I had been wanting to hike this trail for so long, so when my dad, step mom, and brother came to visit I was thrilled when they wanted to hike the Onahu Creek Trail.
This trail is on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park and starts at either the Onahu Creek Trailhead or the Green Mountain Trailhead. It's a loop trail, so either starting point is fine, but we chose to start at the Onahu Creek Trailhead.
The loop is a total of 7.6 miles, and relatively easy, elevation gain of only 1,130 feet. There were some short steep sections, but nothing too difficult.
What I liked most about this trail is that it takes you through aspen groves, a beautiful meadow, and several wooden bridges over peaceful streams. I was told this was a great trail to see moose since they are typically around the meadow, but unfortunately on this trail we didn't see any wildlife. We were concerned that we saw a bear print in the mud though, so that had us a little on edge!
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| Aspen Grove |
The first part of the trail winds through aspen groves and pine forests. It's such a peaceful hike and the smell of hiking through the pine trees is the best smell in the world!
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| Onahu Creek |
All along the way you can hear water rushing. It adds to the peacefulness of this hike.
Also along the hike you will stumble on the remains of a couple old log cabins. I wasn't able to get pictures since it started raining pretty hard and I didn't want to get the camera wet. But, these cabins were built around 1900 by Sam Stone who earned his livelihood by selling hay from the Big Meadow, also found along the trail.
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| My Dad and Hiking Partner |
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| Big Meadow
Past Big Meadow, as the trail comes to an end, the last .6 miles are along Trail Ridge Road taking you back to the Onahu Creek Trailhead. It's a little noisy as you can hear and see the cars driving by, but it's a short walk. I was excited to do this hike and I am so glad that we did. Loop trails are my favorite anyway, since you don't see the same setting twice, but add to that the smell of the pine trees, the sound of the rushing water, and the beautiful meadow view and you have yourself a wonderful day of hiking!
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