Hiking to the Crags Hotel
It’s easy to become captivated in Eldorado Canyon. Right in Boulder’s backyard you will find massive vertically rising sandstone cliffs, the rushing sounds of South Boulder Creek and 500 rock-climbing routes to challenge your skills. There are also plenty of hiking trails ready to tally miles on your boots. Rattlesnake Gulch is an excellent option that even manages to mix history in.
The steep 2.8 mile round trip hike leads you to the historic Crags hotel. Built in 1908, an inclined railway took families from the canyon floor to the 40-room hotel. Patrons came to eat, drink, dance, sing and gamble while enjoying the view of Eldorado Canyon below. Four years after it was built, the hotel burned down. Take time to look around the site- you will notice a brick oven and a concrete basin that might once have been a fountain. Still today, hikers follow the path of the railway that was once named Crags Boulevard. If you have some extra energy keep trudging on a .8 mile loop that leads to wide open views of the Continental Divide.
Tips
1. Consider hiking on a weekend. Eldorado Canyon almost reaches vehicles capacity on weekends. Vehicles are only let in when there is space available
2. Bring a picnic and snag a spot by the South Boulder Creek
3. Come back in the winter- there are plenty of cross country skiing and snowshoeing trails for winter
Directions: From Boulder- take Highway 93 south about a mile to the Eldorado Springs turn. Go west on Highway 170 three miles to the town. Follow the dirt road to the entrance to the park. A parks pass is required to enter.
