There’s only one thing that makes hiking Colorado’s miles of world-class trails even sweeter: tackling that mountain terrain with your best friend by your side.
Fortunately, searching “dog friendly hikes near me” will net you countless results. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to figure out which trails are actually worth the effort for you and your pooch.
That’s why we’ve taken the work out of the equation and rounded up the best dog friendly hikes in Colorado, giving you and Fido the perfect bucket list as the weather starts to cool and the mountains start to look even more inviting.
Before we get started, let’s talk about some basic on-trail petiquette (that’s pet etiquette):
- Observe leash rules. Lots of dog-friendly hikes do require that pups be leashed, a regulation that protects you and your dog, local wildlife, and other hikers.
- Properly dispose of your dog’s waste. Yes, that means hiking with bags and being willing to pack out the evidence. Dog friendly hiking should be friendly for everyone, and left-behind dog poop can be extremely harmful to the environment (and can make for a nasty surprise for other hikers).
- Protect your pup. Before you go on a hike of any length, make sure you’ve packed adequate water for your dog. Consider whether your pup needs protective footwear for the terrain, and make sure they’re treated with flea and tick preventative.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s explore some of the best dog friendly hiking in Colorado.Jump to:
Best Dog-Friendly Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Denver
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Perimeter Trail
Commerce City
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 14.1 miles around the refuge, with multiple entrances
- Distance from Denver: 30 minutes
- Leashes: Required
This beautiful wildlife refuge east of Denver is technically closed to canines — since the wildlife inside doesn’t always mix well with four-legged visitors — but the lengthy trail around the refuge offers some beautiful, low-intensity, dog friendly hiking in a different kind of Colorado landscape (and if you ever want to come back without Fido, there are miles of hiking inside the refuge, too). The sanctuary also lives up to its wildlife conservation mission, meaning you may spot its resident bison from the Perimeter Trail. This trail is pretty exposed to the sun, so make sure to protect yourself and your pup with all the relevant gear.
Best Dog-Friendly Hikes Within 1 Hour of Denver
Mount Falcon Park
Morrison
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Length: Depends on your hike of choice
- Distance from Denver: 45 minutes
- Leashes: Required
If you’re looking for dog friendly hikes in Colorado within a reasonable drive from Denver, check out the 12.2 miles of trails at Mount Falcon Park, where you’ll find both satisfying hiking and some odd architectural sights (including the ruins of a castle). We recommend starting with the popular 3.2-mile Turkey Trot Trail, though if you and Fido are really up for a challenge, you can check out the 7.4-mile Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop, which features a 1,745-foot elevation gain that should help your dog get all their zoomies out.
Chautauqua Park
Boulder
- Difficulty: Easy to hard
- Length: Depends on your hike of choice
- Distance from Denver: 35-40 minutes
- Leashes: Required with strict exceptions
The great news about Chautauqua? You and your pup will never be bored. There are tons of dog-friendly hikes accessible from the Chautauqua Park trailhead, and while dogs need to be leashed on some of the trails, there are also spots where dogs that have voice and sight training and are registered with the City of Boulder’s Voice and Sight Program can have fun off-lead. If you have a dog who’s new to hiking, this is a great place to start, since lots of trails are gentle enough for beginners (though there are also more challenging routes like the First and Second Flatiron trail, which gains 1,466 feet of elevation in about 1.5 miles).
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Golden
- Difficulty: Moderate to hard
- Length: Depends on your hike of choice
- Distance from Denver: 45-50 minutes
- Leashes: 6-foot or shorter leads required
Forgive us: Like Chautauqua, this isn’t technically a single, dog-friendly hiking trail. It is, however, a stunning state park with many, many options for you and your leashed pup to explore — and it’s all just 30 miles from Denver. Golden Gate Canyon features plenty of wildflowers, aspens, wildlife, and panoramic mountain views. It offers you and your dog the choice to take on everything from a short, hour-long walk to a nearly 8-mile expedition through the park.
Best Dog-Friendly Hikes Within 2 Hours of Denver
Lake Isabelle
Brainard Lake Recreation Area
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 6.6 miles out and back
- Distance from Denver: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Leashes: Required
This is one of the best dog friendly hikes in Colorado — with the popularity to prove it. Set in the stunning Brainard Lake Recreation Area, the Lake Isabelle hike — which will take you past three beautiful glacial lakes if you complete the full loop — is a relatively busy destination for hikers and pups. The crowds shouldn’t scare you (though you should nab a parking reservation ahead of time), but you’ll want to avoid this hike if you have a reactive pup — especially since many hikers report seeing moose and other wildlife near the trail.
Garden of the Gods
Colorado Springs
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Length: Depends on your hike of choice
- Distance from Denver: 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Leashes: Required
Garden of the Gods is home to 21 miles of hiking trails — all of them open to leashed dogs. Pups on a 6-foot leash are allowed nearly everywhere in this scenic park, provided that owners pick up their waste. Garden of the Gods’ abundant dog-friendly hiking means you can take things at your pace, whether that means doing the short Siamese Twins Loop Trail — a popular route for viewing some of the park’s famous rock formations and Pikes Peak — or taking one of the longer paths around the entire park, like the Garden of the Gods Outer Loop. Whatever you choose, Fido is sure to be satisfied with these dog-friendly hikes.
Herman Gulch Trail
Dillon
- Difficulty: Hard
- Length: 6.5 miles out and back
- Distance from Denver: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Leashes: Required
Herman Gulch certainly isn’t the easiest dog friendly hiking trail, but for the experienced outdoorsperson and their trusty companion, it’s well worthwhile. The journey is just as pretty as the destination, though the small lake at the top is sure to offer a respite for weary paws. The hike does end above the treeline, so make sure you’re ready for the wind and afternoon storms that accompany that level of elevation.
Best Dog-Friendly Hikes for a Road Trip
Island Lake (via Ice Lakes Trail)
Durango
- Difficulty: Hard
- Length: 8 miles out and back
- Distance from Denver: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- Leashes: Required
This is by far one of the most stunning dog-friendly hikes in Colorado, but it does come at a price: This hike is tough. Trails in the San Juan range can truly test hikers’ endurance, and this route — which gains more than 2,500 feet in elevation — is no exception. With that out of the way, if you and your dog are in good shape and used to hiking hard at elevation, this trail will be 100% worthwhile. You’ll pass Ice Lake and end at Island Lake — and you’ll likely be amazed at how startlingly blue the water looks in real life.
Crater Lake Trail
Aspen
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 3.45 miles out and back
- Distance from Denver: 3 hours and 45 minutes
- Leashes: Required
If you’ve always wanted to see the iconic Maroon Bells, we’ve got great news for you: The hiking trail there is dog-friendly! The hike to Crater Lake (especially stunning in the fall thanks to the aspen-lined trail) will put you right at the base of the Bells, giving you the up-close and personal view you can’t get from the visitors center. Dogs on a leash can hike this whole trail, but they can’t get in the lake.
Big Dominguez Canyon
Whitewater
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 12.5 miles out and back
- Distance from Denver: 4 hours and 15 minutes
- Leashes: Required
Look, if you’re coming from Denver, it’s quite a hike to access this, uh, hike. But if you’re up for a roadtrip — or you’re already headed out west on I-70 with your pup in tow — this beautiful trail is one of the more unique dog friendly hikes in Colorado. The red canyon walls show off ancient art, while the canyon holds little watering holes and waterfalls that your pup can use to cool off (you’ll also walk a bridge over the Gunnison River to access the canyon). The canyon is also home to bighorn sheep, so make sure to keep your dog leashed at all times for everyone’s safety. Just keep in mind: Because you’re in a huge, open canyon, you won’t have a lot of shade available, so sun-proof and hydrate your crew accordingly.