Bald Mountain Scenic Area Boulder

Bald Mountain Boulder

Bald Mountain in Boulder is an easier hike that should be good for most skill levels with some big views of the mountains that surround the Boulder area.

Getting Started

The Bald Mountain Scenic Area in Boulder is located on Sunshine Canyon Drive. The park is relatively small with some nice picnic tables near the start of the hike. The tables can be accessed from the main trail or the side trail at the end of the parking lot. The main trail takes you two-tenths of a mile from the start before splitting into two trails for the loop. The Summit trail to the top or the Pines to Peaks trail which loops. The Summit trail is a little steeper but neither trail is too challenging.

The Summit

I started with the Summit Trail to get to the top a bit quicker. From the loop junction the Summit trail is another two-tenths of a mile to the top. This is the steeper option with grades getting up to about 11% on this short portion. The trail is easy to navigate though and its a fairly easy incline.

The summit provides nice views of the southern horizon and some of the wonderful landscape. There is a small bench at the peak if you want to take in the views. You have the option to turn around and head back from here or continue down the hill to complete the loop. I continued the loop and some more really nice views.

Pines to Peak

The loop continues to the south from the peak and eventually circles to the west side of the hill. You will loose a little bit of elevation but mostly this section of the trail just continues across the middle of the hillside. From the west the views are just as amazing as from the top.

This side of the loop has a much gentler slope so if you are concerned about going to the summit first you can take this route at the junction. The grade sits more in the 5-7% grades and it is a really enjoyable walk with some really big views. The Pines to Peaks trail will take a half mile from the summit back to the loop junction as it traverses the side of the hill. From the junction it is just two-tenths of a mile back to the parking lot and the end of the hike.

This is a nice and easy hike with some great views. It is short and only took me about a half an hour to complete and it is well worth it.

Video of Bald Mountain Boulder

I put together this time lapsed video of the Bald Mountain hike to give you a feel of what the hike is like. If you enjoy the video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest updates!

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 1.16 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 207 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 7,139 feet. I was also moving for a total of 28 minutes.

I am a Pro member of Alltrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

The Bald Mountain trail in Boulder is pretty easy hike. There is a small elevation gain to the peak of around 200 feet but it is pretty spread out. The trails are in good shape and I think this would be a good hike for most skill levels. This is one of the hikes in Boulder where the views way out weigh the effort!

Terrain

The trails at Bald Mountain are in good shape and easy to follow. They are made of dirt that is mostly hard packed. The trails are wide near the start and at the peak and narrow a bit on the north side of the trail. i think most athletic footwear will work on here.

Access

The Bald Mountain Scenic Area in Boulder is located at 4795 Sunshine Canyon Drive in Boulder. There is parking for about 10 cars and there is a port-o-pottie at the parking lot. There are also several picnic tables around close to the start of the hike.

Wrapping Up Bald Mountain Boulder

I really enjoyed the hike up Bald Mountain in Boulder. It is short and easy but it has views the entire way. Most of the other people on the trail seemed like they did it as part of their daily exercise routine and were very nice. If you are looking for a short hike with some great views you may want to give Bald Mountain in Boulder a shot.

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to my interactive map page that you can find here. If you have a suggestion or comment you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. Or follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of Bald Mountain, Boulder