The hike to Green Mountain summit in Boulder Colorado is an experience that you will remember. The journey is always epic. This is one of the best hikes to do in Boulder.
I have hiked to Bear Peak summit and Green Mountain summit 50+ times each over the past decade. Green Mountain has the best trails in Boulder for hiking and running. On Green Mountain, you will discover beautiful trails that carve through pine forest. The views West to Indian Peaks and the Continental Divide come early.
There are many routes and trails to take on Green Mountain, and I will cover them all in this trail guide.
Why hike Green Mountain?
The trails and scenery are persistently gorgeous. This is why you should hike to Green Mountain summit.
The hike to Green Mountain summit begins at Chautauqua. Take in the classic Boulder Flatirons view as you start this hike.
Hiking Green Mountain is always an epic journey. It is a big, wide mountain and the trails travel far. On the West side, you will get glimpses of the high peaks to the West including the Continental Divide, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, and Rocky Mountain National Park to the North.
Most of the trails that lead to Green Mountain summit are well shaded with trees. The West side trails are shaded most of the morning. This makes Green Mountain hikes a great option during hot weather or the Summer months.
The trails on the West and South sides of Green Mountain are super fun to run. I love to hike up Green Mountain fast and run down. All of the trails down are fantastic.
The high peaks to the West seem big and close from Green Mountain summit which is cool.
Where to start – Green Mountain hike trailheads
You can start a Green Mountain hike at many locations around Boulder. These are the most common trailheads:
- Chautauqua – Best trailhead to head up via First/Second Flatiron trail + Saddle Rock Connector
- Gregory Canyon – Best trailhead if hiking Gregory Canyon Trail or Saddle Rock Trail
- Green Mountain West – Best trailhead for the shortest distance and least elevation gain
- Realization Point – Another good option for less distance and elevation gain
- Bear Canyon – Best trailhead if starting in South Boulder
When to hike Green Mountain
You can hike to Green Mountain summit and all surrounding hiking trails in Boulder most days of the year.
When not to hike Green Mountain
Avoid hiking Bear Peak when there is a storm in the forecast for your available timeline. Exposure to lightning, sudden rain, hail, or snowstorms can be dangerous if unprepared.
Always check the local weather forecast before and during your hikes. Fortunately, the weather is good in Boulder most days of the year.
Difficulty rating
The hike from Chautauqua or the Gregory Canyon trailhead to Green Mountain summit is hard for many hikers. There are some long steep sections.
If you drive up Flagstaff Road to the Green Mountain West trailhead your total hiking distance and elevation gain will be reduced. This makes the hike to Green Mountain summit somewhat easier. Though, the last push to the top is a steep rocky staircase that will work those legs.
Total distance and elevation
Depending on the route you choose a hike to Green Mountain summit can be as short as 5 miles distance and 900 feet of elevation gain, or as long as 10+ miles and 4500+ feet of elevation gain.
Below are some of my GPS recordings that include a Green Mountain summit.
- Green Mountain West Ridge (out and back) – 4.8 miles, 863 feet
- Green Mountain – Up via First/Second Flatiron + Saddle Rock Connector + Down via Bear Canyon – 14.33 miles, 3599 feet
- Bear Peak + Green Mountain from Bear Canyon TH – 14.05 miles, 4615 feet
Hiking time
For most hikers, the hike to Green Mountain summit is going to take between two and five hours depending on your pace and the route you select.
Terrain
The terrain that you will encounter on Green Mountain trails are primarily dry dirt and rock. The terrain gets more rocky, technical, and challenging the higher you go up!
Gear Advisor
The best footwear to hike Green Mountain is either trail running shoes for rugged terrain, or lightweight hiking shoes. Make sure that the lug treads of your shoe are in good condition and not worn out.
Green Mountain hike: Routes and Directions
The most common routes to Green Mountain summit are:
- Chautauqua -> First/Second Flatiron Trail -> Saddle Rock Connector -> Saddle Rock Trail -> EM Greenman Trail
- Gregory Canyon trailhead -> Saddle Rock Trail -> EM Greenman Trail
- Gregory Canyon trailhead -> Gregory Canyon Trail -> Ranger Trail -> Green Mountain West Ridge Trail
- Green Mountain West trailhead -> Green Mountain West Ridge Trail
- Realization Point trailhead -> Ranger Trail -> Green Mountain West Ridge Trail
- Bear Canyon Trail -> Green-Bear Trail -> Green Mountain West Ridge Trail
- Bear Peak + Green Mountain loop
You can take any of the routes up and another route down to experience all the trails that lead to Green Mountain. I will cover what I think are the best ways to experience hiking Green Mountain in beautiful Boulder Colorado.
Green Mountain via First/Second Flatiron Trail
This became an official route a few years ago with the addition of the Saddle Rock Connector trail. It allows for a more central approach from Chautauqua or where you choose.
From Chautauqua, hike West and up on the Chautauqua trail to Flatirons loop trail, and then turn right and up the 1st/2nd Flatiron trail. Enjoy the views West to the Continental Divide from behind the 1st Flatiron. Continue on via Saddle Rock Connector trail that connects to Saddle Rock Trail. Follow Saddle Rock Trail up to EM Greenman trail that takes you to the summit.
Here is a recording of mine that illustrates this route to Green Mountain summit. I returned via Green Mountain West Ridge Trail, Green-Bear Trail, and Bear Canyon Trail. Return to Chautauqua via Mesa Trail. Note, that I did not start or finish at Chautauqua in my recording below.
Green Mountain via Gregory Canyon Trail and Saddle Rock Trail
Perhaps the most popular way to experience Green Mountain is to hike to the summit in a loop.
From Gregory Canyon trailhead, hike up Gregory Canyon Trail, to Ranger Trail, to Green Mountain West Ridge Trail, and finally up to the summit. Return to Gregory Canyon trailhead via EM Greenman Trail, to Saddle Rock Trail. You could also hike this route the opposite direction (clockwise).
Green Mountain via Green Mountain West Ridge Trail
This route is the easiest, shortest in distance, with less elevation gain. Though, I would not call this an easy hike because the final one hundred feet of elevation gain is steep and can be difficult for some hikers.
Green Mountain via Bear Canyon Trail
Bear Canyon trail runs mostly East to West between Bear Peak and Green Mountain that is closest to Bear Canyon trailhead, or NCAR. Bringing this trail into your hike allows you to do a big loop with a summit of Green Mountain. For the other half of the loop, I like to take EM Greenman trail to Saddle Rock Connector, and down 1st/2nd Flatiron trail to arrive at Chautauqua. I do this route counter clockwise most often because I love to run from Green Mountain Summit all the way down to Mesa trail and beyond. It is really fun! Mesa trail plays a big part of closing this loop to get you back to the starting point trailhead.
See the recording of this green mountain loop – I recommend to start at the Bear Canyon trailhead.
Green Mountain + Bear Peak
If you want a full day of hiking include an additional local peak. I often combine a hike (or run) of Bear Peak and Green Mountain. It is a great way to increase total mileage and elevation gain. Below, is a recording of a recent hike that I did starting at Bear Canyon trailhead. From here, I hiked up Fern Canyon to Bear Peak summit. From there, I descended Bear Peak West Ridge Trail, to Green-Bear Trail, to Green Mountain West Ridge Trail to Green Mountain summit. In the route below, I returned via EM Greenman Trail, Saddle Rock Trail, Saddle Rock Connector, 1st/2nd Flatiron Trail, Flatirons Loop Trail, and back to the trailhead via Mesa Trail and finally Bear Canyon Trail.
Final thoughts
If you have more than one day to hike in Boulder, definitely go for a Bear Peak summit. Warm up with some lower elevation hikes first (Chautauqua, Royal Arch, Mount Sanitas) on day one. And then on day two, once more acclimated, head higher up to Bear Peak. If you want an even bigger challenge combine Bear Peak with Green Mountain or South Boulder Peak.
Photos on my Green Mountain hikes in beautiful Boulder Colorado!
