Hermit Park

Helen and her Mustang Moon

It was going to be a balmy 75 degrees in Boulder on Saturday and since the horses still have their winter coats, Helen and I decided to head to the mountains to Hermit Park. A lovely area purchased by Larimer County a couple of years ago from Hewlett Packard. The word is that there are plans to add  overnight horse camping facilities but no one seems to know when (I ask every time I visit). So this is currently only a day ride location.


Hermit Park is a short drive from Boulder on the way to Estes Park.  After you pay the entrance fee you drive in  a couple of miles on a dirt road to the horse trailer parking area.  The trail accesses Roosevelt National Forest and the back side of Lion’s Gulch. The footing is a mix of old two track roads, single track through wooded areas and a bit of rocks here and there. There are two historic homesteads, one has a spring so you can water your horses there, and an old historic Saw Mill to explore. With an altitude of about 8,500 feet and a mix of climbing and flats this is a good place to get your horse conditioned.


As early as it was, we only hit a few patches of snow here and there. Most of the area was dry and the footing just right. The area has some pine beetle mitigation and slash piles that hve been burned. As you travel the loops through the forest and meadows you will enjoy views of the high snow-capped peaks.


Entrance fee: $6.00
Currently you can rent small, one room cabins with bunks that sleep 8 (includes a propane stove with port-o-potty outside), or camp in your tent in the camp sites. 
Note that this is a much better access point then Lyons Gulch for horses, better footing and a lot less crowds — I might see two or three people on foot.