White Ranch Open Space Park

Came here for a nice quick hike with my hound and thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn’t that far removed but it was nice and peaceful. We only saw one other person on the trail, a female mountain biker, kudos to her, I was impressed. We took the rawhide trail which was a nice little five mile loop. You get some nice views of the city as well as a lot of forest space, and some open fields. We saw a couple of deer hiding in the bushes looking at us, and a lone coyote by the herd over cattle that is on private property bordering the end of the trail. They say coyotes are active in the area so beware of that. We will be back to try the other trails.

My girlfriend and I went on a three hour hike and it was wonderful. The park was very clean, the trails challenging. I would go again and try new trails.

I had done the other half of the park a year or so ago, decided to come back and do the upper portion. Rawhide trail.
It was early in the season — may 4. Only a handful of bikes — and super polite to boot!
Not too many hikers, wind was blowing which helped cool things down, and make it not quite the almost 80 degree day it was. We went counter clock wise. The first half was lots of tree cover, up and down, and a stream crossing (currently some parts of the park are still under reconstruction from last years flood damage).
The second half was in the sun! So it might more beneficiary to go clock wise (left from the parking lot) if you start late in the day! A couple cute benches to sit and enjoy. But other than that, a nice walk with some beautiful scenery!
Love the well marked trails that Jeffco are known for!
Good amount of parking, some camp sites if you want a place close to town.
Bathrooms are to the right and in from the second parking lot.

I am a big fan of the JeffCo Open Space and White Ranch is a fun park. It has great trails and something for everyone: hikers, runners, mountain bikers, backpackers, and horseback riders (you can even camp overnight with your horse at the equestrian camp).
Our group hiked a 2.4 mile loop in early Spring. I think the route we took was Belcher Hill Trail to Maverick Trail to Longhorn Trail. Most of the terrain was easy but there were a couple of short, steep hills. Some of the trails were closed due to flood damage, so be sure to check the website or watch for information at the trailhead before you head out. We encountered a good amount of mud and some lingering snow and ice at this time of year. We also got a beautiful view of the city, which would have been better if it hadn’t been so cloudy.
The long and winding road that leads to the West access trailhead is clearly marked with easy to spot signs along the way. There is an overflow parking lot a short distance away from the main lot but, surprisingly, the main lot had plenty of available parking spots in the late morning on a late March Sunday.

We had a group hike here on Sunday. It was lots of fun and we got some decent weather. The trail we had planned was closed so we took a slightly more strenuous one. It would not have been a big deal in difference of ability for the group but some of the steeper areas were wet and muddy and one section still had some ice. I thought spring had sprung, but not at that altitude in the shade.
The directions to get there were easy to follow, once I checked some details with someone who had been there before, though a bit long from my home. As the crow flies the trail head parking is only 12 miles from my house, but by windy mountain roads around to the park entrance was 28! Parking was easy and not crowded yet for the season.
Dogs on leash and mountain bikes are allowed here.
This is a nice park that is part of Jefferson County Open SPace.

This has been my go-​to hiking spot for the past 5 years now, and it never gets old!
The views of the city & table mountain are phenomenal, the trails are great for the most part, although it gets a bit tricky in the late winter/​early spring on some spots that don’t get much sun. I’ve never run across an overly muddy spot, though! There have been a few times I’ve been running around in minimal clothing in the snow — it’s the perfect altitude to enjoy in most weather conditions — although I don’t recommend it on a super windy day.
Most days there are not too many folks on the trails and everyone I have met has been very kind and respectful. A couple years ago I met a ranger that wasn’t the friendliest to me in the parking lot, but other than that I have no complaints!
I’ll continue to take my friends and visitors up here for years to come, and hopefully camp here this summer!

I can’t believe how great the trails are here and so close to Arvada and Golden.
I’ve hiked these trails plenty of times, and on this day I came by to Mountain Bike them.
When you’re walking and hiking. there are trails that look easy enough…“Yeah, that’s doable.” And then there are trails that make you say, how the heck does a biker get up there, let alone ride down it.
On this day I found out and created a new sport, take your bike for a hike.
I have never gripped handlebars so tight, my hands fell asleep. I know when I’m over my head and on this day, most of the day, my bike was over my head.
I will work on my biking skills, but I will continue to enjoy these trails as a hiker… from that long tedious first climb, to the off shoot trails taking you on switch back adventures and open spaces. Go enjoy White Ranch, on foot though.

The plan was to backpack in and camp the night. It’s a beautiful spot… We did our homework, dug around the website, mapped it out, etc… We got there, parked in the upper west lot and headed to the sawmill campgrounds. Nice hike, butt kicker hill to start, very well maintained camp ground. then we realized we needed a permit! Lesson learned (not on the website): park in the lower west parking lot, sign up, get the permit, leave the pink slip in your car, and bring the yellow with you! Also, the trailhead from the lower west parking lot is a lot less steep (we took this on the way out) for hauling in gear (more beverages next time? :)). Feeling defeated as we trudged uphill back to the car (hoping it wasn’t about to pour rain on us), our consolation was spotting a black tailed deer! Very cool =)

I happened upon White Ranch park yesterday while looking for a place to hike. This wasn’t my original destination — I was headed in this direction to look for a plan b as my original locale didn’t work out. I saw the sign on 93 and figured I’d check it out — so glad I did!
I had no idea this place existed and from the parking lot, it’s hard to tell exactly where the «open space» is. It weaves through some expansive (ridiculously massive and expansive) homes most with horses right along the trail. There’s one trail in from the easy parking lot, and I wasn’t entirely sure how far or where it would lead.
I hiked up the Belcher Hill trail for about 90 minutes — I kept thinking I had to be getting close to the top but I finally stopped at a point I thought was «close» to the top. Good thing I did — after I picked up a trail map I realized I wasn’t ever going to get to «the top.» Turns out there are almost 20 miles of trails in this park and most are interconnected somehow. I’m glad I turned around when I did as I was getting close to the west side of the park and had I made it that far I wouldn’t have had time to get back to my car before the sun started to set and it really cooled off. Anyway. .. this place was a find!
It’s close to town — just north of Golden, right past North Table Mountain park just west of 93. I was pleasantly surprised by the elevation gain on a moderately short hike up the mountain — it was a good workout and I’m feeling it today. As you wind your way up the Belcher Hill trail, the views are amazing — awesome views of Denver and then toward the back of the mountain some great views of the foothills. A word of advice though, don’t forget to grab a trail map in the parking lot! You’ll be glad you did. If you haven’t been here, or didn’t know it existed, what are you waiting for — it’s a great day for a hike!

Don’t forget to pick up a map in the parking lots. Also, some great trails for you and your dog! The elevation change is outstanding for the novice day hiker. Only passed a few folks on the trail and enjoyed the views. I shall return.