Looking for a quick dose of nature just outside of Denver? North Table Mountain in Golden, Colorado, offers a mellow loop hike with mesa-top views and a touch of wildflower magic. But, there’s a heck of climb to kick off the hike.
My friends Greg and Mindy joined me on a glorious Saturday morning hitting the trail around 7:30 a.m. The early start gave us cooler temps, golden morning light, and plenty of trail without crowds.
Quick Climb at the Start
We started on North Table Loop, and the first 10 minutes are no joke. It’s a straight-up push that’ll get your heart pumping. Once you top out on the mesa, though, it’s smooth sailing on North Table Mountain.
Hiker-Only High Point: Lichen Peak
Instead of doing the 7+ mile long loop, take Tilting Mesa Trail and quickly turned left onto Lichen Peak Trail. It’s hikers-only and worth the short detour. Lichen Peak is the highest point on the mesa. We were rewarded with sweeping views and a herd of deer quietly grazing in the distance.
Wildlife, Wildflowers, and Wide Views
After soaking in the view, we retraced our steps back to Tilting Mesa Trail. That section was full of wildlife more deer sightings, prairie dogs scampering, a symphony of birds, and frogs croaking somewhere just out of sight in the small ponds. Indian paintbrush, my favorite wildflower, made little pops of red along the trail. Purple and yellow wildflowers are making their spring debut too.
Meandering Down and Trail Pup Greetings
We continued onto Mesa Top Trail for the descent and wrapped up the loop back on North Table Loop. Most of the trails here – except for Lichen Peak – are multi-use, so we did pass a few mountain bikers. Dogs are allowed on leash, and we made a few pet stop breaks to say hi to the happy trail pups trotting alongside their humans.
Trail Stats:
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North Table Loop: 0.4 mi + 1.0 mi
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Lichen Peak Trail: 0.2 mi each way
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Tilting Mesa Trail: 0.9 mi
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Mesa Top Trail: 0.8 mi
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Total: ~3.5 miles
This loop is a great way to get a quick escape into nature with big views, easygoing trails, and just enough elevation to feel like you’ve earned that post-hike brunch. Also, it’s really cool that North Table Mountain and South Table Mountain were formed by lava flow about 60 million years ago.
For a detailed map of the 15+ miles of trails, visit the Jefferson County Open Space North Table Mountain Park page. For a tougher hike in Golden, hit the trail at Mount Galbraith.
