Last weekend my family hiked both trails at Caribou Ranch Open Space to take in the fall color and it was idyllic. It looked like the trees were maybe a few days from peak color, so it’s likely that you can enjoy the views through this weekend at least (depending on how Thursday’s predicted snow impacts the leaves).
I learned about this hike from a 2014 Denver Post article. After a summer of hikes averaging 1,000-foot elevation gain, my kids were so happy to be on a fairly flat trail for three hours!
I think the photos speak for themselves – this is a delightful hike, and if you’re quiet and observant, you might see a moose in the tall grasses!
As always in Colorado, dress in layers – the temperature ranged from 26-degrees to 47 while we were there. There’s a restroom at the trailhead and a few picnic tables, but you might as well get lunch in Nederland afterward! Or at least grab a cuppa’ at The Train Cars coffee shop. If you’re hiking with small children, a visit to the Carousel of Happiness in town is also a must (and possibly a bargaining chip?).