Top 7+ quintessential Fort Collins hikes to put on your bucket list

Corrections & clarifications: Parking in the Larimer County lots on Larimer County Road 23 costs $10.

If you want to put some quintessential Fort Collins hikes on your bucket list, then here are seven of the most iconic.

These hikes are close to town and are notable because they offer amazing views of the city or take you to classic Fort Collins-area landmarks.

The caveat is these are popular hikes that might best be scheduled for a weekday or early weekend morning.

Read on to learn more about each hike.

Horsetooth Rock

You've seen Horsetooth Rock many a time from the streets of Fort Collins, and it's practically synonymous with Fort Collins (or literally in the case of Horsetooth Road).

From the trailhead at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, you have a couple of options to get up to Horsetooth Rock, where you'll get 360-degree views that include Longs Peak, the Eastern Plains and the city of Fort Collins itself. There's a 5-mile loop trail that might be less congested, or you can do a 4.2-mile out-and-back trail.

Difficulty: Moderate, with an elevation gain of 1,411 feet.

Cost: $10 per vehicle fee at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, 6550 W. County Road 38E.

Dogs allowed? Yes, on leash.

Arthur's Rock

For spectacular views of Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins and beyond, Arthur's Rock is a shorter alternative to Horsetooth Rock.

It's a 3.2-mile out-and-back hike in Lory State Park. Pack a snack or lunch and spend some time at the top taking in the scenery and rewarding yourself for taking the trek.

Difficulty: Moderate, with a 1,099-foot elevation gain.

Cost: $10 daily vehicle entry fee to Lory State Park, 708 Lodgepole Drive, Bellvue. Or it's free if you have the Keep Colorado Wild Pass on your vehicle registration.

Dogs allowed? Yes, on leash.

Horsetooth Falls

The above video is from 2021.

This is a family-friendly hike to a waterfall. The water is flowing at its best in late spring, so plan this hike for that time if you can. You'll also be treated to wildflowers along the way.

You have a couple of options to get there from the trailhead at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space: a moderate 3.1-mile loop trail or an easy 2.2-mile out-and-back hike.

Difficulty: The loop is moderate, with a 636-foot elevation gain. The out-and-back trail is easy.

Cost: $10 per vehicle fee at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, 6550 W. Larimer County Road 38E.

Dogs allowed? Yes, on leash.

To the Aggie 'A'

Colorado State University students, faculty and alumni help repaint the Aggie "A" on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, in western Fort Collins.

You have two options to get to the famous "A"— which stands for "Aggies," the old mascot of CSU when it was named Colorado Agricultural College — that is painted onto a foothill overlooking west Fort Collins.

One route is a 4-mile hike along the Foothills Trail that starts in Maxwell Natural Area, 3502 Larimer County Road 42C. The easier option doesn't have the elevation change. It starts at the Foothills Trail parking lot overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir on Larimer County Road 23 (that's the southernmost parking lot on 23).

Difficulty: From Maxwell Natural Area parking lot: moderate, with a 623-foot elevation gain. From County Road 23: easy.

Cost: Free from Maxwell Natural Area. To park at the lot on Larimer County Road 23 costs $10.

Dogs allowed? Yes, on leash.

Foothills Trail along Horsetooth Reservoir

The view of Horsetooth Reservoir as seen from County Rd 38 E on July 8, 2024.

This trail is 7.4 miles from Maxwell Natural Area to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area, but for a shorter — and much easier hike — stick to the 2.6-mile portion that offers views over Horsetooth Reservoir.

Park in the southernmost lot on Larimer County Road 23 overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir and pick up the trail headed the north.

Difficulty: Easy.

Cost: $10 per vehicle fee to enter at the Larimer County Road 23 parking lot. Free parking for the longer hikes starting at Maxwell or Reservoir Ridge.

Dogs allowed? Yes, on leash.

Blue Sky Trail to Devil's Backbone

Here's an option for anyone who feels an inclination to traverse the ridgeline between Fort Collins and Loveland that offers views of both cities and beyond on one side and Masonville and the mountains on the other.

It's 9 miles one way, but you can always arrange for a ride back on either end. Or just turn around when you're ready.

Park at the Blue Sky Trailhead parking lot at 4780 W. County Road 38E and head south on the trail. Or you can park at Devil's Backbone, 1725 Hidden Valley Drive, Loveland.

Difficulty: Moderate. This is a trail that gains and loses elevation throughout.

Cost: $10 daily entry fee.

Dogs: Yes, on leash.

Poudre River Trail

First light kisses the Poudre River Trail bridge along the Poudre River at Butterfly Woods Natural Area near Laporte.

This might be considered more a walk (or a bike ride) than a hike, but it's a good one to put on your checklist, especially now that the Poudre River Trail is 100% complete through Fort Collins.

The trail follows the Poudre River through Fort Collins and covers about 18 miles from the Bellvue Watson Fish Hatchery off Rist Canyon Road on the west all the way past Timnath on the east. It offers rural views, winds through natural areas and parks, passes residential areas and even brings you to the edge of downtown and through other city scenes.

Beyond Timnath, if you can navigate one final gap, you can take it all the way to Greeley for a total of 45 miles.

You can make it a long trek or a short one. Do it in chunks or make a day of it. There are lots of options along the way where you can step off the trail for lunch or a drink.

Difficulty: Easy.

Cost: Free.

Dogs allowed? Yes, on leash.