St. Vrain Creek Trail

Distance: 3.85 miles round trip
Elevation: 8,365 ft - 8,105 ft
Elevation Gain: 260 ft (gain on the trip back)
Dogs: Off Leash

St. Vrain Creek

One Sunday this summer, I needed to get the dogs out and was looking at a large trail map of the Boulder area. I noticed a trail that I had not heard of before, St. Vrain. It was listed as being regulated by the Forest Service, which means that dogs are allowed off leash, exactly what I was looking for.

The trailhead. There is a large parking area and a nice place to picnic near the creek off to the left.

It turns out that the St. Vrain trail is a lovely excursion that wanders through an open Lodgepole forest and along the scenic St. Vrain creek.

A few yards from the trailhead is a quaint bridge over the creek

At the beginning of the trail is a campground and the smell of breakfast cooking over a wood fire was intoxicating. The trail itself is packed dirt and pine needles. It felt like walking on air compared with the usual rocky trails I am used to.

There are many views of the creek from the trail

The trail heads downwards gradually for a loss of 200 ft. I had planned on continuing on to Bummer's Rock but had to turn around when the main trail ended. The trip was so pleasant, I will just have to return.

A typical trail section. Notice the lush vegetation and the nice soft trail.

The only downside of this trail is that it is up past Jamestown. To get there I took the long and winding Lefthand Canyon out of Boulder, inched through Jamestown's notorious speed trap, and then continued up Overland Rd. This route is slow and there were so many cyclists hogging the road that the driving was hazardous. The serenity of the trail soothed my nerves somewhat, but I was ready to go postal by the time I returned to town.

The forested areas are open and appealing

If you don't mind the drive, a stroll along the St. Vrain Trail can be peaceful indeed.