![]() The whole hike is about 4.5 miles and should take less than 2 hours. Hike up to the Keyhole, enjoy the view then head back to the parking lot on the upper trail. It will take you back south to the trail junction that leads to the Keyhole. Starting from the parking lot you can take the lower trail north to Hunters Loop, take the right fork of the loop and follow it around a small hill. This is one of our favorite local hikes, the trail extends from HWY 34 in Loveland all the way to Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins. If you live at sea level, this is a great warm up for hikes in RMNP where most trails are above 8000'. We prefer to hike on cloudy days during the summer or to hike in the early morning or evening. There is very little shade so wear plenty of sunscreen and make sure you carry water. Mountain bikers and horseback riders frequent the trails and it can get pretty busy, especially on weekends. The Elevation varies between 5000' and 6000' and the trails are relatively graded. It is a short distance west of Downtown Loveland off Highway 34 on the route to Rocky Mountain National Park. And it only took us 15 minutes to drive home.The Devil's Backbone is a great place to hike in the foothills of the Rockies. It was a very nice end to a rather icky morning. To the best of our calculations, we covered 8.2 miles in about 3.5 hours. After our break, we headed back taking the other side of each loop on our way south. We stopped for a break and to relax in the shade at a lovely grove of cottonwoods about 4 miles out from the trailhead, and a mile or so from Coyote Ridge. All things to do in Loveland Commonly Searched For in Loveland Nature & Parks in Loveland Popular Loveland Categories Things to do near Devil's Backbone Nature Trail Explore more top attractions Free Entry Budget-friendly Good for a Rainy Day Good for Kids Good for Big Groups Good for Couples Adventurous Good for Adrenaline Seekers Hidden Gems. We walked north following the left side of the three loops along the trail, and enjoyed a warm, sunny afternoon. Mark and I knew we could walk as far as we wanted to, which was really nice for a day that we had already pretty much spent in the car. They run north along the hogback and connect to the Coyote Ridge Natural Area (south of Fort Collins) and eventually even to the network of trails in Horsetooth Mountain Park. The Devil’s Backbone open space has a nice network of trails open for mountain biking, horse riding, and hiking. Shade No Description: The Hidden Valley Trail at Devils Backbone is for mountain bikers and trail runners only. The trail was packed with hikers compared to what we usually see, but, surprisingly, nobody wondered why we were carrying huge packs on a trail with no camping or climbing permitted. An hour and half after leaving Fort Collins, we got out of the car no more than 20 miles from our house, and started hiking.Īs we’re training for an upcoming attempt on the Grand Teton, we hiked through the open space with our climbing packs laden with gear and water. ![]() There was some bickering, but as the Devil’s Backbone (a two mile long sandstone rock fin) came into view, we decided we could at least get in a long hike for the day. Unfortunately, I accidentally instructed Mark to turn on Stove Prairie Road instead of waiting for Pingree Park Road, and didn’t realize my mistake for about 45 minutes.īy that time, we were most of the way to Loveland, and not going to be hiking in any wilderness area that day. My first goal was the Big South trail, but as we drove up the canyon, the day got later, and I thought we might get more daylight if we found a closer trail in the Comanche Peaks Wilderness. ![]() ![]() We headed out, a little later than we perhaps should have, for a training hike on Saturday. Especially after my disastrous navigation on the afternoon in question. It is a rolling hills type of hike on a trail that can be shared with horses, bikes, and hikers. It is just a few miles from the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon on the drive heading up to Estes Park. It is north of highway 34 on the west side of Loveland. After I gave Mark trouble in a blog post about his rapid series of short climbing pitches on Greyrock last week, he decided this week, it was my turn. The Devil's Backbone is aptly named because that is what it looks like from a distance. ![]()
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