Toddler Friendly Hikes Near Denver
One of the things I was most excited about having kids was passing along my love of nature and the outdoors. And while you can find a patch of dirt just about anywhere, there is something special about being in the shadow of the mountains that makes my heart happy. When we moved to Denver in March of this year, I had a lot of ambitions about the kinds of hikes we would do as a family, but our daughter Callie has had her own agenda. It can be difficult to hike with children of all ages, but toddlers represent a particular challenge. They are old enough where they want to do a lot of walking themselves but can’t go very far on their own legs yet, yet are getting too heavy to be carried more than 4 or 5 miles in a pack. I read somewhere that unless you have a wonder kid you shouldn’t push them any more miles than their age and even then, that takes some working up to. At two and a half Callie can do about two miles on her own. But that includes a lot of stops to smell the flowers, pick up rocks and watch bugs making a two-mile hike about two hours in length.
Over the course of the last six months, I’ve been tracking all our hikes in the All Trails app and wanted to share my favorite five we’ve done so far with Callie that she’s been able to do all on her own.
Eaglewatch Lake Loop - Littleton, CO
Length: 1.8 miles loop
Elevation Gain: 36 feet
Toddler Time: Nearly two hours
More of what I’d call a nature trail than a hike, this trail has a lot to look at when it comes to a toddler’s perspective. We spotted a variety of water birds around the lake, a wild apple tree, lots of mud puddles, fire ants and a short dam crossing that included a small waterfall and a ton of rocks to scramble on. I’ve found that at the age of two, Callie cares less about sweeping mountain views and more about the little things on the trail that she’s currently interested in like bugs and animals. The trail is mostly flat with a few little hills and the second half of the loop includes a paved section for bikers which Callie also enjoyed watching ride past. There is shade on and off too which is nice for a sunny Denver day.
Bear Creek Trail to the Castle – Lair o’ the Bear Park
Length: 2 miles out and back
Elevation Gain: 154 feet
Toddler Time: A little over two hours
A friend recommended this trail to us as a great toddler hike she’d done with both her boys before, and it was a big hit with Callie. The trail is mostly shaded, flat and follows a stream from the parking lot to a castle (private event venue). There is a small creek crossing which Callie enjoyed splashing in. Bringing tevas/chacos for this trail would be helpful if you want to have splash time which I’d recommend. We went just before wildflower season but the vegetation along the stream looked like it was just about to bloom. Callie is a big fan of “I spy” on the trail and I always love when a hike provides more than just green and brown to make the game more interesting. The castle at the end was cool too even though we couldn’t get very close; we pretended there was a princess trapped at the top and devised several ways she could escape.
Lyons Overlook Trail – Roxborough State Park
Length: 1.4 miles out and back
Elevation Gain: 154 feet
Toddler Time: Hour and a half
Roxborough State Park is just one of the many great state parks that is a short drive from Denver and for us in the south suburbs, a great option for several trails. I’d just been to Roxborough State Park the weekend prior and scoped out this trail as doable with a toddler and my parents who were in town that weekend visiting. It offers some beautiful views of the red rocks, bird watching and wildflowers. The elevation goes up and down a bit (never too difficult), but the ups and downs made it fun for Callie to play red light, green light one of our other favorite trail games. With a rock paved trail too it wasn’t too hard on little feet.
Waterton Canyon Short Hike – Chatfield State Park
Length: 6.3 miles out and back
Elevation Gain: 298 feet
Toddler Time: Choose your own adventure and STROLLER FRIENDLY
I’d done this trail previously by myself and with its wide size and packed ground thought it would make the perfect toddler hike and stroller hybrid. The ground is packed enough that a typical stroller can easily glide over it giving you the option of a choose your own adventure with your toddler. Callie choose to walk a lot and hop in the stroller when she was ready for a break and to have a snack. The trail offers beautiful views of Waterton Canyon and you’re able to spot several people fly fishing in the river the winds around it, mountain goats and birds. The walls of the canyon also offer some option for bouldering if you have a more adventurous toddler, just don’t let them get too high up!
Red Rocks Trading Post Trail – Morrison, CO
Length: 1.5 miles loop
Elevation Gain: 357 feet
Toddler Time: Nearly 2 hours
The Red Rocks area is one of the most popular hiking and recreation areas near the foothills and is home to one of the most famous concert venues and amphitheaters in the U.S. This trail was certainly popular, and we were glad we went on the early side as by the time we finished the parking lot was full and the trail was packed. Being that it is on the narrower side we had to stop to let people pass and there are some spots that have a steeper drop-off and there are some cacti nearby as well so watch little hikers closely. This trail also has some up and downs which Callie enjoyed running. Because it does have more hills, she did poop out a bit near the end and want to be carried, but it was also one of her first hikes out here in CO and the altitude could have also done her in.
