Hike Description:

The Flagstaff Mountain section of Boulder Mountain Park has a bunch of trail loop options with the Range View / Ute Trail Loop being the newest addition to the area.  The loop is perfect for a quick hike with big views in the Boulder area.  These trails also provide access to the actual (albeit underwhelming) summit of Flagstaff Mountain.  

For this loop, start at the Realization Point Trailhead, and begin on the Range View Trail.  Before too long the views to the west open up and get better and better as you skirt the western slopes of Flagstaff Mountain.  The views provide an awesome vantage of the James Peak and Indian Peaks Wilderness Areas along the Continental Divide.  Follow the trail up and to the north of Flagstaff summit and intersect with the Ute and Flagstaff Trails at a wonderfully peaceful forest area.  Bathrooms and a picnic area are just steps away.

To continue the loop, make a sharp right at the intersection onto the Ute Trail and head back to the south.  Although there are some social trails here that lead up to the summit, stay on the Ute Trail.  As you round to the south the summit, take the Ute spur trail to the right.  This trail leads to a nice viewpoint at a rock outcropping.  Instead of going to the viewpoint, turn right and follow the trail up to the forested summit of Flagstaff Mountain (if bagging summits is something that you just can’t ignore).  I think the technical summit of Flagstaff is the large boulder at the top of the hill).  There are no views from here but it’s a very peaceful and serene spot. Return to the viewpoint and head back along the Spur Trail to continue the loop.

Once back on the Ute trail, there is another spur leading to another outcrop with nice views to the east over Boulder.  The Ute trail switchbacks down the mountain and returns you to the trailhead. 

The views from the Range View Trail speak for themselves and this can be a great short hike or part of a larger hike by linking other trails in the area for a longer adventure.