Hiking, biking, and trails in Colorado
How to find the right Colorado trail
How to use COTREX, identify the land manager, compare route demands, and confirm parking, permits, and current access.
Start with the day you have
Match the route to the group
Time
Count the drive, parking, breaks, slower hikers or riders, and the return. Keep a turn-around time.
Climbing and elevation
A short route can still be hard when it climbs steeply or starts high. Read the elevation profile.
Surface and exposure
Loose rock, mud, snow, narrow ledges, stream crossings, and sun exposure can change the day.
Allowed use
Check whether the route allows hiking, bikes, e-bikes, horses, dogs, or motorized travel.
Follow the route to the office that manages it
COTREX can show a trail across several jurisdictions. Open the manager information for the section you plan to use, then read its alerts and local rules.
Settle the trailhead before the drive
- Confirm the correct trailhead, road, parking area, and seasonal gate.
- Check whether a reservation, timed entry, day-use fee, or permit applies.
- Download the map and directions before cell service fades.
- Choose a backup route when parking, weather, snow, mud, or a closure could stop the first plan.
Take this with you
Before you leave for the trailhead
- ✓ The route fits the group's time, ability, and travel type.
- ✓ The land manager's current alerts and rules are open on your phone.
- ✓ Parking, permits, reservations, pets, and seasonal access are settled.
- ✓ The offline map, return time, and backup plan are shared.
Official sources and review
Check the current rule before you act
These links go to the agencies that control this part of the trip. Use the exact page, license, listing, map, order, or confirmation for your situation.
Use this carefully: Maps can be incomplete or old, and a trail symbol is not proof of legal access or safe conditions. Confirm current restrictions with the land manager and respect private property and posted closures.
Keep going
The other parts of hiking, biking, and trails in colorado
Altitude and day-hiking safety
A calm plan for thin air, lightning, changing temperatures, navigation, layers, water, and the decision to turn around.
Access, pets, and etiquette
How land managers, private boundaries, permits, seasonal closures, dogs, horses, and posted trail rules fit together.
Bikes and e-bikes
How to check whether a Colorado trail allows a bike or e-bike, which manager controls the route, and what to settle before riding.