HOME RUNS

Some of the best trail running lies right outside your door.

By Michael Lanza

Photographs by Peter and Maria Hoey

PUBLISHED 04/30/2009

Denver
Denver Mountain Parks alone have 14,000 acres of diverse terrain, and hundreds of miles of trails sprawl across the Arapaho, Roosevelt, and Pike national forests west of the city. The trails in the scattered park system contain plenty of variety, from rugged mountainous climbs to peaceful open valley day trips.

Try This Trail: Steven Bragg, author of Run the Rockies: Classic Trail Runs in Colorado's Front Range, says his favorite run is a 6.5-miler in Deer Creek Canyon Park in Littleton, on the Meadowlark, Plymouth Creek, Plymouth Mountain, and Homesteader Trails, with its rolling hills, open pine forest, and breathtaking views across the plains. Jefferson County Open Space, co.jefferson.co.us/openspace.

Boise
The Ridge to Rivers trail system in the Boise Foothills extends for more than 120 miles through high-desert sage and wildflowers, pine forest, and quiet creek valleys, with more than 4,000 feet of relief. The trails begin within running and biking distance of many Boise neighborhoods and downtown.

Try This Trail: The six-mile Upper Hulls Gulch Trail, on 8th Street. Ridge to Rivers Trail System, ridgetorivers.org.