Best Day Hike Near Denver!

[vegaspilgrim]

The best hiking near Denver is further down the road-- along the road that heads from Bergen Park to Mt Evans (you don't necessarily have to go all the way to the top)/ Echo Lake then back down to Idaho Springs. Usually it's still too much snow on the ground to hike at those elevations in April, but this year, who knows?

Make sure on your way down to LA (I'm assuming I-70 to I-15?) you do plenty of hiking in Utah! Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, Bryce, etc. Roxborough/ Red rocks are nice, but they're just a tiny bite sized sliver of the majestic red red country that can be found the next state over.

[Fuzz]

Since you're just driving through, I'd suggest skipping the foothills and stopping in the mountains and hiking there (Loveland Pass, in/around Summit County, etc.). A good one is Herman Lake off exit 218 -- about 7.5 miles round-trip. In April, you will definitely encounter snow in the higher elevations.

Or, if you've never been, stop in Utah and hike around Moab (e.g. Arches).

[WolfBoy914]

OP, Be careful. You may fall in love and want to ditch the LA plans...

[Silkdashocker]

OP, i'll be in Denver for a 4 day trip as well in Mid-April. I'm coming from WV, where my current daily elevation is only 750ft-1,000ft. So i'm sure i'm in for a shock to the system as well. I stay in good shape so hopefully i will adapt quickly so me and the wife can do some hiking.

I hope you find some nice hikes on your visit.

[kryptos]

So how about an easy 14er? The easiest ones for beginners-
Mt Bierstadt (near Mt Evans)
Gray's Peak (near Silver Plume)
Quandary Peak (near Breck)
Look here for extensive information- 14ers.com - Home of Colorado's Fourteeners and High Peaks

If you'd prefer a Front Range hike, I like a lot of trails in the Boulder area (coz I live here, I suppose ). In Boulder, one of the most rewarding hikes is Bear Peak. It is rated difficult though. Moderate-easy ones include Green Mountain and South Boulder.
More info here- City of Boulder, Colorado -- Official Web Site - OSMP Basic Trail Information

For a unique hike on I-70 (but not close to Denver) look to Hanging Lake, close to Glenwood Springs. The trail is only about 1.2 miles long, but it gains about 1000ft in it. It is very beautiful on top!
Hiking in Colorado - Hanging Lake / Spouting Rock

[Nav]

I would recommend hiking Devil's Head just west of Castle Rock. It's only a few miles to the top, but it is almost 1500 vertical feet. At the top there is a ranger station where you can climb the 200 steps to the top and get a commanding view of the front range. Its a relatively easy hike since there is a trail all the way to the top. Also, there is plenty of available parking at the trail head.

Nav

[alexanderaf]

I'll be looking closely at Eldorado Canyon in Colorado, and the next day I'll go to Arches National Park and hike to Delicate Arch. Then after that I'm going to do Angel's Landing at Zion...I've read crazy things about Angel's Landing! Anyone ever been to that?