The Devils Backbone Open Space - Loveland, Colorado

Last weekend, Christian and I decided we wanted a nice, relaxing hike. After searching for a while, we decided to check out the Devils Backbone Open Space just outside of Loveland, Colorado. 

The Devils Backbone loop is described as a scenic, moderate hike. Christian and I scoffed at this.  It is listed as 4.4 miles round trip with 480 feet of elevation gain, it should be a piece of cake, right? Maybe we were over-trained, maybe we were dehydrated or maybe we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. This hike has some STEEP sections and the trail can get rocky at times. It was harder than we expected (though not TOO hard). Don't scoff. It is moderate by most standards.

The open space is minutes outside of Loveland (though you wouldn't know it while hiking). We went on a Wednesday and it was still pretty busy. We passed hikers, runners, mountain bikers and locals out walking their dogs. That said, the hike was still peaceful and the people were all polite. 

The 4.4 mile loop took us about two hours, with just a few photo stops along the way.  We completed the Hunter and Wild loops. The Wild loop definitely had the better views but both were nice. We started at about 10 am and it was HOT. There isn't any shade on this trail, so make sure to bring lots of water! There is also a "keyhole" on this route, which is more like a giant hole in the bottom of a rock that you can look out on. Our hiking guide said it offered nice views of the Rocky Mountains (and you could technically see the mountains) but it was mostly just suburban houses and rolling hills.

We both liked the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Animal Refuge better than this hike, and the refuge was a closer drive. It was pretty, but we didn't see much wildlife and there weren't any ponds or lakes. There were tons of grasshoppers, including this colorful guy. Anyone know what he is?

If you do decide to do this hike, take a map. There aren't any signs that identify which trail you are on and the trail splits a lot separating foot traffic from bike traffic. We made quite a few wrong turns. As I mentioned before, take water too (even if you go early morning or late afternoon). And sunscreen, lots of sunscreen!

In my opinion, I'm glad we made the drive up to the Devils Backbone Open Space. It's really cool to see little gems right outside of cities. I think these two loops would be awesome mountain biking trails if you enjoy such a thing (I do, but these trails were too advanced for my skill level). If you have kids or inactive adults joining, I would probably stick to just the Wild loop.

and here are the other pics! 

Rayna McGinnis is a wedding and portrait photographer. In her free time she also does adventure photography. She is an avid climber, exercise science and nutrition student and a cat lover.