a plethora of hikes, campgrounds and ski resorts. The road is most crowded in the autumn, when hundreds of tourists and locals drive up everyday to Guardsman's Pass to check out the changing aspen. At the pass, many turn around and head back to Salt Lake City, but you can actually continue on and head to Deer Valley in Park City or go to the charming Swiss-themed town of Midway.

The Suttle Lodge is a great place to stop whether you're looking to spend the night or to simply enjoy the lake for the day. It's the perfect base camp for fishing, floating, boating, golfing, hiking, and even skiing in the winter months. This is a very family-friendly, pet-friendly resort that is also perfectly suited for couples.

Considering the moderate difficulty of the hike and the easy driving distance from Denver, Mount Bierstadt is all-around the most accessible 14er in Colorado. At only a 1.5-hour drive and a 3.5-mile hike on Class 1 and 2 terrain, almost anyone can make it high onto the slopes of this Front Range peak. Although there are multiple ways to reach the top, this guide covers only the Mount Bierstadt Trail, or West Slopes Route, which is the easiest and most popular.

The Rainbow Lake Trail is one of the most accessible and iconic hikes in the Whistler area. From a small parking area on Alta Lake Road just west of Whistler Village the trail immediately begins climbing through dense forest alongside 21 Mile Creek, a preview of the long steady climb ahead that eventually ascends 830 meters over 8 kilometers (900 meters if you continue on to Hanging Lake/Madeley Lake).

The Waterton Canyon Recreation Area is located in Littleton, a short drive away from Denver and its surrounding suburbs.  The gravel road runs alongside the South Platte River for 6.5 miles, and it makes for an easy hike or bike ride. It can be very busy in summer and fall weekends, but even then there are opportunities to observe its abundant wildlife, including big horn sheep, black bear, mule deer, and several other species.

One of the most breathtaking and difficult hikes in the area, Mount McLoughlin will make you earn its rewarding views. The tallest mountain between the Three Sisters and Mount Shasta, this 9,495-foot young volcano is not for the faint of heart. With over 4,000 feet of elevation gain in just 5 miles, you will definitely feel the burn before you get there.

Rocky Mountain National Park was created in 1915, so 2015 marks its centennial. In 1920, the first road was built into the high country deep in the park. The Old Fall River Road is a historical remnant of the early days of the park, but it had issues that ultimately required a replacement road to be built in 1932. There were several very tight switchback turns, and in places the grade was nearly 20%. It was also as narrow as 8-feet wide in places, and two-way traffic was challenging.

Many of the Silverthorne area trails are popular and busy, especially on weekends. For hikers looking for solitude, just a short drive from Dillon Lake brings many options to avoid the crowds. One lesser-visited high mountain highlight is Lower Boulder Lake. Given the beauty of the lake and the varied scenery of the trail, it is surprising this lake isn't more popular.