6 Hikes with the Best Views in Steamboat Springs

Looking for Steamboat Springs homes for sale? Steamboat Springs is home to some of the most beautiful views in Colorado. When you live in Steamboat Springs, you can regularly go on some of the best hiking trails, ranging from simple nature strolls to difficult all-day climbing trails to the highest elevation points in Colorado.

The area in and around Steamboat Springs features six mountain peaks, including Christie Peak, Pioneer Ride, Thunderhead Peak, Storm Peak, Sunshine Peak, and Mount Werner. There are hundreds of miles of trails through huge, wildflower-filled meadows and beautiful evergreen forests amongst the valleys and mountains in this region. Here are some hikes with the best views in the region.

Fish Creek Falls Trail is a hiking trail of nearly five miles there and back, and it’s considered one of the best spots to visit in Steamboat Springs. You will gain about 1,450 feet over the course of this hike, and keep in mind that you will probably not get the hiking trail to yourself since it’s one of the more popular hiking trails in the area. That being said, you might get the parking lot to yourself if you arrive after three in the afternoon.

You will pass two waterfalls during the hike, including the Upper Fish Creek Falls and the Lower Fish Creek Falls, but keep in mind that the Lower Fish Creek Falls is the more photogenic of the two waterfalls. If you would prefer to see the falls without going on a full hike, then you can take a short quarter-mile path that goes from the parking lot to a handy lookout spot, where you will be able to see the 283-foot waterfalls.

Searching for Steamboat Springs homes for sale? Then you might be interested in hiking the Uranium Mine Trail nearby. The Uranium Mine Trail starts from the same lot as the Fish Creek Falls trail but in the opposite direction. It is typically much less crowded than the Fish Creek Falls trail, and you gain about 593 feet in elevation during this hiking trail of a little over three miles there and back.

Most of the hiking trail is open to the elements, but about 1,000 feet of the trail goes through wildflower fields and aspen forests. It’s crucial to wear secure shoes and sunscreen during this rocky hike. True to its name, you will find a uranium mine at the top of the Uranium Mine Trail, as well as a beautiful cliff and striking views of the falls.

The Strawberry Park Hot Springs Trail is another wonderful hiking trail in the Steamboat Springs area, home to the hot springs where you can soak and relax in beautiful natural mineral waters. You can either drive to the hot springs or hike the hiking trail of a little over six miles there and back. Keep in mind that it can be difficult to find the head of this hiking trail since you need to park at the head of the Mud Creek trail, then walk back down the road to find the head of the Strawberry Park Hot Springs Trail.

The hot springs trail features an elevation gain of more than 900 feet, and you climb uphill during the hike, past thick shrubs and evergreen trees, along a stream. The mineral pools have temperatures ranging from about 101 to 106 degrees, and you should create a reservation to soak in the mineral pools. Remember that the hiking trail is shut down from November through early May, so you must drive to the hot springs during the late fall, winter, and early spring months.

Looking for Steamboat Springs homes for sale? The Mad Creek Trail is an excellent hiking option if you’re willing to go the extra mile. This hiking trail features nearly nine miles of trail there and back, as well as a wide range of different topography, including beautiful aspen groves, plunging canyons, and historical mining cabins that display some of the settler histories of Colorado.

The trail has an elevation gain of more than 1,300 feet, including 800 feet within the first 1.5 miles. If you’re hiking after the middle of October, you will be sure to see some snow, so you should wear either crampons or snowshoes to navigate any snow and ice.

Gilpin Lake is about a 30-mile drive from the luxury resort town of Steamboat Springs, but it’s certainly worth the drive. The hiking trail starts at the Slavonia Trailhead and wanders through gorgeous wildflower fields and a beautiful forest full of poplars and evergreen trees. During the hiking trail of nearly 10 miles there and back and more than 2,000 feet in elevation, you will walk along Gilpin Creek towards the lake. Make sure to have a camera on hand to snap some photos of the Sawtooth Range.

Keep in mind that the final half mile of the hiking trail is fairly difficult, but you will be rewarded with incredible views at the end of the hike. If you want to hike even longer, you can tag Zirkel Circle onto this hike, making it a full 11 miles there and back.

Devil’s Causeway features about six miles of hiking there and back into the Flat Tops Wilderness, the third biggest United States Wilderness Area in the state of Colorado. The draw to this hiking trail is the gorgeous dense forest that leads to Little Causeway Lake. Once you’re at the lake, you will be able to see the Devil’s Causeway, which rises up from the mountains. The hike continues to get more difficult, and the causeway is a narrow bridge that gets as narrow as four feet in width with sharp drops on either side of several hundred feet. If you are afraid of heights, you should probably turn around after getting to the lake.

Reach out to trusted Steamboat Springs real estate agent Cheryl Foote for guidance.