Sights and Scenery of Open Space & Mountain Parks

Please follow links to these topics

»Chautauqua Meadow
»Mount Sanitas
»Flagstaff Mountain
»Royal Arch
»Boulder Falls
»Flatirons Vista
»Fourth of July Trailhead
»Sawhill Ponds
»Doudy Draw
»Sombrero Marsh
»South Mesa Trailhead
»Panorama Point
»OSMP Photo Gallery - stunning downloads

It pays to shop in Boulder. Your sales tax pays for this land and the upkeep of trails.

Before You Go....
Please familiarize yourself with all OSMP rules and regulations, and please study our six "Leave No Trace" Principles to keep the land looking as nice after you visit as before. Follow these links for a summary of our hiking trail system and for maps of the OSMP trail system. Dog owners, please be mindful when bringing your pet to OSMP. See our special dog page. Hikers and climbers: Please be aware of all area closures. Mountain bikers: follow this link for trails where you can bike.

The  Circle Hikes Guide (792 Kb) brochure provides up- to-date trail maps for much of the mountain backdrop, from Mount Sanitas south to the South Mesa and Doudy Draw trailheads.

Mount Sanitas

Mount Sanitas (pronounced San-itas) is located 0.5 miles west of 4th Street on Mapleton Avenue.    From the trailhead, there is access to several moderate to difficult trails: Mount Sanitas trail, Sanitas Valley Trail, Dakota Ridge, Hawthorne Trail, and East Ridge Trail. Mount Sanitas was named for the old sanitarium (health spa) that is now the Mapleton Medical Center.

Mount Sanitas is a very popular trail for dog owners. Please remember to remove your dog's excrement, and pack extra pet pick-up bags. All Open Space and Mountain Parks rules and regulations are strictly enforced.

Sawhill Ponds

Sawhill Ponds Wildlife reserve is owned by Colorado Parks & Wildlife and managed by the Open Space and Mountain Parks Department. It is located east of the Boulder city limits on the west side of 75th Street, 0.6 mile north of Valmont Road. There are opportunities for hiking, wildlife observation and nature study, picnicking, photography, and fishing. Several picnic tables are available adjacent to the main parking lot, along with benches and a boardwalk. There is no drinking water available. A pit latrine is located at the main parking lot. All Open Space and Mountain Parks rules and regulations are strictly enforced. Swimming and boats are prohibited.

The 18 ponds at Sawhill are the result of a gravel mining operation and reclamation project. Boulder Creek, now at the northwestern boundary of the ponds, traversed the entire area in the geologic past. This ancient floodplain laid down great quantities of sand and gravel, and these deposits were mined for several decades until the early 1970s. When the mining ceased, groundwater filled the pits resulting in a wetland area that provides marvelous habitat for many species of wildlife. The ponds are also stocked by Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and warm water fishing is a popular activity.

Chautauqua Meadow

Chautauqua Meadow ( see map), located on the south side of Baseline Road just west of Ninth Street, is a major portal to Open Space and Mountain Parks. Chautauqua Meadow is easily accessible by car, although visitors are encouraged to walk, bicycle, bus, or car pool whenever possible.

Chautauqua Ranger Cottage, located at the south end of the parking lot just inside the park's entrance, is a good place to get oriented. The Ranger Cottage is staffed according to this schedule:

May - September:
9 am - 4 pm Weekdays
8 am - 6 pm Weekends

October:
9 am - 4 pm Weekdays
8 am - 5 pm Weekends

November - April:
9 am - 4 pm Daily

Here you will find park maps, brochures and information. Here you will find park maps, brochures and information. Numerous trails originate from the Chautauqua area, and this is the best location for getting a good photograph of the famous Boulder "Flatirons."

Visit the Photo Gallery for images of the meadow and other sites on OSMP.

Flagstaff Mountain

At 6,850 feet, you will have a fabulous view of the plains and Boulder Valley to the east. Stop in at the Flagstaff Nature Center for excellent exhibits and a chance to speak with volunteer park interpreters (open weekends, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend). Flagstaff Summit is rich in history. Most of the area, including some picnic sites, is accessible to wheelchair users. If you are hiking, take Flagstaff Trail to the summit. Driving slowly may save an animal's life!

Just beyond the Gregory Canyon trailhead access road, Baseline Road turns sharply north to become Flagstaff Road ( see map) as it ascends Flagstaff Mountain. At approximately 3.4 miles, you will come to Realization Point, the junction of Flagstaff Road and Flagstaff Summit Road. (Flagstaff Summit Road is accessible to motor vehicles only between May 1 and Oct. 31). Please note that motor vehicles and bicycles are prohibited on Open Space and Mountain Parks except on maintained public roads and parking lots. Flagstaff Summit is a parking fee area.

Panorama Point

This pulloff is located approximately 0.5 miles up Flagstaff Road, and gives you a magnificent panoramic view of the Boulder Valley. Hikers may access Panorama Point from spur trails of the Flagstaff Trail. Bring your camera! The area is accessible to wheelchair users.  Panorama Point is a parking fee area.

Boulder Falls

Boulder Falls Trail remains closed. The trail was scheduled to open on May 1, 2013, but will remain closed for some time. While OSMP hoped to be able to open the trail on May 1 as usual, due to the unusual number of snow storms and amount of snow received in April this year, the scaling that needs to be done before opening the trail was not possible. This work will be completed as soon as it can be arranged so the trail can be opened.

Boulder Falls is located 11 miles west of Boulder, on the north side of Boulder Canyon Drive (SR 119) between Boulder and Nederland. It consists of five acres of mining claims that were given to the City of Boulder by Charles G. Buckingham, president and co-founder of Buckingham Brothers Bank (now Norwest Bank). Buckingham had held a U.S. Patent since 1881 on the American Mill site that included the Falls. He donated it to the City of Boulder for recreational purposes in 1914, hence "saving this beautiful spot from the encroachment of the great tungsten boom."

For many years, the Boulder Falls (sometimes referred to as the "Yosemite of Boulder Canyon"), was the popular destination for picnic groups. Carryalls brought visitors up for a visit to the Falls, especially after the narrow gauge railroad washed out in the great flood of 1894. When the railroad was rebuilt four years later, stage and tourist travel was diverted and the popularity of Boulder Falls declined.

Today, Boulder Falls receives heavy visitation by tourists heading to the high country from Boulder. Boulder Falls is quite lovely and well worth the brief stop for a look at the cascading water. There is a large parking area just across SR 119 from the Falls; please cross the road with care to access the short trail that leads to a viewing area. Visitors are required to stay on the main path that ends at a viewpoint just below the falls. Here you will have an excellent view of the Falls, forming where North Boulder Creek plunges approximately 70 feet to enter Middle Boulder Creek. For your safety, the area beyond the viewpoint has been closed. The rocks and water past this point are deceptively dangerous, and several people have been killed while scrambling around the falls.

"Picture Rock" is a large gray boulder located just next to the road at Boulder Falls, appropriately named for the large round hole which has framed the faces of countless visitors as they posed for photographs here. The rock eroded naturally to produce the hole and was hauled up from Boulder Creek when the "new" highway was built in the 1940s.

From May 1 until Oct. 31, Boulder Falls is open from dawn to dusk. No overnight camping is permitted, and there are no public facilities at Boulder Falls. All rules and regulations are strictly enforced, and state law prohibits the possession of alcohol greater than 3.2 percent. Glass is prohibited.

Boulder Falls Trail Map2.14 MB

South Mesa Trailhead

South Mesa  is located 1.7 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive (Highway 170). From the trailhead, there is access to several moderate to difficult trails: Mesa Trail, Shadow Canyon, Towhee, Homestead, South Boulder Creek Trail and Big Bluestem Trail.

In the late 1800s, this area contained numerous cabins and homesites. The stone building located on the north side of South Boulder Creek is  all that remains of the historic homesite known as the Doudy-Debaker-Dunn House (featured in above photo). Andrew Doudy was the first settler in this area and built the original wooden portion of the house sometime around 1858. In 1869, John Debaker purchased the house and surrounding land for $500. John Debaker retired in 1901 and turned the property over to his daughter Emma and her husband John Dunn.  The Dunn family raised dairy cattle and remained in the house until John's death in 1953. All park rules and regulationsare strictly enforced.

Doudy Draw Trailhead

Doudy Draw is located 1.8 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive (Highway 170).

From the trailhead, there is access to several moderate trails: Doudy Draw, Community Ditch, Flatirons Vista Loop, Spring Brook Loop and Goshawk Ridge.This area was rich with mining and agriculture. In this dry landscape, irrigation is a necessity for providing water to hay fields and pasture land. The flow of South Boulder Creek was diverted by the construction of a series of ditches.  Community Ditch, constructed in the early 1900s, was one of the last water diversions projects along the creek. All rules and regulations are strictly enforced.

Royal Arch

The hike is steep--a real workout!--but the views are incredible. The trail starts near the Bluebell Shelter, and then goes up. . . and up, passing near the base of the Third Flatiron. Bears and mountain lions live in the area, so know what to do if you encounter one. Follow this link for a trail map.

Sombrero Marsh

The plain slopes of bare, salt-crusted dirt clods belie the site's potential. Yet Sombrero Marsh (see map), an ancient and much abused natural wetland, is being reborn. Soon native bulrushes and tall prairie grasses will hide the naked contours, waterfowl will feed and nest in the vegetation, and children's laughter will grace the air. Sombrero Marsh is dry during most of the year. Spring rains, snow melt and rising ground water cause the marsh to fill gradually during the spring. By late summer, it is usually dry again.The Sombrero Marsh environmental education center is the result of a partnership between the Boulder Valley School District, Thorne Ecological Institute and OSMP. It contains classrooms, viewing and assembly areas and a laboratory for studying water and wetland soils. Thorne Ecological Institute has developed science curricula to serve the district's schools. Students learn about the marsh outside as well as inside: a network of trails and boardwalks allows classes to visit the wildlife viewing blind and the restored portion of the marsh. The western portion of the wetland is a wildlife sanctuary off limits to the public.

Flatirons Vista Trail

Flatirons Vista Trail is located 0.3 miles south of Highway 128 on Highway 93.

From the trailhead, there is access to several moderate trails: Flatirons Vista Loop, Prairie Vista, Doudy Draw, Spring Brook Loop and Goshawk Ridge. All rules and regulationsare strictly enforced.

Fourth of July Trailhead and Buckingham Campground

Fourth of July Trailhead and a small associated campground are located approximately 30 miles west of Boulder at an elevation of approximately 10,100 feet.  There is no fee for camping, and sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Camping is limited to four consecutive days. Water is available from the creek; however, all water should be treated due to the possibility of the Giardia parasite. The only available facilities are nearby pit latrines. Ground fires and grills are prohibited.   There are five picnic tables.  All Open Space and Mountain Parks rules and regulations are strictly enforced within the campground, and state law prohibits the possession of alcohol greater than 3.2 percent. Glass is prohibited. Please note: Buckingham Campground is located adjacent to the popular Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and Arapaho Pass Trailhead that is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Forest Service regulations for the wilderness area differ from those of the City of Boulder. Dogs must be on a hand-held leash at all times in the wilderness. Please visit the Indian Peaks Wilderness website or contact the Forest Service at (303) 541-2500 for additional information on Forest Service lands and campgrounds in the Boulder area, as well as rules and regulations.

To reach the trailhead, follow SR 119 west through Nederland. Just past Nederland, head west on CR 130 through the town of Eldora. Shortly beyond Eldora, the pavement becomes a fairly rough dirt road. After approximately 0.7 mile, the road forks; follow the right fork approximately four miles to Buckingham Campground. The campground consists of ten primitive tent camping sites that fill quickly on weekends. Because the access road is not maintained, the campground is only accessible from approximately Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Last Updated on Thursday, 23 May 2013 12:24