Meridian Trail has amazingly few hikers for being so close to Denver. A bit over an hour away, it makes up for having few “amazing views” by being a very pleasant and moderate hike with excellent solitude.

The trailhead is easy to find, Google Maps gave perfect directions on the first try and in spite of having about 1/2 mile of rough dirt road, there’s nothing you couldn’t get through in an average sedan by driving carefully and slowly. I went on a Sunday and didn’t see another soul until the very end of the hike in the parking lot.

The hike itself is entirely uphill and out-and-back. Sometimes I’m not a fan of out-and-back but the views looking out over the mountains coming back down are quite nice. You hike through several stands of Aspens that are mostly unscarred by idiots carving names with pocket knives, which is sadly rare. The top of the trail ends at the intersection of Cub Creek Trail, tying into an extensive trail system.

I hiked in December and there was only a few inches of snow at the deepest. There was lots of tree cover so I think it would be a great summer hike. I’ll definitely be heading back.