Destination: St. Mary’s Glacier
Closest Town: Idaho Springs
About: Located just north of Idaho Springs in the Arapaho National Forest. St. Mary’s is technically not a glacier, but a giant semi-permanent snowfield.
Route: i70 to Exit 238 Fall River Road (directions)
Distance: 44 Miles
Time: 1h 40m
Trip Length: Half day to full
Season: Summer, Fall
Hike: St. Mary’s Glacier Hike
Length: 3/4 Mile
Level: The Easiest
St. Mary’s Glacier is one of the most popular Front Range hikes and for good reason. First, it’s super short, like under 2 miles round trip and the views are killer. Yes, it can be terribly crowded but when you want to impress an out of town guest or just need a quick break from the city this is your hike.
Again the trail can be very crowded but Jake loved the doggie company as we were literally had a pack of goldens including 2 golden puppies. Hike up to the snow and look back to see great views of the Front Range and Rockies.