Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder
From Astertiki, your guide to being outside
Flagstaff Mountain is one of Boulder's best known landmarks and hikes. At the top of Flagstaff Mountain there are wonderful views of Boulder and the plans east of the foothills. Flagstaff Road winds itself up Flagstaff Mountain and offers people many chances to see the view and do short hikes off the road. Flagstaff Road is also a touch challenging bike ride.
Summary
| Elevation: | 5700 ft. to 7000 ft. |
| USGS Maps: | Boulder and Eldorado Springs |
| Directions: | Go west on Baseline past the entrance to [[chautauqua-park-boulder]]. Where Baseline turns north and becomes Flagstaff road, turn left onto a short road that ends in a small parking lot. This is the [[gregory-canyon-boulder]] Trailhead in Baird Park |
Flagstaff Road
| Distance: | One Way: 3 to 5 miles depending where you turn around |
| Difficulty: | Difficult |
| Grade: | 11% average |
| Elevation: | 5700 ft. to 6735 ft. at Realization Point, 7671 ft. at the park boundry |
Flagstaff road is often ridden as a hard climb by local bike riders. The climb is very tough, there is 1966 feet of elevation gain, in a little over 4.6 miles if you climb all the way to the Boulder City Mountain Park Boundary (the [[green-mountain-west-ridge-trail-boulder]] trailhead). Many riders will ride to the Realization Point parking lot and turn around. This is a 2.9 mile ride, with 1017 feed of vertical climbing with an average 11% grade. The biggest problem with this ride is the heavy traffic on the road itself. There are a constant stream of cars up the mountain, and hikers cross the road five times.
Flagstaff Trail
| Distance: | One Way: 1.5 miles |
| Difficulty: | Difficult |
| Hike Time: | One hour one way |
| Elevation: | 5800 ft. to 7000 ft. |
The Flagstaff trail leads from the base of Flagstaff Mountain to the Ute Trail just below the peak of Flagstaff Mountain. The peak is unmarked and not on a trail itself. It is just west of the Ute Trail, a bit to the south of the Flagstaff Trail / Ute Trail junction. The start of the trail is pretty steep. The trail also crosses the Flagstaff road five times. Flagstaff road has a lot of traffic, be careful of bikes coming down hill. Flagstaff road is a popular and difficult climb for bike riders in Boulder.
Along the trail the view of Boulder and the plans is wonderful. In addition, branching off the trail are small trails to many popular rock climbing spots and view spots.
Crown Rock Trail
Link: [[crown-rock-trail-boulder]]
The Crown Rock Trail leaves branches off of the [[gregory-canyon-boulder|Gregory Canyon Trail]] and meets up with the Flagstaff Trail about half way up the mountain. The Crown Rock Trail starts 0.4 miles up the Gregory Canyon Trail. It is a very steep trail with many switch backs. It offers great views of Gregory Canyon and Crown Rock.
Gregory Canyon
You can hike to the top of Flagstaff Mountain via [[gregory-canyon-boulder|Gregory Canyon]]. This is a really nice hike. It's less steep and longer than the Flagstaff Trail and only crosses Flagstaff Road once at Realization Point.
History
Flagstaff road was initially completed in 1906. During the Great Depression the Civilian Conservation Corps built 25 miles of trails on Flagstaff Mountain, improved Flagstaff Road, and built the Sunrise Circle Amphitheater.
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