Green Mountain Boulder Hike Trail Guide
Green Mountain is the smallest of the three main peaks in Boulder, Colorado. This hike is moderately difficult, family friendly and a great hike year round. Even in winter months, it presents no danger due to avalanches and requires very little extra gear. This hike is extremely popular with many options to gain the summit. If you are looking for less crowds, be sure to visit on a weekday or during off hours.
Green Mountain Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Green Mountain
Green Mountain Hike Rating: ★★★ (⅗ Stars)
Distance: 6 Miles RT (can vary depending on starting point and route)
Elevation Start: 5,675 ft
Highest Point: 8,150 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 2,400 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 Hours, depending on trails
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult Difficulty System Explained
Class: Class 1 What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – Expect snow November – May
Directions Green Mountain
Trailhead: Gregory Canyon
Getting Here: There are a number of different trailheads, but this hike focuses on Gregory Canyon. View a full map of the area here. You can enter Gregory Canyon Trailhead into your favorite navigational device.
Fees: $5 (cash) if not a Boulder resident. You can avoid fees by street parking but there may be meter fees associated with that. In general, the farther away from the TH you park, the better chances of free parking you have.
Parking: The Gregory Canyon parking area is very small with additional parking available along the road or at other trailheads. View the map above for more information. The Gregory Canyon TH does have a non plumbing bathroom.
Summary
Camping: Green Mountain is located in a Boulder City Park which does not allow camping overnight.
Dogs: Green Mountain is dog friendly for the most part. However, there are a handful of trails where dogs are not permitted, check out this link for more information about trail restrictions and closures
Make it a Loop: The hike up Green Mountain has a ton of different trail options, many of which can be made into a loop. View a full map of the area here.
Trail X Factors: While hiking Green Mountain, the two biggest x factors you are going to have are crowds and which trail(s) you take to the summit. This mountain is a popular hike year round, so if you are looking for a quiet hike in nature without others around, this probably isn’t your best bet. However, some solitude can be found after snowfall in the winter and during off hours on weekdays.
While hiking Green Mountain, you have a number of trails to choose from that can have a big effect on the overall difficulty of the hike with additional distance and elevation gain depending on the trail. Be sure to check for seasonal closures and make sure the trails are dog friendly if you have your pet with you.
Hike Tip(s): This hike can get very busy year round, but especially in the summer months. If you want to avoid crowds, plan a hike up to the summit in the winter or on a week day. In addition, there are a number of routes up to the summit in addition to trailheads so it can be easy to get lost. Be sure to have a solid game plan and a map of the area to help along your trip up to the summit.
Best Views: I have to be honest, when I hiked Green Mountain the visibility was awful due to low clouds and snow showers. However, from what I understand, there are fantastic summit views in addition to great aerial viewpoints into Boulder along the hike. For me though, it was a peaceful day of hiking in the evergreen trees and fresh snow.
Green Mountain Hike Route
Gregory Canyon Trail to Ranger Trail
Gear Needed
- Mickey’s Mountain Kit
- Comfortable Hiking Boots/Shoes- waterproof is helpful in late spring and early summer months. These are the ones that I use.
- Map of area
- Optional: Microspikes in winter
- Optional: Hiking Poles
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My Trip to Green Mountain: February 2020
High avalanche danger and deep snow made traveling in the high country tricky and dangerous. Juno and I headed up to Boulder to do a hike that is very popular there, Green Mountain. Although Boulder is relatively close to home, I don’t have a ton of experience hiking there and thought that Green Mountain would be a great winter hike.
