Horsetooth Falls

When you travel to Colorado, you travel there for the epic views, the amazing hikes, and a multitude of trails to pick from to see the thousands of miles of glorious land that the state has to offer. The Horsetooth Falls Trail is one of the most family-friendly hikes you'll find, and it's located in Fort Collins, offering a short and easy hike for kids and dogs with extraordinary views that you won't see anywhere else.

The trailhead offers a huge parking area for guests, with access to other trails, the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, and the entrance to the Horsetooth Falls Trail. This well-maintained trailhead has plenty of amenities such as restrooms, water, picnic tables, an information kiosk, and pet waste bags for pups. The trail itself begins on the northeast side of the trailhead, where hikers will enjoy some shaded walking space under tall alpine trees along the ridge, before continuing into vast grasslands. There is a mixture of open space and forests along the route, allowing for  small amounts of shade along the hike. 

The gorgeous scenery abounds, and the vast amounts of wildlife in the area include prairie dogs, bighorn deer, elk, foxes, and groundhogs. This sweet mile hike is a little rocky along some parts, but remains even with minimal inclines until it comes up to the main feature of the trail: The Horsetooth Falls. The falls offers a 30-foot waterfall from a small stream that descends from a peak into the pond near the trail. There's a fork in the trail for people to ascend and reach the top of the falls. Dogs and humans can play in the water before heading back after enjoying all they can of the falls.

This trail is easy and fun to hike along, offering some pretty amazing views of the area and of natural features that you can't even enjoy on some of the longer trails nearby.