Wapiti Trail/Ponderosa Loop (Heil Valley Ranch)

---

---

Distance: 7.6 miles
Rating: easy-moderate

One of these days, I’m just going to have to get over the high cost of living and just move up to the Boulder area. There are so many nice hiking options up there! Boulder County is one of the Front Range counties that have set aside a nice amount of land for open space parks. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of miles of hiking trails within the county’s borders. I guess they figured out that people like to enjoy the outdoors!

Heil Valley Ranch is not what I would consider the most extraordinary destination in the Boulder area foothills, but it is definitely a pretty place. If your idea of a nice hike involves wondering through a dense pine forest, then this is the place to go. My problem was that the trail offers virtually no view of the surrounding area until around the half way point of the hike. At the top part of the Ponderosa Loop, the forest finally thins enough to provide a few nice views of Rocky Mountain National Park to the west and the more arid mesas to the north (around Lyons). The trail itself is about 7.5 miles round trip and is easy to moderate the entire way. So, nothing terribly difficult here and there is plenty of shade on hot days.

The hike begins along the 2.5 mile (one way) Wapiti Trail, which climbs gradually between the hogbacks on the southern side and the higher hills to the west. As the trail climbs, the view of the hills to the south greatly improves. Just before entering the thick forested part of the hike, the trail crosses a meadow. From here, hikers may be able to see all the way to the Flatirons on a clear day. Eventually the Wapiti Trail connects with the 2.6 mile Ponderosa Loop. The loop continues to climb gradually through the pine forest before leveling off at the top of the hill. This part of the trail is a bit more rugged and exposed as the trees thin out. Along the northern-most part of the loop, look for views of Pikes Peak and the Twin Sisters to the west in Rocky Mountain National Park. There is also a short detour that leads to an overlook with views of the Hall Ranch area to the north.

Hikers should note that Heil Valley Ranch is also a popular destination for mountain bikers. Fortunately, most of the bikers in Boulder tend to be polite and will typically give warning if they are coming up from behind. The only trail in the park on which bikers are not permitted is the 1 mile Lichen Loop. Although there is plenty of shade to be found on this hike, keep in mind that the temperatures here will not likely be much cooler than those found in Boulder.

Directions: From Denver, take US 36 (the Boulder Turnpike) west to Boulder. In town, the road turns into 28th Street. Continue along 28th as it leaves town to the north. North of town, the road becomes US 36 once again (at this point it is called the Foothills Highway). Continue north for 3 miles. Turn left on Left Hand Canyon and then right on Geer Canyon Road (a good dirt road) which leads to the parking area.

---