Get Outside! Hiking Bald Mountain

Basics:
Peak hike, 1.5-mile loop
Boulder County Park
Directions: From Broadway and Mapleton Avenue in Boulder, follow Mapleton West. It becomes Sunshine Canyon Road. Bald Mountain is located five miles west of Boulder.

The good:
Short hike
Good place for the kids to summit
Good views
Picnic tables
Porta-a-potty

The bad:
Short hike
Expect company, not solitude on weekends
Curvy mountain drive to get to trailhead, but just five miles

Bald Mountain is close to town and a great location if you want a short hike with the family. Bring a picnic lunch, get a little exercise and enjoy the views at 7,160 feet.

The drive takes you past the Mount Sanitas trailhead and that one was packed as I drove by. Just about six miles from there, you find the Bald Mountain trailhead with plenty of parking spaces available and nice views.

The hike is short and rated as easy, but there is still some elevation gain from the parking lot to the summit. You may have to take a few breaks if you're bringing small children or older family members.

As you follow the trail, you come to a junction with an option. You can take the "pines to peak" trail which goes around the mountain, making the elevation change a bit easier. Or you can head right for the summit and take the pines to peak trail back down.

The summit trail takes just a few minutes to get you to the top. There's a bench to sit and rest and to enjoy a snack. You may not be the first group there so bring a blanket if you want to sit and stay awhile. There are views to the east of Boulder, Green Mountain and Bear Peak. As you follow the pines to peak trail back down you'll get a good view of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Mountains.

To learn more about the history of Bald Peak, go to the Boulder City web site, click here.

You can also e-mail me with questions, comments or hiking trail suggestions, deb_stanley@kmgh.com.