City: Boulder, CO

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (303) 441-3440 (Open Space)

Address: 3198 Broadway

Description: After the paved Creek Path, a logical next step might be some of the area’s easiest unpaved trails. Short-legged, short-burst-of-energy little hikers often do best with modest walks along relatively flat trails. From the Bobolink trailhead at Baseline and Cherryvale Roads, it’s a little more than .75 mile to the East Boulder Community Center, and about 1.3 miles to South Boulder Road. The Baseline-EBCC section features a series of interpretive signs on grasslands, wetlands, and river ecology.The Teller Farm Trail runs 2.2 miles through a picturesque rural area between Arapahoe (the signed trailhead is off a dirt road between 75th and 95th Streets) and Valmont Road (the trailhead is near 95th Street). Partway along the trail is a small lake (fishing permitted). The nearby White Rocks Trail, whose trailhead is also near Valmont Road and 95th Street, is about 4 miles long, and its first stretch is really flat. Maps are available from the parks department.With older children who have more stamina, the options multiply. Red Rocks is a good place to start. This short, steep trail, accessible from a well-marked trailhead at the mouth of Boulder Canyon, makes a suitable first challenge with some optional rock scrambling on top. Trails in the Boulder Mountain Parks; Walker Ranch, way up Flagstaff Road; the Rabbit Mountain open space near Lyons; Brainard Lake and the Indian Peaks Wilderness west of Ward; and Rocky Mountain National Park are among the abundant nearby options for various levels of stamina and interest. (See our Parks and Recreation chapter and our Rocky Mountain National Park overview.) If it’s windy, a trail right against the foothills can provide some shelter from big gusts. If it’s snowy, choose a flat one. If it’s hot, find a creek with shade, or drive up to the mountains. Remember to watch little ones closely near any creeks with fast-moving waters.