Mount Sanitas, Winter Hike

Located just minutes from downtown Boulder, this trail is always busy. It's a perfect place for your daily workout or to walk your dogs throughout the year. There are multiple entrances to the area, but the most obvious one is located on Sunshine Canyon Drive, which is the trailhead for a lot of other trails in the area. You can also access Mount Sanitas trails from the surrounding neighborhoods.

There are several routes up, but the main trail leads west from the parking area before turning north and climbing the ridge. To the west you'll have beautiful views of Sunshine Canyon, and to the east you'll have panoramic views of Boulder. The trail proceeds through some light tree cover, but be aware that, as a ridge hike, most of this adventure is exposed to the elements. Continue to the top of Mount Sanitas for more great views, then proceed down the trail on the eastern face to make the loop that connects to the Sanitas Valley Trail. Continue south to the parking area.