I found Royal Arch after searching for hikes in Boulder, CO.
I wanted something that would be on the shorter distance side, so when I saw that this was about 3.5 miles, I figured it would be perfect. Well, it was about 3.5 miles, but the first half of the hike to the arch itself is a doozy: almost all uphill and will give your booty a great workout. Park at Chautauqua Park at 900 Baseline Road and from there you can choose from a plethora of hikes. We set off on a recent Saturday morning at 6:30am before it was too busy with other hikers. You cannot beat the views of the Flatirons and mountains around you even at the start. From then on, the hike to the arch just gets gradually more intense with the staircases made of stone and rock. The altitude does affect you if you’re not used to it (like me) and I was huffing and puffing as we ascended. Along the way, we encountered lovely wildflowers and trickling streams. Watch for the signs to the Arch because we missed one, took a wrong turn and had to backtrack. However, when you do arrive at the Arch, it’s definitely a sight to see. The rock formation is super cool and the views of the city are fabulous. We were lucky enough to have the arch to ourselves for a few minutes, too. Our timing was just right because as we made our descent back to our cars, there were lots of hikers on their way up. This is a strenuous but fun hike and the Arch is royally awesome.
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Hi @SavorSinCity . Thank you for sharing. You really made the right choice to take off early. I also try to avoid tourist in the same manner. The arch really looks fascinating. Did you take any other pictures of the district? I’m really curious about it.