I set a goal this Winter to hike the Mesa Trail in Boulder.

The trail runs 6.1 miles from the South Mesa Trailhead near Eldorado Springs North to Chautauqua. Yes, many people do this hike back and forth in a day. I met some of them on my hikes. I decided to do the trail in sections.

Let's start with the Southern section. The South Mesa Trailhead lies along Highway 170 on the way to Eldorado Canyon State Park, directly across the road from the Dowdy Draw Trailhead. One warning, the South Mesa parking lot fills up quickly. Do not park on the highway, you will get a ticket. Park at Dowdy Draw or wait for a parking space to open in the lot.

The South Mesa Trailhead has bathrooms, picnic tables, trash cans and a trail map. Start by crossing the bridge over South Boulder Creek. You'll come to the historic stone Doudy-Debacker-Dunn House.

A sign outside the house shows how much larger the house was at one time. The sign also explains that Sylvester Doudy built the original wood portion of the home around 1858. Doudy was the first settler in the area. Doudy raised cattle and operated a gristmill and a sawmill here.

Doudy sold to John Debacker in 1869. Debacker was a successful farmer who sold his produce in the gold mining towns of Central City and Blackhawk.

From the house, there are three trails up the hill. The Towhee and Homestead trails are fine, but my goal was the Mesa Trail. The Mesa Trail is a wide, graded, dirt road for the first mile and a half. You'll also gain a couple hundred feet in elevation which helped warm me up on a windy day.

The Mesa Trail passes several spur trails. One to consider is the Mesa Trail. The trail splits off itself into a single track, rocky trail. Take that or continue on the road, the trails meet back up less than a .25 mile away.

As you hike along you'll see three different turn-offs for Shadow Canyon. Shadow Canyon is the trail to South Boulder Peak, read about that hike here. At the first turn-off, I stayed on the Mesa Trail. The trail here is still a wide road, but as you hike, notice the amazing views of the front range. The day I hiked was clear enough that I could see all the way to the white tents of Denver International Airport and the white balls at Buckley Air Force Base. (How can you tell the difference? The DIA tents are connected, the Buckley balls are spaced out.)

When the trail takes a left turn, look closely on both sides of the trails for the remnants of former residents. I saw one structure still standing and the fallen down remnants of something that appeared to be the size of a cabin. I even spotted the springs of an old couch or bed.

After the structures, the trail changed. It finally turned into a single track trail winding through thicker trees. As I enjoyed the views of the rocks and the flatirons, I also found myself climbing steps/stairs. I also felt a change here, I could hear the birds and the wind rustling in the trees.

After passing two more turn-offs for Shadow Canyon and dropping down 150 feet, I came to the Big Bluestem turnoff. This was my goal. I hiked 2.5 miles of the Mesa Trail. (Elevation gain: approx. 800 feet) I planned to do the next section another day.

From here, you have several options.

1. Take the Big Bluestem Trail down to the Bluestem/South Boulder Creek loop. Turn right, this trail will take you back to the Mesa Trail and your car.
2. Turn around on the Mesa Trail and take any of the Shadow Canyon turnoffs to see some different trails.
3. Take the Mesa Trail back most of the way, but turn right on the Towhee Trail. The Towhee trail is slightly shorter, but steep.
4. Look at the map and create your own loop back, depending on how far you want to hike.

For maps and trail information, visit the Boulder Open Space Web site. I welcome your questions, comments and hiking trail suggestions, just email me: deb_stanley@kmgh.com.

Previous hiking reports:(lower elevation hikes have a star)
Boulder:
Caribou Ranch*, Mallory Cave*, Heil Valley Ranch* Forsythe Canyon*, South Boulder Peak*, The Boulder Flatirons*, Walker Ranch*, Bear Peak*, Rabbit Mountain*, Bald Mountain*, Betasso Preserve*, Wonderland Lake*,Marshall Mesa*,Eldorado Canyon State Park*, Royal Arch*
Golden area:
Forgotten Valley, Chimney Gulch*, Apex Park*
Jefferson County:
Mt. Falcon*, Elk Meadow*
I-70 area:
Herman Gulch, Chicago Lakes, Chief Mountain
Rocky Mountain National Park:
Granite Falls, Twin Sisters, Bierstadt Lake, Chasm Lake, Lulu City & Little Yellowstone, The Loch, Andrew's Glacier, Sandbeach Lake
Indian Peaks/James Peak Wilderness:
King, Bob & Betty Lakes, Forest Lakes, Arapaho Lakes, Mitchell & Blue Lakes, James Peak Area, Heart Lake
Northern Colorado:
Homestead Meadows, Devil's Backbone*, Lake Agnes
Summit & Eagle Counties:
Booth Falls, Missouri Lakes, Mohawk Lakes & Continental Falls
Grand County:
St Louis Lake, Waterfall At Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby Ranch
Other:
Exploring Fulford Cave, Our Favorite Hikes, Our Favorite Bike Rides