Mt Falcon Colorado Hiking Trail Guide
Mt Falcon Park is located just minutes away from many Denver suburbs and is a popular hiking, running and biking spot year round. When you eventually do get into the park, you feel as though you are in the middle of a national forest not just minutes away from several neighborhoods. This is an easy post work hike and a great option for beginner hikers or families with young children. Mt Falcon is a great opportunity to see wildlife like deer and local birds and of course is a great option that is close to Denver.
Mt Falcon Quick Facts
Mt Falcon Trail Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Distance: 7.98 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 6,021 ft
Summit: 7,836 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 1,800 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 2-3 Hours (1-2 Hours up, 1-2 Hours down)
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 1
Season: Year Round – Expect snow December – February
Directions to Mt Falcon
Trailhead: East (Morrison) trailhead
Getting Here: Mt Falcon is located in Mt Falcon Park (they really got creative there) and can be accessed from two separate directions: US 285 & Mt Falcon Road (West) or through the town of Morrison, Colorado via Forest Avenue (East). This post will focus on the Forest Avenue (East) trailhead which can be entered into your favorite navigation app. If you are looking to access via the West side, you can visit the park’s website.
Parking: Free parking is available at the trailhead. The lot is huge but will fill up on peak times during the day and on weekends. If the lower lot is full, be sure to check out the lot located off 285 as well.
Fee: There is no fee to hike Mt Falcon
Summary
Dogs: Dogs are allowed on a leash on this hike. The trail up to the summit is frequented by mountain bikers so be on the lookout for them. The terrain is mostly loose gravel and packed dirt and there is not water available along the way so you may need to pack your own. Outside of the lack of water, this is a great hike for your dog, I would highly recommend. Note: This hike, like many in the Front Range foothills, has a healthy rattlesnake population in the spring months. I have seen my share of dogs bitten by snakes and its not a pretty sight, so just be on the lookout for them.
Camping: Mt Falcon is not a great place to camp and camping is now allowed in Mt Falcon Park.
Make it a Loop: This trail can be an out and back or semi loop depending on the trails you choose. View Mt Falcon Park map here
Trail X Factors: Location
If you are looking for a quick hike near Denver, Mt Falcon is a great option. The park is a popular spot for trail runners and mountain bikers and has relatively few hikers. Since it is located in Morrison, this is an easy post work day hike for Denver residents or a nice beginner hike for families with young children. Mt Falcon does provide access from two sides of the park which is nice for those looking to shorten the trail distance to the top of the watch tower.
Hike Tip(s): When you hike Mt Falcon, the tower at the top is clearly your goal. However, be sure to check out the Walker Ruins. These ruins are from President Woodrow Wilson’s summer home designed by John Brisben Walker. The home was never completed, but I would imagine that this park would look very different (or not exist) today if it had been.
Best Views: Mt Falcon is a fantastic spot to photograph deer during the twilight hours, take shots of Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, views into Denver and snap some photos of the sunset or sunrise. Overall, Mt Falcon proved to be a sneaky good spot to take photos and I was not expecting it to be. Since the hike is fairly short, you are able to bring some extra lenses and accessories.
Mt Falcon Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Water / Snack
- Optional: Camera
- Optional: Tripod
My Trip to Mt Falcon: July 2016
Morrison, Colorado and Mt Falcon are located just minutes away from my hometown and yet I had no idea it was there until about a month ago. Jackie had recently hiked Mt Falcon and suggested that I try it out when she was out of town. Since it was so close to home, I decided to head to this hike after work one day. I arrived to the parking lot and there were about 4 cars in the lot, most of which seemed to be mountain biking the trail. As it turns out, I was the only hiker enjoying the trail that day.
I popped on my camera and backpack and headed down the trail. I was taking notes about the hike on my phone when I realized there was literally a deer standing 30 yards from me. *Note to self, get your head out of your phone!
Deer became a common theme of this hike as I stumbled upon 6-10 more during the course of the 7 miles to and from Mt Falcon. The trail quickly came to a fork, the right side was a hiking only trail while the left side was a multi-use trail frequented by mountain bikers. Since the right trail was .4 miles longer and I was lazy, I decided to go left.
The trail worked its way by some Morrison residents’ backyards and eventually started to climb up the hill in front of me. After about 2.75 miles of working my way up along the hills, the hike opened up to a massive spanning meadow. At this point, the trail flattened out significantly and I was outnumbered by the deer enjoying the local fare. I continued on the trail until I reached the Walker House ruins. I imagined how nice it would be to live in such a beautiful location with spanning mountain views, but quickly came back to reality when I had to take notes on the iPhone with a cracked screen I could barely afford.
I took a gander at my trail map and realized there were a few different ways to reach the Mt Falcon summit and I decided to take the Meadow Trail to the Tower Trail. As I approached the Mt Falcon summit, I noticed a double rainbow in the distance and immediately thought of this guy. I snapped a few photos, laughed to myself for a solid two minutes and continued to the tower. I made it to the Mt Falcon summit a few minutes later and was a bit disappointed by the views it provided. The sun was setting to the west and that by far provided the best views of the hike up until that point.
Heading back to the car was fairly uneventful minus the beautiful sunset which I stopped and enjoyed for several minutes. Overall, I enjoyed the hike to Mt Falcon more than I was expecting and would certainly recommend it to someone looking for a quick hike close to Denver.
