royal arch hike

I did an early morning hike today up to Royal Arch above Chautauqua Park, which is just outside Boulder, Colorado. This was my third time to do this hike, although the first time really doesn’t count since it was a DNF (Did Not Finish- I slipped on some ice on the way up and dislocated a finger.) I made it up to the arch safe & sound on the second try, but that was before I got my wide angle lens, so I’d been wanting to re-do this hike with it. A wide angle lens is pretty much a must if you want to get a decent shot of the arch because once you get up there, it is VERY tight quarters. But more on that in a bit.

You start this 3.2 mile (round-trip) hike from popular Chautauqua Park (see the shot at the top of the post), which is a short ways west out Baseline Road in Boulder. From the parking lot, head south for .7 mile on Bluebell Road, which is a nice closed access road that makes for easy hiking to start your adventure (see two photos below).

At the top of Bluebell Road, you’ll come to the Bluebell Shelter (below), which as you can see would be a nice place for a picnic while you watch rock climbers on the Third Flatiron. The trailhead for the Royal Arch Trail is just on the other side of the shelter. Once you start up the trail, prepare for some exercise! On this hike, you’ll gain a healthy 1,270 ft in a little over a mile and a half.

You start off hiking through a pretty ponderosa pine forest, but then enter a steep, narrow canyon on the west side of a ridge (see two photos below). The trail switchbacks steeply, with steps cut out of the dirt & rock, and will definitely get your pulse pounding. Just keep telling yourself that when you get up to the arch, it’ll all have been worth it.

The trail climbs up to Sentinel Pass (below), which is really just a notch in the top of the ridge you’ve been ascending. It may not look like much, but you’ll appreciate having a flat spot to take a short break and catch your breath. On the other side of Sentinel Pass, the trail descends precipitously before levelling out for a bit, but don’t get too comfortable because then it's time for the final, steep climb up to Royal Arch.

As you approach the bottom of the arch, you’ll find this north side of the arch to be a jumbled mess of boulders, brush, and a few scraggly trees. It’s hard to find a spot to get a good shot on this side of the arch, and it doesn’t get any easier as you climb through the arch to its southern side. Here you have maybe ten feet of uncomfortable wiggle room on top of a couple of boulders, but don’t try to back up any farther for a shot or you’ll quite literally fall off a cliff. This is why I said at the top of the post that a wide angle lens is a must if you want to get a decent shot once you’re up here at the arch.

For the first photo below, of the south side of the arch, I ooched back on one of the rocks as far as I could without falling off the back, then took two shots of the arch (top & bottom) and prayed they’d stitch together nicely for a vertical panorama. The black & white image below that is from the north side of the arch, after I’d scrambled up on top of a boulder or two to get that viewpoint.

The hike out is mostly downhill (except for that short section seen in the photo below where you’ll have to climb back up to Sentinel Pass), so it seems much easier, although your quads will let you know you’re just working different muscles than on the hike in. This is a strenuous hike, especially if your lugging your camera gear & tripod, but once you’re up there, Royal Arch is undeniably cool and you’re also treated to some neat bird’s eye views of Boulder from the south side of the arch. Third time’s a charm for me, though, so I don’t think I’ll be doing this grueling trail again, but I hope you enjoy the experience & get some great shots when you decide to head up to Royal Arch!

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~ Rich

anne u. white trail

My Best Boulder Region Hiking Trails (by Bette Erickson) book says, “Access to the short and easy Anne Underwood White Trail in Fourmile Canyon Creek Park is easy to miss because of its tucked-away location.” Very true. Finding the trailhead is more difficult than the hike.

The Anne U. White Trail is located in the Front Range foothills northwest of Boulder. To get to it, take Broadway north to Lee Hill Road. Take a left and in just a tick over a mile, watch for Wagonwheel Gap Road on your left. (If you go to where the road Y’s with Old Stage Road, you’ve gone too far. This is what I did.) Once you are on Wagonwheel Gap Rd, go exactly one mile and watch for a dirt road on your left. This is the road back to the trailhead, but it isn’t marked as such in any way, shape, or form. The short dirt road dead-ends at the trailhead. There are only three parking spaces at the trailhead, and there are NO PARKING signs every ten feet along the dirt road, so you’ll either have to get there early, be lucky, or park out on Wagonwheel Gap Rd.

The trailhead lies at 6,040 feet and the highest point on the trail is 6,600 feet, so there’s minimal elevation gain. The trail twists and turns, following Fourmile Canyon Creek for 1.5 miles before dead-ending at private property. Out and back, you supposedly cross the creek a grand total of twenty-two times, but what with stopping often to take photos, I lost count. Don’t worry about wearing your waterproof boots, though, as there are stepping stones at each crossing.

Although there are no grand vistas to behold along the Anne U. White Trail (since you stay down in the canyon, following the creek), this is a surprisingly lush, forested area and you’ll be treated to much more green than you’ll find on most trails around Boulder. It actually reminded me of hiking back home in Pennsylvania.

There are many small cascades & waterfalls along the trail. Near the end of the trail, there’s a lovely little set of falls and a large pool that is kind of a zen spot & a nice photo op. It’s the spot pictured below.

All in all, this is a pleasant trail and is a great, short hike if you have a family, or aren’t up to tackling trails with more dramatic elevation gain, or are just looking for something off-the-beaten-path but still close to Boulder.

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~Rich