Colorado Hiking Trails that Your Off Leash Dog Will Love

Colorado has a seemingly endless number of hiking trails. Trails that require ropes, trails you need to dress for winter (even in July), trails you can follow a stream, be in trees, and smell fresh air at 9 a.m. and still make it to Starbucks for a mid-morning coffee. My favorite kind of Colorado trail is the type you can unleash your dog, not have to plan in advance for, and yet still feel like you are getting away from the hustle of everyday life. The trails that best fit this bill nearest my home are the ones located in the dog parks of Chatfield Reservoir and at an open space area in Westminster at 105th and Simms.

1. Chatfield Reservoir State Park harbors one of the Denver’s largest off-leash dog parks. Located at the North end of the park, it offers two large ponds that are fed directly by the reservoir for your dogs to swim in and for you to hike around. Laced around the ponds are literally miles of both manicured trails and rough brush in which your dog can run and you can hike. A daily park use fee of $8.00 is required for admittance into the park, along with a $2 daily dog park use pass. Annual passes are available that cut the costs quite a bit if you are planning multiple visits.

Directions – From Denver, take Wadsworth Blvd. (Colorado Highway 121) south past C-470, and turn left into the Park at the Deer Creek entrance. As an alternate route, take Santa Fe Blvd. south to Titan Parkway, turn west on Titan Parkway to Roxborough Park Road, and turn north to the Plum Creek entrance.

2. Westminster’s 105th and Simms dog park is definitely a favorite among many north Denver metro area dog owners who like to hike. Over 420 acres of the park are open for off-leash dog roaming and owner hiking. In the late spring to early fall, the southern edge of the off leash area runs with a steady flow of water through a good sized canal. Part of this water flows into a cow pond. If you are up for more of a hike, you can continue onward, over the canal bridge on the west side of the park. An especially rewarding destination is the open space pond located approximately 2 miles from the canal bridge. This pond is teaming with frogs, birds, and plants that are a joy to look at and listen to. There is no admission to enter this park. The park is located in a tricky area to navigate. A link to a map of the area is provided.


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