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Mount Galbraith Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 801 Google reviews · Running trail in Golden, Colorado · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Loop distance
- 4 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Mount Galbraith Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
5 miles of steep, rocky hiking trails to a 7,260-foot peak, with views of the Continental Divide.
What runners say about Mount Galbraith Park
“Beautiful, panoramic views are around nearly every corner and there were plenty of flower patches beginning to bloom!”
“If there is snow, ice definitely will be forming on the shady parts of th le trail so bring good shoes/tracks/poles based on your comfort level.”
Taking Cedar Gulch Trail to Mount Galbraith Loop makes for a nice hike - albeit with some consistent gain in elevation. Galbraith Park trails are well maintained with clear signage. They are very exposed to the sun with shade areas spaced far apart so be prepared to sweat on a hot day and don’t forget the sun screen.
This was one of my favorite hikes we did on Colorado. It's within a 10 minute drive of Golden which makes it very convenient. We got there around 6:45am since I read the parking lot fills up early. We got a spot, but the parking lot was full along with cars being parked halfway down the street when we got back.
This is the trailhead to the lovely 4-mile-long Galbraith Trail. We went on a very warm mid-July evening at about 6:30 PM, despite Google Maps saying that the park closes at 7PM. This is one of the rare instances where Google Maps is (thankfully) not entirely accurate.
I would rate this an intermediate/medium level trail simply because of the jagged rock ascents in a few areas. It was a great hike overall, I did the whole thing in under 3 hours and I took a LOT of breaks because it was pretty toasty outside and not many clouds out.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful, panoramic views are around nearly every corner and there were plenty of flower patches beginning to bloom!”
“The parking lot is on the smaller side, but I actually used LotSpot to help see if there was parking available!”
“It is a nice 4 mile loop with a rocky climb in many parts but is still easy to moderate, and we completed the hike in about 2 hours.”
“Great trail for hikers only - easy to see bikes are not allowed with some of the very technical rock/stairs areas and steep-sided singletracks!”
“Great trail for hikers only - easy to see bikes are not allowed with some of the very technical rock/stairs areas and steep-sided singletracks!”
“If there is snow, ice definitely will be forming on the shady parts of th le trail so bring good shoes/tracks/poles based on your comfort level.”
“I would definitely come back to hike this trail and it's great if you love dogs too (there are so many!”
“If there is snow, ice definitely will be forming on the shady parts of th le trail so bring good shoes/tracks/poles based on your comfort level.”
Plan your run at Mount Galbraith Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- Loop distance4 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitejeffco.us
- Phone+1 303-271-5925
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 am–7 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 am–7 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 am–7 pm |
| Thursday | 6 am–7 pm |
| Friday | 6 am–7 pm |
| Saturday | 6 am–7 pm |
| Sunday | 6 am–7 pm |
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