There is something about the mountains of Colorado that stimulates my imagination.  It takes my breath away, makes me look twice, or even three times, and sends me back again after I’ve been away for a while.  I just can’t tire of those views!

 

 

So I’ve compiled some of the best mountain view hikes I’ve done in Colorado, in no particular order.  Enjoy!

Lily Mountain.  This peak is just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, but it offers spectacular views to many of the park’s most scenic peaks, including Long’s Peak and the Mummy Range. 4 miles RT.

UN12812.  Lying just above the famed Independence Pass near Aspen, this unnamed peak offers a spectacular range of sight across dozens of mountains, not to mention a few scenic valleys.  4.1 miles RT.

Grays Peak.  14ers tend to have a good view of other mountains, and Grays Peak is no exception.  The highest point on the North American Continental Divide, the top of the trail offers simply spectacular views across the Front Range.  7.5 miles RT.

 

Chapin-Chiquita-Ypsilon Loop.  Located in the Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park, this epic hike consists of a ridgewalk across one 12k peak and two 13ers.  Views of the Trail Ridge and other Rocky Mountain peaks make the difficulty worth the trek.  8.0 miles RT.

Electric Pass.  You’re sure you want an epic hike?  Try the trek to Colorado’s highest named pass.  Views extend in all directions to multiple 14ers and the famed Maroon Bells.  Stunning!  10.8 miles RT.

The Causeway.  Well, this one isn’t so big on the mountain views – at least not epic Colorado mountain views.  But the flat-topped mountains and rolling grasslands (not to mention a lake or two) make this hike a must on the list.  9.5 miles RT.  (Wait – did I mention there’s also a 3-foot-wide, 500ft. sheer-drop-on-either-side section to hiking this trail?)

Raspberry Mountain.  If the snow is on Pike’s Peak, this is one amazing hike.  Lying just below the 14er, views of Pike’s Peak dominate the view, but vistas across the high plateau to other mountains in the Front Range and San Juans are also epic.  Go during the aspen colors for an even more spectacular hike.  5.75 miles RT.

Mt. Elbert.  As Rocky Mountain’s highest peak (and the second highest point in the continental US), Mt. Elbert does offer a pretty outstanding view of multiple peaks in the Sawatch Range, from the Maroon Bells to nearby Mt. Massive and far beyond.  9.3 miles RT.

Fitzpatrick Peak.  The road to Tincup Pass (no so very) near Buena Vista is epic in itself – you’ll need high clearance and maybe even 4×4 to reach the pass proper – but the views from the mountains surrounding the pass are incredible across vast sections of the Sawatch Range.  And the best part?  There isn’t a paved road in sight!  About 3 miles RT

Buckskin Pass.  The Maroon Bells are awesome, but how about hiking around to see their back side?  Just as epic as the front (well, maybe not quite, but still awe-inducing), it’s worth the hike up to Buckskin Pass for this as well as the jaw-dropping views of 14er Snowmass Mountain.  9.6 miles RT.

Flattop Mountain / Hallett Peak.  Really, if you only have time for one hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, this is probably the one to take.  The views from Hallett Peak are far-reaching across the park (not to mention Long’s Peak), and in the spring / early summer when snow still blankets the peaks, it’s nothing short of a dream come true… or something like that.  10.3 miles RT.

 

Do you have a favorite mountain view on a dayhike through Colorado?

 

Also see my top 10 favorite day hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park!

Zoom map in to browse individual hikes in Colorado

 
 

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