Hiking

Horsetooth Mountain Park. Twenty-nine miles of trails in Horsetooth Mountain Park offer easy to difficult hikes, with views of the mountains to the west and the plains to the east. An easy 2¼-mile round-trip walk to Horsetooth Falls is a good way to explore the foothills for a couple of hours. From the upper parking area, head up the Horsetooth Falls Trail and keep right at the junction with the Soderberg Trail. Go left at the next junction to get to the falls. Arrive early, as the parking lot fills by 9 am on weekends. 6550 W. County Rd. 38E, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526. 970/679–4570; www.larimer.org/parks. $9 per vehicle.

Lory State Park. About 15 minutes west of downtown, Lory State Park is home to a vibrant diversity of wildlife, songbirds, and springtime wildflowers. Arrive before 10 or 11 am to avoid weekend crowds. For gorgeous views of the Front Range and the city from 7,000-foot Arthur's Rock, take Arthur's Rock Trail, which climbs fast up switchbacks before leveling off in a meadow, a welcome breather before the steep approach to the summit. Allow about two hours to hike the trail (3½ miles round-trip and about 1,100 feet gain in elevation). 708 Lodgepole Dr., Bellvue, Colorado, 80512. 970/493–1623; cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Lory. $9 per vehicle.