Flatirons Vista Trail

Flatirons Vista is the open-space trailhead at the south edge of Boulder where Highway 93 meets Highway 128, and the trail from it crosses grassland and a ponderosa bench with the whole line of the Flatirons in view to the north. It is 2.2 miles out and back with 400 feet of gain, flat enough for a stroller on the first stretch, and one of the few Boulder trails that is quiet on a weekend morning.

From the lot, the Flatirons Vista North trail heads west across the prairie, past prairie-dog colonies and cattle grazing under the open-space lease, with the Flatirons and Bear Peak rising ahead. The trail climbs gently onto a ponderosa-covered mesa at about 1 mile, where the view opens north over Boulder and south to the Front Range.

The mesa is the turnaround for the 2.2-mile version. The North and South trails join to make a 3.3-mile loop, and the Doudy Draw and Community Ditch trails connect from the mesa to the Eldorado Springs side for longer walks. Return the same way.

The Flatirons Vista trailhead is on the west side of Colorado 93 just north of the junction with Colorado 128, 5 miles south of Boulder. The lot has 29 spaces, charges a daily fee for vehicles not registered in Boulder County, payable at the station, and has a toilet; it is open from 5 AM to 11 PM. It fills on weekend mornings in spring and fall but turns over quickly, and parking along Highway 93 is not allowed. No permit.

Dogs are allowed on leash, or off leash with a Boulder voice-and-sight tag on the sections that permit it, with the cattle and the prairie dogs as the reasons to keep them close. The gentle grade makes it a good first hike for small kids. Mountain bikers and horses share the trail. Rattlesnakes are common in the grass in warm months. Carry water. Boulder is 10 minutes away. The Boulder hikes page lists the Chautauqua trails with the close-up view, and Eldorado Canyon is 5 minutes west.