Horsetooth Mountain Open Space

Love this place. Unbelievable that it's so close to town, yet you can feel like you're deep in the wilderness. Whether it's trail running like me, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, this place has something for everyone. Take a long trail with alot of elevation gain (Horsetooth Mountain Trail is a 9+ mile loop with over 2500 ft of gain) or a short, mostly flat one like the Shoreline Trail, whatever you like.

Keep an eye out for deer and wild turkeys, and listen for mountain bikes roaring down. They're all polite but they can be on you in a hurry.

I always appreciate the beauty of Northern Colorado and the emphasis these communities put on protecting and keeping wilderness spaces. This one is a favorite near my parents' home. Beautiful views, well marked trails, and easy access.

So very lucky to have something as beautiful so close to Fort Collins. Amazing!

Fantastic hiking area.
Lots of parking in winter/early spring.

Beautiful local hike that was a lil more intense than perhaps our understanding of the reviews let on. But, absolutely gorgeous space right near home. So dry this time of year, so the Falls were but a trickle, but the hike up was great (even on a very windy day)!

Very cool space to explore. It's $10 for parking. I wandered over there at 2:30 pm and had no trouble finding parking. Nice place to hike with some tree coverage here and there (depending the route you take). I went left at the trailhead and spent most of my hike going uphill. Got to horsetooth mountain, the falls, and did a large loop coming down the right side in the end. Worth it if you're looking for a challenge. 👍🏽
Bears in the area so be alert and respectful.

Excellent and challenging area with multi-use trails and rewarding vistas at every turn. There are a lot of different trails to take, so you can have a different experience every time you go back. The rock scramble to the the top is especially fun with a 360 degree view! On this trip I took pretty direct paths to the top and back, which made my hike around 6 miles total.

Really lovely hiking and sightseeing location. The views are beautiful and the wildlife is diverse. Northern Colorado bird watching is especially good in this park and full day trips are very easy as there is a lot of trail and many points of interest.
This park provides access to historic Horsetooth rock, gives great views of Fort Collins as a whole, and also features a waterfall and stream access to play in the water.
The wild flowers and plant diversity are really a lovely thing to see in the spring and summer.
The paths are hard packed dirt and work well for walking, jogging or bicycling.
There is a fee for parking a car in the lot, just $6 at the time of this review, but no limit on the number of passengers and gives you a full day pass that you can use to enter the park any time on the purchased date.
Water fountains (turned off in winter) and an out house style toilet are available in the parking lot before you set out.

Amazing park, costs $10 for a day pass or you need an annual Larimer County Park Pass. A Colorado State Park Pass will not work. The hikes are very steep and it gets hot in the summer, make sure to bring lots of water. It is a great place for the family.

5.5 miles. This is a great hike for all skill levels, with great views all around. Start early in the morning when the weather is warm and bring loads of water. This is a GREAT night hike with fantastic views of Fort Collins. It is also a really nice hike in the winter. The Horsetooth Mountain Park trail system is ideal for trail running as well with trails that link up to adjacent Lory State Park (north) and the Blue Sky trail (south) which eventually links with Coyote Ridge and Devils Backbone! Great for mountain biking endurance junkies and noobs alike!

Lots of trails to explore, the lower part to the falls is pretty busy but the crowds thin out as you get further out. The hike to the top is worth it, 360 degree views into the Rockies and down across Fort Collins.

I wasn't prepared to hike either of the loops, but they interpass at multiple points so I did the hike distance I was able to and "loop" my own way back to the parking lot. Cost $9 to park and hike. Some dog feces left behind by owners along the way. I do love that this is a pet friendly hiking trail.

I did the Horsetooth Falls Loop, and it was spectacular. People say a lot of varied things about this hike, so I’ll try to provide some clear info for those trying to decide if it’s for them.

The drive from Boulder is breathtaking and not white knuckle driving like the drive to other places.

I am in excellent physical shape but only 1 week adjusted to altitude, and I found the hike mildly challenging on the way up, only because you are hiking straight up. My dog, however, found it extremely hard. It took us about 2 hours to do the loop, stopping every 10-15 to give her water and let her rest. Like some humans would, at some point she sat down and refused to budge for a while. As a side note, she drank an entire hydro flask full of water and half of mine.

The terrain itself is easy for advanced intermediate or advanced hikers (sandy/pebbles/wide paths for a lot of the hike). However, a couple I met at the bottom said they turned around when the path got “narrow.” They had made it at least 45 minutes in. What I think they meant is that at some point, you can no longer hike two abreast.

If you go counter-clockwise, you’ll have some tree cover on the way up. I do recommend going this way, because on the descent, the world opens up on your right to a breathtaking mountain view that reminded me a lot of VT. If my black-furred dog wasn’t having such a hard time, I would have stayed longer just to sit. But, if you’re getting there at a late time when it’s hot, you’ll get just a bit more tree cover hiking clockwise. I think the views are best experienced counter-clockwise, though!

On the ascent, the most difficult part is an all-rock scramble to the top of Horsetooth Rock. However, you don’t have to do this to experience the majesty of this hike. You just keep on the path and begin the descent shortly after coming to another beautiful vista.

If you are not an avid hiker, or not acclimated to altitude, or not in uphill climb fitness, you’re likely to experience the ascent as difficult. If you’re an avid runner/hiker and adjusted to altitude, you’ll find it easy. Without my dog, I probably would have done the loop in 45-60 min, hiking up and running down.

If you’re not an avid hiker or not adjusted to altitude, people’s recs of 2-3 hours are probably right, especially if you like to take breaks & sit at the top.

It’s one of the best-marked trails I’ve ever been on. Impossible to get lost. And so much beauty! I saw 5 different kinds of butterflies and so many birds!

I would definitely tell most people to stick with the hard parts and make it to the top if they can, to experience the amazing views coming down.

Moderate hike to a fantastic local destination. Plenty of switchbacks to guide you to the Falls. Gentle water flowing down into a pool. Family friendly dog friendly as well.

A great place to go for a hike with varying levels of difficulty. The views of Fort Collins, Pike's Peak and Wyoming and brilliant. I can't wait to go back to explore the area more. They have a mix of mixed use and hiking only trails. Parking is $6 / day which is reasonable. Parking is available for horse trailers if you're planning on taking that option up the mixed use trails. Bring something to drink as there are no fountains on the mountain.

Very well maintained and marked trails with great views. I hiked about 1/4-1/3 of the trails in a day. Several I would love to come back and ride on my mountain bike. Parking is $9, so I recommend coming early and getting your money’s worth by putting in the miles.

Horsetooth Mountain is a Beatiful area close to Fort Collins that offers all kinds of options. Trails are for beginners and experts.

Bring your dog, kids, horse, hike or mountain bike. Trails cross each other pretty well so easy to do loops or just a short out and back.

Wildlife includes deer and maybe bear but never saw any. Small parking fee at lots.

Stunning hiking trails that are accessible by those at any level of hiking. Each trail is clearly marked and there are also paper maps available at the parking lot, along with bathroom facilities. I highly recommend taking plenty of water with you on the trails, as you may find yourself a few miles from the trailhead. There is also plenty of parking in the lot, and a parking day pass will last for 24 hours, meaning you'll have plenty of time to explore the trails.

I highly recommend trying to make your way up to Horsetooth (or close to it) as the views are pretty spectacular. Take the Horsetooth Rock Trail up to the summit. On your way down, and if time allows, you can extend the hike by taking the Wathen Trail to the Spring Creek Trail. This will eventually connect to Horsetooth Falls Trail and loop you back to the parking lot. Again, I highly recommend these trails for anyone visiting Fort Collins. It's well worth it!

$9 to park, there is a machine that takes debit/credit. The pass is good for 24 hours. The parking lot fills up very quickly. Dogs allowed on leashes. The waterfall at Horsetooth Falls trail was bigger than I expected, you can go up on the top and sit by the pools, or go down to the bottom of the falls, I enjoyed this trail it's very short, easy, well shaded, and good variety of uphill and downhill. Horsetooth rock trail is much more difficult. Both trails are enjoyable and have wonderful views!

Three of us visited in late August and had a great time hiking around. Beautiful country up there and tons of different trails to walk around on. Get far enough away from the trailhead and the only sounds you hear are the nature and your footsteps. Marvelous. We spent about 3 or so hours hiking and only scratched the surface of available trails and scenery. Crossroads between the trails are well marked, but I recommend bringing a map with you along with plenty of water to drink.