(For 2017, I have a goal of getting through all 60 trails in the book “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles Denver Edition.” You’ll see these posts all year-long. You can find a lot of info on each of the trails in the book, but I’ll highlight some things each time in addition to including my experience and opinion on the trail. The number below is associated with how they are labeled in the book if you have it.)

Trail #28 – Red Rocks: Trading Post Trail
Completed: 1/8/17 | Mode: Run/Hike
Location: Morrison – Approx. HW 8 & C-470 (northwest of here by the Red Rocks Amphitheater)
Distance: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Surface: Single track, hard packed dirt with some big rocks
Exposure: Minimal shade

My Experience:
After a few days of being stuck inside due to bad snow storms, it was finally time to get outside. Intent on going snowboarding, my plans changed when the boyfriend came down with the flu. I didn’t want to go alone nor leave him by himself for too long, so I opted to try a trail from the book. It was a  sunny winter day (my favorite type of winter day) and the two layers I chose to run in seemed to be too much. Not having exercised much in the past week I opted to just doing the loop once and that turned out to be enough due to the condition of the trail and the direction I chose to run. (The trail is a loop and the book describes going counter clock wise while I chose the opposite and ended up with more uphill than down hill).

Pros:
-BEAUTIFUL!
-A great place to really experience Colorado
-Easy trail overall, but has some good, gradual climbs
-Easy access to other trails
-Easy access to Red Rocks Amphitheater (where you can do some stairs and other great workouts)
-Facilites nearby

Cons:
-Crowded (even on a winter day)
-Tourist destination (adding to the above con)

Tips:
-This is a great one during the winter since it sees a lot of sun.
-If you’re looking for more mileage, do this twice (or more), switching directions for more of a challenge.
-Side note tip: If you haven’t been to a concert at Red Rocks, you NEED to

Overall:
I had a great, beautiful run even though I ran into a lot of people (some rude) that didn’t know trail etiquette. This is a popular trail for families and people from out-of-town. If you’re a local and are seeking a trail run, avoid this area and choose one of the other great nearby trails (like Mathew/Winters or Dino Ridge). If you’re trying to show some visitors from out-of-town some great Colorado sites (or are from out-of-town yourself), bring them here and walk this trail!

Check out the book on Amazon: