To reach the epic view atop Lookout Mountain, you could take the easy way (driving the road), or the hard way—hiking Chimney Gulch. This route makes a determined ascent from the town of Golden to the 7,372-foot mountaintop. It's a steep and steady incline, on sunny slopes and rocky trail. Along the way, you'll have vantage over the city and the Front Range. On top, you'll earn an especially lofty vista, from an overlook near the visitor center at Lookout Mountain Park.

A trail punches more or less straight up a ridgeline to the summit of Mount Morrison, which is the high point over Red Rocks. This scrambly hike is quite a challenge, but well worth it for the workout and the views on top. The trailhead is in Red Rocks Park, near the world-famous amphitheater where concerts are held almost every evening in the summer. You may hear the bands playing down below if you hike in the cool of the evening.

Green Mountain is home to the famous rock formations called the Flatirons. This hike to the summit is a classic of the Boulder area, but it is difficult and requires some scrambling near the top. The start is Gregory Canyon trailhead which is often full, but you can park elsewhere along Baseline Road. The route then makes a loop with a few different trails, twisting all the way up the forested mountain to its stone-capped summit and 360-degree views.

Jasper Lake and Devils Thumb Lake are two sparkling gems in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, reached by a long hike from Lost Lake trailhead. Plan for a big day or overnight trip to visit both lakes. Jasper Lake comes first, and makes a good turnaround if you don’t go all the way to Devil's Thumb Lake. This second one is named for a fingerlike rock that you'll see towering overhead, along a barren ridge that forms the Continental Divide.

While there's no such thing as an "easy" 14er, Mount Bierstadt is one of the best choices for your first attempt at hiking above 14,000 feet. The climb up Bierstadt begins right at treeline, traversing a flat area at first. But then the bulk of the trail takes switchbacks up the flank of the mountain, on rocks and dirt that shift underfoot. The final push to the summit is the hardest part, requiring all of your limbs to scramble a boulder-strewn ridge at high altitude.

Longs Peak is one of Colorado's proudest 14ers and the only one within Rocky Mountain National Park. It looks imposing from every side, but the "Keyhole" notch allows passage on a long and arduous hike to the summit. The first 5 miles are on maintained trail, but then it becomes a mountaineering route with scrambling and route finding, and the possibility of deadly weather. This is an epic journey to a bucket list peak, but it's only safe for experienced hikers who are acclimated to thealtitude.