The Michael Moody Fitness Trail Guide (2026 Edition)

Introduction

Welcome to the Michael Moody Fitness Trail Guide (2026 Edition)! On February 5, 2022, I set a goal to complete 30 different trails in 45 weeks. Instead, by May 9, 2026, I completed 132 hikes, all different routes, including fifteen 14ers, eighteen 13ers, and five 12ers. Often, those routes started with a designated trek. By the day’s end, though, I usually linked additional arteries that spanned most of the foothills and quite a bit of the Front Range, including Boulder, Golden, Morrison, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, Aspen, Buena Vista, and beyond.

This project organizes those weekend adventures so that you, too, can carve your footsteps into the Colorado terrain. Using my AllTrails records, I created a master list of 229 routes. I’ve hiked nearly every foot of these trails, except Ptarmigan Trail—only 7.69 miles with 2,169 feet of elevation gain—and the last 10 feet of Citadel, which is Class 3. I'll return to complete those trails next time. For the hiking geek, you can find all these trails in one spreadsheet, organized by difficulty ranking. Salivating for some, overwhelming for others. It’s a comprehensive list of trails within two hours of Denver (and a few outside that range).

Who has that much time to check off all of these trails, though? You may want to rely on the “Recommended” tabs instead. On the other tabs, you’ll find 128 of my favorite scenic hikes organized by difficulty, distance from Denver, and mileage. The lists are more approachable, and you’ll find a beautiful hike for you, no matter your fitness level or how much time you have.

Please keep in mind that this system uses both objective and subjective values. The ranking system works because it combines multiple difficulty dimensions: distance, climbing volume, grade, altitude, technical terrain, exposure category, AllTrails difficulty, and Denver access context. This makes it stronger than a simple easy/moderate/hard label or a list sorted only by mileage or elevation gain. 

Treat the Difficulty Score as a comparative planning tool, not an absolute prediction of how a hike will feel for everyone. A higher score generally indicates a more demanding route, but individual experience will vary based on fitness, hiking background, altitude acclimatization, comfort with exposure, weather tolerance, and current trail conditions. Learn more on the "Workbook Breakdown" tab.

Don’t want to hike? Check out the photos in the links below or the “Michael’s Trail Posts with Pics” tab in the spreadsheets instead. Have fun!

Section 1:

List of Colorado Hikes

Distance from Denver: 30-60 Minutes

Difficulty: EASY TO Moderate

• North Table Mountain West Loop (Golden)

• Elk Falls Lookout and Elk Falls Pond (Staunton State Park)

• Mason Creek, Bear Paw, Old Mill, and Staunton Ranch Trail Loop Trail

• Chief Mountain Trail and Mestaa'ehehe Mountain Trail

• Explore Mount Sanitas, East Ridge, and Sanitas Valley Loop: A Colorado Hiking Gem

• Rawhide Trail (White Ranch): Tranquil Winter Hike Near Belcher Hill

• Explore Colorado Hikes: Elkhorn Trail and Eagle’s View Trail Loop

• Parmalee and Devil's Elbow Trails Hiking Guide

• Colorado Hikes: Dinosaur Ridge (Dakota Ridge Trail)

• Walker Ranch Loop Trail

• Colorado Hikes: Mustang Trail Loop From the White Ranch West Trailhead

• Mount Flora Trail: A Moderate 13er Hike with Stunning Alpine Views Near Denver

Difficulty: Hard

• Green Mountain Loop via Chautauqua Trail

• Herman Gulch Trail (Winter)

• Beaver Brook Trail

• Mount Morrison South Ridge Trail

• South Boulder Peak via Homestead Trail

• Citadel via Herman Gulch Trail: Complete Colorado 13er Hike Guide

Distance from Denver: 60-120 Minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

• Nymph Lake, Lake Haiyaha Loop via Fire Trail (RMNP)

• Kenosha Pass North

• Brainard Lake Loop Via South St. Vrain Trail (Winter)

• Colorado Hikes: Limber Pine Trail to Kruger Rock via Saddle Trailhead

• Lake Helene Winter Hike in RMNP: Bear Lake to Flattop and Fern Lake Trail Route Guide

Difficulty: Hard

• Grays and Torreys Peaks (14ers)

• Manitou Incline

• Mounts Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Bross Trail (14ers)

• Square Top Mountain (13er)

• Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge Trail (Winter)

• Pike's Peak via Devil's Playground Trail: A Colorado 14er Guide (14er and 13er)

• Mount Audubon via Beaver Creek Trail: A Mid-October 13er Hike in Colorado (13er)

• Mount Parnassus (Winter 13er)

• Twin Sisters Peak Trail Guide | Colorado Hike, Tips and Views

• Chasm Lake Trail: A Stunning Spring Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

• Rosarita Peak (13er)

Distance from Denver: 120 Minutes and MOre

Difficulty: Hard

• Castle Peak Trail (14er)

Section 2:

The Michael Moody Fitness Trail Guide (The Workbooks)

To View the Google Spreadsheet:

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   Link: The Michael Moody Fitness Trail Guide (Google Sheet)

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   Link: The Michael Moody Fitness Trail Guide (2026 Edition).xlsx