Raccoon Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park

May 31

Golden Gate Canyon

I love seeing fall foliage, so when I read that Golden Gate Canyon State Park is one of the best places near Denver to see the leaves change, I knew we had to check it out during our trip to Colorado in October. It fit best in our schedule to go on a Saturday morning. The park was quite busy, but we lucked into a parking spot near the trailhead for the Raccoon Trail.

Raccoon Trail

The Raccoon Trail is around 2.5 miles with 555 feet of elevation gain if you start from Panorama Point like we did. It is longer from Reverend’s Ridge Campground.

During the first part of the hike, we were surrounded by lots of tall evergreen trees. Later on, fields opened up and we were treated to some beautiful fall colors.

The hike had some challenging stretches but wasn’t too hard overall. It is recommended to go early or on a weekday for the best chance at finding parking in your desired location.

Golden

After our hike, we went into Golden and walked around the main street, which has tons of dining and shopping options. We grabbed lunch at Bob’s Atomic Burgers, which is just off the main drag and right across the street from Coors Brewery.