NCAR Trail Head

"I love this trail because it's a great way to experience everything Chautauqua Park has to offer...except the crowds! Beginning at the NCAR trailhead means ample and easy free parking, plus an awesome architectural landmark to see. This trail is a series of ups and downs, and a mix of shade and sun. Please note that this specific trail is not available on AllTrails. Follow the directions below, and grab the map I've embedded in the guide to find this locals-favorite trail! -You begin on the NCAR trailhead and head west on the mesa. -Stay left at the intersection with water tank road, and then right at the fork just after the water tower. -The next fork you reach will be with the Mesa trail. You will stay right, officially merging onto the Mesa trail. Here you'll travel down a gulch, then back up through a meadow. -When you reach the fork with Skunk Canyon Trail, stay left on Mesa Trail. You'll follow this around a ridge, and come upon a forested portion of trail. -Here you'll see another fork, where you'll head left to Woods Quarry. Be sure to stop and check out the little stone cottage in the woods. No one quite knows this history of this structure, which makes it even more intriguing. -Just past the cottage, you'll ascend the Woods Quarry trail, the steepest part of this hike, but don't give up! The steep part is super short. -At the top of the steep section, head right, and you'll emerge in an open sandstone quarry, with several rock benches and lounge chairs constructed by hikers. -Have a seat, and enjoy the stellar views before heading back the way you came. Difficulty Rating: Moderate Popularity Rating: Moderate This whole area is popular, but this specific variation is more of a locals version, so a little bit less trafficked. Shadiness Factor: Mixed, roughly 1/3-1/2 shaded -Trailhead: NCAR Trailhead -Stats: 3.7 mi RT, 702 ft elevation gain -Getting there: Easy! -Parking: FREE & vast -Restrooms at the trailhead: Restrooms available inside NCAR -Puppers: They'll love this! But if you hike in mid-summer, it will be hot in the mid-day, so best to stick to mornings and evenings. -Best time to visit: Year round -Good to know: The National Center for Atmospheric Research is a world-famous example of modernism in architecture, and a breakout design from world-famous I.M. Pei. It was built in 1966, and is totally worth a stroll around the grounds to check out! Read more about the history here: https://docomomo-us.org/news/ncar-modernism-on-the-mesa 📍Boulder, Colorado, is located on the ancestral homelands of the Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Hinono’eino’ Biito’owu’ (Arapaho), & Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) peoples "