Parks and trails nearby

• Wheat Ridge Greenbelt and the Clear Creek Trail: a few minutes away. A paved trail along the creek past Prospect, Tabor and West Lakes; ride it west to Golden or east to the Platte.
• Crown Hill Park: about 7 minutes. A 229-acre open space with a paved 1.2-mile lake loop, a 2.5-mile outer loop, Front Range views and leashed dogs welcome.
• Red Rocks Park, Trading Post Trail: about 17 minutes. A 1.4-mile loop through the rock formations.
• Bear Creek Lake Park: about 15 minutes. Swim beach, paddle rentals and flat trails off C-470.
• Lookout Mountain: about 20 minutes. Short, steep trails and the view from Buffalo Bill's grave.
• Chatfield State Park: about 30 minutes. A big reservoir with a swim beach, boat rentals and hot-air balloons; day fee.
• Chautauqua, Boulder: about 35 minutes. Trails under the Flatirons; summer weekends run a parking shuttle.

Rattlesnakes live on the sunny hogback trails (Red Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge, Green Mountain) in warm months; stay on the path. Summer thunderstorms build fast after noon, so start early, carry water, and be off the ridgelines by midday.