Hiking the incredible Red Rocks and Morrison Slide Loop Trail near Golden Colorado

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One of the coolest places to visit in Colorado is Red Rocks, just outside of the small town Morrison. If you’re able to catch a concert at the venue it is a pretty cool experience (highly recommend looking up shows in advance). Not far the venue are a number of hiking and biking trails that are a great way to spend a morning, afternoon or evening in this part of Colorado.

I’ve always wanted to explore this area for a day trip, so I decided to hop in the car and make the drive for the day from Breckenridge. Part of the Mathews/Winters Park, what’s cool about this loop trail is it isn’t too difficult. It would be a great way to spend some time with your family, friends, or a significant other outdoors. Dogs are also welcome too, they just have to be on a leash. In this post I’ll be going over trail details, parking, what to know, and best time to visit. Coool lets get into it

How to get there and where to park

To get to this trail you’ll take I-70 to the Golden/Morrison exit. Turn onto Alameda Pkwy (Red Rocks Amphitheater Entrance 1) and park either in the small parking lot on the left or on the road at the base of the trailhead. That’s the nice thing about Red Rocks, is there is plenty of parking on the side of the road because of the concert venue.

Trail Stats

Download the trail ahead of time on AllTrails for help with navigation. Although there is signage throughout the trail, it’s always nice to have a map with you.

• 3.2 mile loop

• 692 Feet of Elevation Gain

• Open 1 hour before sunrise and 1 hour after sunset

• Dogs allowed, but must be on a leash

What to Pack

Plenty of water and sunscreen as this area can get pretty hot during the day, depending on the time of year. I would also make sure to have a good pair of hiking boots, a hat, sunglasses, lightweight outdoor clothing, as well as a rain jacket. Some of my favorite brands for outdoor gear include Patagonia, Fjallraven, Black Diamond, Hydroflask, and LaSportiva.

Best time of Year to Hike

May-October weather depending. During the winter there could be road closures due to snow, so check Jefferson County’s alerts and updates if you plan on hiking it during winter months. June is an awesome time because the temps aren’t too high yet and there’s also wildflowers along the trail.

If you want to avoid the heat I think the best time of day would be late afternoon-evening, catching a sunset as you hike back to the car. If you’re a morning person and can wake up early to catch a sunrise this hike would also be a great way to start the day!

What to Expect

The nice part about this area of Colorado is how different it is from the mountains such as Breck or Vail. It almost feels like a desert as the dirt and rocks are all red. Considered to be the foothills, which is in between the city and mountains, expect some elevation gain and rockier parts throughout your hike, hence the need for good hiking footwear. If you’re wondering about time, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to hike the loop depending on speed.

Trail Details

You’ll want to start at the trailhead for Red Rocks trail, across from the small parking lot. The first part of the hike is where you’ll see most of the Red Rocks. I wouldn’t say it’s a canyon, but it’s more enclosed then most of the hike. As you make your way up the first part of the trail, you’ll see the sign for Red Rocks Trail and Morrison Slide. Take the Red Rocks Trail!

This is where the trail starts to open up and you can see a lot of the foothills and part of I70. This portion also levels out and is a good spot to take a breather if needed. Notice the connecting trails down below!

If you have time, the Red Rocks trail will continue further off this loop. You’ll see signs for the this about halfway through the hike. Check the photo below for details. I ended up continuing on the Red Rocks trail by accident before hiking back up to continue on the Morrison Slide trail. Definitely worth taking a wrong turn, you kind of feel like you’re in the valley of the foothills, cool experience during golden hour!

As you make your way back up the Morrison Slide part of the Loop, be prepared for the last bit of elevation gain before the trail levels off.

Once level, you’ll notice a pretty awesome view of Golden, a smaller city outside of Denver. I live in the mountains and hikes with these kinds of views don’t exist, so it’s always nice to hike something different, that still provides that unique outdoor experience.

The last part of the hike is essentially hiking down where you first started, back on the Red Rocks trail. If it’s later in the day, the red color of the rocks is best for photography!

That’s it for the Red Rocks Trail Morrison Slide Loop. Leave a question or comment about his trail below and if you are looking for more adventures in Colorado, check out one of my favorite towns, Buena Vista.

3 Easy Spring Hikes near Breckenridge worth checking out

Disclosure: When you buy something through the Affiliate product links I have created below, I earn a small commission. I only promote products and companies I support as well as believe in.

An app I like to use for Hiking Navigation is All Trails, it has trail stats, directions, and reviews making it a great resource

Spring in the mountains is probably one of the best times of the year if you’re a local living in a ski town. Winters are pretty long, days are short, and the workload can be pretty exhausting as most people work 2 jobs to make a living. So when spring rolls around and the snow starts to melt along with trails starting to thaw out, it’s nice to go for an evening hike.

Breckenridge Colorado and Summit County alone have endless hiking trails. Most will be covered in snow and typically can’t be hiked until June. However, there’s three easy hikes you can do, snow or no snow that have great views, not much elevation gain, and are a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening in the Colorado mountains. They are even great trails for families with young children or couples looking for something that isn’t too strenuous. Below I’ll go over trail details, where to park, and how to access these trails. Alight lets do thisss.

Boreas Pass Service Road

How to get there

You’ll drive through downtown Breckenridge, all the way through town ending up on the south end. Take a left on Boreas Pass Road. Take this road all the way until you get to the dirt parking lot at the top.

Parking Coordinates: 39.47438, -106.04199

Best time to go

In the spring the parking at the top won’t be too filled up as most of the trails are covered in snow including the service road that you’ll hike on. However! In the summer and fall months this area gets pretty busy. Which is why spring is a great time to hike this trail as there are not many people around.

Trail Details

You can do the Bakers Tank Trailhead Loop which starts at the parking lot (look for the the trailhead on the left side) and is 2.5 miles. This trail will take you through the woods and pops out back on the road where the water tank is and then you walk back to the parking lot along the service road.

Or you can start walking from the parking lot along the road until you reach the overlook views. Walk along the road as far as you’d like until you feel like turning around. I like to catch a good sunset up here before walking back to my car. The views overlook most of the ten mile range and the town of Breck, which is what makes this such a cool spot.

Are Dogs Allowed

Dogs are allowed, on or off leash. Just make sure the clean up after your dog!

Sapphire Point

How to get there

Take Swan Mountain Road and at the top, about halfway, there will be a paved parking lot. Sometimes it will be filled, which in that case you might have to park along one of the lookout areas along Swan Mountain Road. But again, it is springtime and there are not as many people in Summit County! Parking coordinates below.

Coordinates: 39.58856, -106.04428

Trail Details

This is a pretty simple trail with some of the best views in Summit County overlooking Lake Dillon, Buffalo Mountain, Chief Mountain, and Red Peak. You might even catch a wedding ceremony going down as this is a popular spot for that. But again, in the spring there aren’t many people. Once parked, take the trail to the left, which will end up at a lookout with a stone wall. This is a great place for photos! Continue on the trail and it will loop back to the parking lot.

There will be some picnic tables towards the end of the Loop, making this spot a great place for an afternoon lunch.

Best time to go

Spring through fall, you can go in the winter, but the trail loop will be covered in snow. However, the walk to the main lookout should be ok year round. My favorite time to go is in the late afternoon-evening to catch the sun setting over the mountains.

Lake Dillon Lakeshore Perimeter Trail

How to get there and where to park

There’s a number of different entrances to this trail, as it goes around most of Lake Dillon. However I think the best place to park is near the Frisco Nordic Center. There is a number of parking spots in this area such as at the Frisco Skatepark or Baseball field . You’ll then want to download Alltrails and look for the Perimeter Trail sign, just past the Nordic Center.

Best time to go

Anytime of the day will work, but I like the afternoon/evening time. Spring through Fall is the only time I would go on this trail.

Trail Details

Once you’ve found the Perimeter Trail sign, you’ll walk along a narrow trail until you reach the lake. The trail veers to the right and eventually will take you to a beach area. Or, you can stay on the trail and keep hiking. The trail will go around the entire peninsula that you’re standing on. I like to only go part of the way as it is a 6.5 mile hike. Hike to one of the beaches and hang out. You can bring a blanket to sit on, catch a sunset, pack some food, and just enjoy the lake and mountains surrounding you. It’s one of the easiest hikes with some of the most captivating views.

Keep in mind during the spring, there may still be snow on parts of the trail. Not a problem because you can hike along the beach area until the trail is dry. Which is why I recommend using good hiking footwear to walk around on.

.One of my favorite areas of this trail is right around 2 miles in you’ll notice the Peninsula sticks out, and there’s a rock area where you can sit and hang out for a bit. You get a wide frame of view of the lake area and mountains. Kind of hard to explain so check out the photo below for a better idea. It will be just past the Peak One campground on the right. Please note, this trail is shared with mountain bikers so be aware that of this when hiking this loop. I honestly have never had any issues and bikers are always nice enough to communicate when they are close to you.

Are dogs allowed

Yep, I would leash up your dog on trail due to bikers, but it is ok off leash on the beach areas.

Just note, when traveling back to your car, stay on the Perimeter Loop trail and follow the trail signs. If you get lost, pull up the predownloaded map of the trail that you got on AllTrails for navigation. As long as you stay on the trail it will lead you right back to one of the parking lots near the Frisco Adventure Center.

What to Pack

Rain Jacket- Rain and Snow can pop up at anytime in the mountains during the spring.

Lightweight warm insulated jacket- Great for hiking, a lightweight insulated jacket is just that, lightweight.

Beanie/Ball Cap- Pack these, one for sun and one for colder mountain weather

Hiking footwear- Something with good traction and support. Stop by your local REI store to try different sizes and brands. I personally like LaSportiva.

Hiking Pants- Avoid cotton and I recommend anything lightweight with stretch material. My favorite hiking pants are made by Fjallraven.

Headlamp- If you plan on hiking in the evening, pack this just in case

Looking for other easier hikes to do in Colorado? Check out one of my favorites, Spiral Point in Aspen. It is a really cool place to visit in the Fall, when all the leaves are starting to change.