Measured from my place in SE Denver
Yankee Hill
~45 Miles, 1Hr.
Easy trail, lots of spurs to explore, usually pretty crowded. Great view of St. Mary's Glacier at the west end.
Pickle Gulch
~45 Miles, 1 Hr.
A couple challenging climbs, lots of flexy spots. Fairly short trail, but one of my favorite "short notice" kinda trails.
Kingston Peak
60 Miles, 1 Hr 15.
Probably the closest trail to the city that will get you above 11,000 feet. Not a difficult trail, but the views are always worth it.
Red Elephant Hill
47 Miles, 58 minutes
Excellent trail to connect to a few others. Steady climbing and off camber all the way.
Bill Moore Lake
50 Miles, 1 Hr.
Another trail that is all about the views.
Spring Creek
47 Miles, 58 minutes
One of the tougher trails this close to the city. Bring your A game. I dont have any pics of me, so here's one I took of H8ROADS. That counts right?
McClellan Mountain
54 Miles, 1 hour, 5 minutes
A few rocky spots, a few water crossings and a 13,130' view that will take your breath away.
Red Cone
60 Miles, 1.5 hours
This is one of my once-yearly (at least) requirements. Driving straight up to the peak of a mountain like this is really something else. 12,800' and straight down on all sides. This picture does nothing for the trail, but its all I have with my Jeep in it.
Radical Hill
(Connects to Red Cone)
Hope you like shelf roads. Not much room for error here.
Twin Cone
67 miles, 1.5 hours
Somewhat mild trail aside from one climb that is steep, long, and loose. Again with the views, though.
^^ We were not nearly prepared for that trip to Twin Cone. Left the doors at home, we weren't nearly dressed properly, and as soon as we started down the rain unleashed a holy hell on us. Pretty miserable drive home. Lesson learned there.