Mt. Sanitas (Boulder)

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Distance: 3.5 miles
Rating: Via Sanitas Valley trail - difficult

After making it through a long, cold, and miserable winter, we Coloradans were rewarded with early summer-like weather in March. For those who aren't from around here, March tends to be our snowiest month, so when the temperatures hit the lower 70's, I started to get pretty excited! So, I dusted off the hiking boots and headed up to the Boulder area for my first warm-up hike (think of it almost like my pre-season...).

The Mt. Sanitas loop is a part of Boulder's extensive foothills trail system and provides some great views of the Flatirons to the south and the Indian Peaks to the west. Despite being only about three and a half miles in length, this trail can be quite challenging regardless of the route you take. After a brief walk from the parking area, the trail forks, giving hikers the option to either start a steep climb up to the summit on the left, or to start off with a easier walk along the Sanitas Valley trail. Since this was my first hike in about six months, I decided to take it a little easier and stick to the latter route. This trail slowly climbs up below the extended ridge of Mt. Sanitas, and offers nice views of the rock formations along the mountain's spine. Mt. Sanitas is essentially a giant hogback ridge, a formation common along the foothills. Hogbacks are formed when harder rock strata are surrounded by layers of softer rock. As the softer rock erodes faster, the harder rock becomes exposed, occasionally leaving jagged formations at the top of the ridge. Along the Sanitas Valley trail, Mt. Sanitas itself rises to the left while the lower Dakota Ridge is on the right. The Dakota Ridge trail runs parallel to the Sanitas Valley trail and eventually connects back up with the main loop after 1.2 miles. At this point, the trail takes a sharp turn to the west and begins a steep mile-long push up to the summit. From the summit, there are great views of Boulder and the surrounding foothills. As the trail decends, be sure to look west for views of the stunning Indian Peaks off in the distance. Continuing down, the trail passes by the ridge's crowning rock formations, several of which are popular with rock climbers.

Please note that this is a very popular trail, and the small parking area usually fills up quickly. Dogs are allowed on this trail and do not need to be on leash, but should be under voice control at all times. Directions: From Boulder, take Broadway to Mapleton (just past Pearl St.) and head up for about five blocks until you reach the parking area.

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