US Forest Service
State and Nearby Counties
Ride or lead your horse along varied terrain on your public lands. Ranger district offices offer trail information and detailed maps and can help you locate trailheads with adequate stock trailer parking. The Roosevelt and Arapaho National Forests include some great horseback riding trails in Western Boulder County!
Ride or lead your horse along varied terrain on your public lands. Ranger district offices offer trail information and detailed maps and can help you locate trailheads with adequate stock trailer parking! Numerous trails are listed under the management of our local Boulder Ranger District
These are the official maps for designated motorized travel on Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado National Forests. By downloading them to your phone, you can see your location in real-time, regardless of cell service. The MVUM displays National Forest routes, roads and trails open to legal motorized travel (4WD, ATVs/UTVs, motorbikes, etc). Importantly, routes not shown on the MVUM are not open to motor vehicles. The free map bundle linked here includes nine MVUMs (Canyon Lakes North, Canyon Lakes South, Pawnee East, Pawnee West, Boulder North, Boulder South, Sulphur North, Sulphur South & Clear Creek).
Many Colorado State Parks provide the perfect scenery for a spring, summer or fall horseback riding adventure. Choose the perfect landscape for your ride—from the miles of scenic trails against the mountain backdrop at Mueller State Park to the trail surrounding the peaceful waters of Barr Lake State Park.
State Forest State Park and Golden Gate Canyon State Park offer public corrals for those camping with horses. Mueller State Park offers equestrian campsites designed for rider and horse convenience.
This website provides search tools to enable users to find area trails open to equestrians. Free app also available.
All of our parks, except the Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve and Mount Galbraith Park, are open to horses and pack animals. Equestrian-friendly campsites are located within White Ranch and Reynolds parks.
It is recommended to arrive at parks early in order to secure the first-come, first-serve parking for oversized vehicles. Equestrians also participate as volunteer Park Patrollers to promote a safe, enjoyable experience for all park visitors.
Our friends to the north offer some spectacular equestrian trails.
Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) is the state’s official trails app and is led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Department of Natural Resources. It is the most comprehensive trail map available for the state and is built using data from over 230 trail managers. This replaces the outdated Boulder Area Trails app and provides trail information in and around Boulder County and throughout the state.