Bard Creek Trailhead

This section of mountains between I-70 and Berthoud Pass is one of the hidden gems near Denver. It's close (45 mins from downtown), easy to get to with a 2WD vehicle year round, and nobody is here! Bard Creek runs down a valley in between the two highways with a forest service road running along side the creek.There's lots of wagon roads to mines that would be great to explore. I went xc skiing here on 1/1 and it was good for that. It's a steady slope uphill the whole way. You can jeep and dirtbike as well, although it's not the biggest trail system; I feel like e-biking then hiking from where you leave the e-bike would be the best way to explore this area.

To get here, head south on main street out of Empire and pull off in the dirt area right by the sign that says "Don't trust your GPS!" It's private on both sides of the roads for a little ways until you get to past the big mine site. For hiking, I'd recommend heading up to Ruby Gulch, where you can start closer to treeline and have less private land to hike past.

A great and beautiful place, but limited places to park (legally and responsibly) roadside if you wand to hike. Probably best in winter to park at bottom of road and snowshoe or X-country ski this place.

There are multiple No Parking signs at the supposed trailhead