BEST DIFFICULT COLORADO SPRINGS HIKING TRAILS The Ute people, the oldest residents of Colorado, established this trail as a connection between the plains and the mountains.Īs you hike the Ute Pass Trail, you’ll encounter interpretive panels featuring Ute history, as well as sweeping views of the area. 16 - UTE PASS TRAILĪlthough the Ute Pass Trail shares a trailhead with the Manitou Incline, it takes you along an original Native American trail for a totally different hike. You can do the loop either direction, but I recommend hiking Little Scraggy Peak loop clockwise, because it’s somewhat less steep that way. When you come out of the woods, you’ll get some great views of Pikes Peak in the distance. As you hike along the base of Little Scraggy Mountain, you’ll encounter some fun-looking boulders, and you’ll follow the trail through some forested areas. Little Scraggy Peak loop is an excellent long hike that shares a segment with the Colorado Trail. This trail is about an hour drive from Colorado Springs in the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area, which is known for its awesome mountain biking trails – and I would love to come back and mountain bike it someday! Be aware that this means you can expect a lot of mountain bikers sharing the trail, so pay attention while hiking and know the trail etiquette about who has the right of way. Permit Required: $7 day use fee at trailhead Little Scraggy Peak Loop Hike Quick Facts: The trail follows the creek through Cheyenne Cañon with lovely views of the granite canyon walls along the way to Helen Hunt Falls. The Columbine Trail is a wonderful way to check out Cheyenne Cañon, and it actually has three trailheads so you can make the hike shorter or longer to fit your needs. The trail is lovely the whole way, especially when wildflowers are in bloom, and watching the 300-foot waterfall makes the elevation gain – it’s uphill the whole way to the falls – worth it. Mary’s Falls is at the same parking lot as the Seven Bridges hike, and the shady trail runs along a stream for most of the hike. Mary’s Falls is another one of the best hikes near Colorado Springs that culminates in a waterfall. ![]() At the end you’ll reach the ruins of Loud Cabin, which are pretty neat! Then you can turn around and head back or connect this with a bunch of other nearby trails if you want more mileage. The trail gets better after that though, and you’ll walk through a really cool aspen grove at one point. Keep that in mind before hiking this trail if that doesn’t sound like something you’d be comfortable with. I went slowly through it and was okay, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite part. There is a short section of this trail (about half a mile) that is very narrow loose gravel on steep terrain. (Be sure to get to the parking lot early on weekends, since it can fill up quickly though.) That section of the trail is pretty crowded, but you’ll find a little more solitude once you get past the popular Seven Bridges part. The hike to Loud’s Cabin follows the Seven Bridges Trail for the first part of the hike. The Santa Fe Trail is also a great connector trail to lots of other hikes around Colorado Springs. There are several trailheads and access points for the Santa Fe Trail, so you can choose to do as much or as little of the trail as you like. If you look at the trail stats here, you might wonder why this trail is categorized as easy! But that’s because the Santa Fe Regional Trail is a well-built point-to-point trail, which means you can just turn around whenever you’ve had enough hiking, so most people only hike a small section of it. Santa Fe Regional Trail Hike Quick Facts: The falls are beautiful when they’re running, but they will dry up to a trickle during part of the year. It starts at a waterfall – Helen Hunt Falls – and finishes at a waterfall – Silver Cascade Falls – before you head back. ![]() This is a super easy hike that’s short but steep. Helen Hunt and Silver Cascade Falls Hike Quick Facts:Īnother great little trail in North Cheyenne Cañon is Helen Hunt and Silver Cascade Falls. And there are plenty of other trails in the area if you want to add on and make your hike longer. ![]() This short trail takes you to the base of Cascade Falls for a lovely view. North Cheyenne Cañon is a beautiful area full of hikes near Colorado Springs, and the Buffalo Canyon Trail is a perfect easy introduction hike to the area. There are several easy loops to choose from, including the Hogback, which offers a great perspective of the park with Pikes Peak in the distance. ![]() Just across the road from Garden of the Gods, you can explore more trails through the sandstone at Red Rock Canyon Open Space. Total Elevation Gain: Minimal to 350 feet Red Rock Canyon Open Space Hiking Quick Facts:
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