Absolutely beautiful scenery especially in the Fall season. The main drawback is the lack of parking: the actual parking lots fill up quickly and all that’s left is roadside parking, if that. The trails are well-marked and well-maintained. Lots of options in terms of what trails to take.

The visitors center is terrific.. Lots of interactive exhibits, great for kids. Trout pond out front. You can feed the fish (which are enormous!)Windy Peak hike was steep, but we enjoyed the challenge!Really nice park!

A perfect place to hike with awesome fall colors to see. Go early to avoid crowd and state park fee is $9.00. Unlike Rocky Mountains, this park is filled with Aspen trees and as it turns golden, it was such a beautiful sight. There are also restroom breaks in most spots.

Already such a great view at the parking lot! there are a variety of hikes available at this park! I think the easiest/ shortest is the Blue Grouse Trail - a 1.5mile (in-out) trail. It is still largely green today but there are some signs of fall!

Beautiful mountain area! The Park is huge with lots of trails from challenging to easy! Plenty of picnic areas that are not overly crowded! Dont forget your camera!

What a gorgeous state park for a quick hike. We went up to panorama point and hiked down the raccoon trail. The elevation change was pretty steep so it was a little tiring on the way back up but it was worth it to get the view at the top. I didnt think it was crowded at all. Everyone wore masks too and respected each others distance. For the most part it was pretty desolate, and we felt alone with lots of peace and quiet most of the time (went around sunset, 6:30 7pm).The trails can definitely be challenging which is why we chose the raccoon trail. The parking situation can be a little tricky if youre not from around. Go to the parking lot by the pond where people are fishing to get the envelopes to pay $9 cash for parking. Make sure you have a pen to fill out with plate number and then dump the envelope in the vestibule they have there before you go in.

Enjoyed a great hike here, park was clean and well maintained - not very busy.

This is beautiful place. It is open on Sunday.It is freeze up there but worth to drive up.

Very beautiful place, even in night. If you are visiting in the fall season, dont forget to bring the camera. Nice place for kids too. Picnic table are available in some areas.

Highly recommend going up to panoramic point, enjoy the view and hike the racoon trail. Its a moderate hike with some ups and downs and rocky terrain in some spots.Go counter clockwise. That way your going down one of the longer inclines.

Stunningly gorgeous, especially as fall is coming on. We did raccoon trail, off panorama peak. Really pretty, but busy on a Saturday. Parking was a struggle to find, even at 9am (which I thought was early enough but apparently not). Definetly get here way early for parking and slower trails. Self pay and dogs are allowed on the trail. Be careful for the bicyclists, and the roads are narrow with lots of switch backs.

Third time camping here this year. Love it every time. It is a little pricey for camping at 28 per night, but worth it. Lots of different hikes and fishing, etc.

Beautiful park with spectacular views close to Golden. A wonderful place for a great hike

A beautiful park. Words really cant describe the beauty that surrounds you. Lots to do and see and so much more to explore. I cant wait to go back. One of my new favorites for sure.

Only been here twice. But great trails both times. Also a good nature center. Lots of camping and parking. Bit of a windy road to get there, tell the children to look out the window not at their Kindles!

Beautiful location with plenty of trail for all seasons and experience!

It depends, :)Great locationNice peopleOnly issue is booking your tent site. *********Zero/0/ noIN PERSON registration ***for regular camping/tent sites, several places and staff members are there,They require you to call another number, not their #, to reserve a tent site, 30+ minutes on hold and still not getting answered.If you can find the spot you want, and you can register via website, that is best.Handicapped sites and day of reservations are an unwelcoming pain in the walletStay tuned...As the stomach turns...Hopefully this has a great ending or even better , many happy returns and rerunsBeautiful spot/locationNear-ish to Idaho springs, ColoradoPark of Colorado state parks system

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Gilpin and Jefferson counties northwest of Golden, Colorado. The 12,119-acre (49.04 km2) Front Range park established in 1960 has 42 miles (68 km) of hiking trails. Horse and bicycle travel is allowed on 27 miles (43 km). Facilities include a visitor center, over 100 campsites and 125 picnic sites. In 2019 the park recorded 1,045,131 visits. Wetland and riparian plant communities are found along Ralston, Nott and Deer creeks and small ponds within the park. Ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, Douglas fir and aspen are found in forested areas. Commonly seen wildlife includes mule deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, Aberts squirrel and pine squirrel. Visitors also occasionally spot moose, which are increasing in the park. Common birds include turkey vulture, Stellers jay, Clarks nutcracker, mountain bluebird and mountain chickadee.

Beautiful park with many miles of scenic hiking trails. Nice visitor center and lots of picnic areas. We did not camp in the park but sites and yurts are available.

Gorgeous for Fall Color along Mule Deer Trail, West side of the park. In the right conditions, sunset from Panorama Point is world class - unforgettable! Phenomenal views!!!

The hiking trails are some of our favorite close to Denver. Amazing views and well maintained. Beautiful during all seasons.

Nice park with good views of the Continental Divide, but not spectacular compared to other (free) hiking spots in the foothills.$9 entry fee must be exact cash. Very annoying when there is a shortage of small bills and stores refuse to break larger bills.Most people were not wearing masks even on crowded narrow trails.In late September the leaves were near the peak of their colors.

Great hiking trails, beautiful vistas, and an excellent campground, with just enough site separation to provide a semblance of privacy. The electricity was nice, but water would have been more useful to us.

Beautiful park, well maintained trails, locals clean up what tourist leave behind. The rest of us sincerely appreciate the collective support. Please keep your poop in your sac, you know who you are.

So many different trails to hike. We love coming here. Today we did Centennial Cone then headed further up and around to the other side for our picnic lunch.

Its just a short drive to this beautiful, well maintained state park. Just for a small fee my family and I created some cherished memories. My grandparents have been secretly enjoying this park for several years, I insisted I have to see this place! And boy am I glad I did, I will remember this occasion and come back as often as possible.

Very beautiful place. The parking fee is $9 ans it must be cash.

Absolutely Beautiful! We will definitely be back

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is an excellent place to see the fall colors. Make sure to get there early to get a decent parking spot (there are multiple lots throughout the park, but none of them have tons of parking spots). We arrived before 8 am on a Saturday and were able to park at the lot right at Panorama Point. The views there are great, but we spent most of our time on the Raccoon, Mule Deer, and Coyote Trails. None were especially challenging, but there is enough elevation change to get your heart pumping. We hiked approximately 7 miles in total, and saw lots of people with leashed dogs, as well as mountain bikers. This is a nice hiking destination thats close to home, and avoids all the I-70 traffic.

A lovely state park between Blackhawk and Golden, CO. Several trails, picnic areas and a pond that was very popular for fishing. Lots of wildflowers!

We did the racoon trail hike. It was wonderful - not too hard but a good hike and beautiful scenery.

I have hiked quite a few trails here, and all are beautiful. I like Mountain Lion Trail the best for the ever changing terrain. The start is green and feels like Hawaii on a humid day, while the last part opens up to dry, rocky, Colorado landscape with wide views of the surrounding hills.The best part for me is that because you do need to pay either for a yearly pass (highly recommend) or one time per car, it encourages car pooling and means less people on the trails.

The fall colors are amazing in the rocky mountains right now. Aspens youre bringing the heat in Rado this fall

OhMGee let me tell you this is just a beyond beautiful place to see. If you live in the area or just visiting. Amazingly beautiful!

Beautiful. Nice camp areas and fun. Directions are very confusing if you are not good with maps. Also directions via Google maps suck

Really beautiful park. Trials were well maintained, marked and easy to follow. Pictures are of Raccoon trail. Visitors center was small and nice. We look forward to going back and hitting more trails.Drive up to park from Denver won’t be easy for out of towners, with twists and turns up the mountains with lots of bikes, with no shoulder. Parking a little scarce there at visitor center, but seemed to churn out pretty quickly.

Utter Peace and Tranquility....even the FISH observe Social Distancing!

Most beautiful park close to Golden. The Aspen groves are amazing! ️

One of my favorite parks in CO. Getting very crowded but still nice.

Look at these Aspens in October! Take the Raccoon trail for spectacular views

The campground was very clean and the facilities were well kept and easy to access. The area is beautiful.

Reverends Ridge was a great camping experience. There are pads for level tent set up and the staff is keeping bathrooms cleaned. (Showers are currently closed and we needed to go somewhere else to buy firewood as the campsite was out when we arrived.) Panorama point is breathtaking and the hike we took to the vista was some of the most beautiful hiking I have ever done. There are no easy trails, moderate meant some steep inclines at points, but its possible to drive up to Panorama point as well . I wish we had more time to take other hikes as the trails were well marked and maintained. Pollen was super high, but the weather was perfect and we are already planning another visit!

Beautiful area with well marked & maintained trails of varying levels difficulty for both hikers only & multi-use. Even has areas of historical interest (e.g Frazer Barn & Tallman Ranch).

Cops gave tickets to everyone who illegally parked. Be sure to only park where its allowed. Beautiful state park!!!! Get in early

Its just an ok place. Nice Lake and picnic tables to have lunch at but the trail is too steep to climb. Did for younger people not for older folks.

Great hiking and views at GGCSP. Its 9500 feet so it can be chilly.

This was a above average hike. Nothing crazy, but the hike will get your heart rate up. Its was just under 4 miles in a big loop.

Only ever fished here I havent been to the rest of the park. Its a nice place to take kids for some stocker sized trout.

What an amazing first hike in Colorado. Breath taking views, friendly and knowledge staff. Definitely a must do!

Just be careful on the windy roads going up into the mountain. Bring water! And make sure you get your bathroom situation figured out, because the outhouses are a little rough.

I love it but it was cold. But if you go on the bare path it is hard, but you a good view.

Fantastic park with amazing staff. The trails are pretty packed but its an awesome state park.

Day pass required. So plan a good couple hour visit. It will be worth it. Multi-use area.

Fantastic hike, beautiful weather. Parking is a bit of a challenge with crowds, better signage would help.

The view from the parking lot alone is incredible. A great place to spend the day.

They dont allow hammock camping! We did not have a tent so we asked for a refund. The ranger refused and told us to lay our hammocks on the ground and enjoy the stars. We ended up having to drive all night since we couldnt find anywhere else to stay.

Clean, well maintained, nice trails, a little small for both bikes and hikers. Happy to go back.

Quite a hike for me but I sure was glad I made it. Beautiful flowers, and wonderful view at the finish. We hiked Raccoon Trail in late July and the weather was great. Only saw a few hikers. Was very glad I had my hiking pole!

What a wonderful hike up black bear the leaves are just starting to turn and the views were excellent along with a nice pitch! I cant wait to come back here soon and try a different route just remember to bring cash for the parking.

Love this place for a quick day trip or for camping.

The Golden Gate Canyon State Park is absolutely a beautiful place to visit especially in colorful fall season. The panorama point is a must-see, where you may observe the gorgeous mountains hundred miles away. Please note cell phone signal is weak in the park.

Great day on Mountain Lion Loop! Bring cash, there is an 8 dollar fee to park. And be aware, if you do the loop from the main lot by the pay station that it is closer to nine miles rather than the 6-7 advertised. But it is a beautiful hike thru varied terrain with gorgeous views. Medium in difficulty.

Golden Gate Canyon State Park, is amazing in fall! Must see!Close to Denver, CO. FYI, have to pay $7.00 day pass. This is cheap thou :)If you like my photos, and want prints, contact me on here!Enjoy!

Absolutely stunning. And out of the main tourist rat race!

Good weather, nice views, great way to spend an afternoon, especially during covid.Get out, get away, unwind and enjoy nature.

Awesome campground with access to trails. Its definitely campable in the winter, as the visitors center has bathrooms with running water year round. Other restrooms throughout the campground were closed, however.

Fabulous Panoramic overlook, super picnic areas, beautiful scenery everywhere. Only issue was toilets in bathrooms, they are VERY low to ground which I guess is good for little kids, but kind of tough for older folks with issues. They have handicap rails but they arent mounted for convenient use.

Beautiful place to visit expecially during fall with all the beautiful Aspens

Very clean , the trails were excellent, but the fishing was horrible. Gilpin County must be the private Lake capital of Colorado.

The fall colors are here! We had a beautiful hike today.

Park facilities are well cared for and clean. The forest is healthy and the trails are well marked.

Beautiful place. Well marked trails and lots of trails to choose from.

What a great park! Perfect if youre a tent camper, RVer, or like us...went for the cabins-for-rent. Lots and lots of hiking trails with beautiful scenery.If youre an autumn leaf-peeper, a park ranger told me that the end of September or beginning of October are the times to visit.Always, repeat always, pay for the daily park pass.Regarding the cabins, they are perfect for those of us that still like a little bit of comfort to blend with roughing it. The cabins have 2 sets of bunk-beds, each bottom bunk being a full-size and the top bunks are singles. The cabins have electricity and heat.And if you struggle with being disconnected, no worries...we had 4G coverage the whole time.

Beautiful hike! Raccoon trail was challenging but not hard.

Great for hiking. Nice views and aspens

Very beautiful place. Great forest cover. We did the racoon trail which goes through a forest and leads up to amazing views of snow capped mountains

Peaceful and clean. Best place to social distance

Go before 10am to get a parking spot on nice days. Parking is much easier in the northeastern part of the park.Beautiful trails with a wide range of accessibility and challenge. Ralston Roost has an amazing view. Panarama Point also has a great view and is easy to get to for a short hike.

Wonderful trails! Lovely area. Feel closer to the divine when in nature.

I had an amazing time here. Im from San Diego, and not an experienced hiker, or very active person in general, but I was in Denver and wanted a dose of nature! We asked the great park ranger at the main station which hike would be mellow and beautiful. She recommended the raccoon trail, at the top of the park. It is almost 4 miles, and has beautiful, rewarding views. We enjoyed a break halfway at the stream that runs through it. The second half was slower going for me and my friends let me pause frequently to catch my breath. Being from sea level, the altitude got to me! It was a great hike though and we enjoyed to town of Golden afterwards.

Came here under unusual circumstances... But still pretty

I used to camp here a LOT growing up. It is now permit only, meaning youll have to stop by Jefferson County Parks and Rec offices in Golden. White Ranch offers many scenic views of Denver and the mountains. Equestrian trails are available for your horse lovers. Hiking trials are wide and well kept so grandma can come too. Camping is hike-in only and is roughly one mile to the nearest sites. Restrooms and firewood are all available. Be respectful and pick up your trash, bears do exist.

This park has plenty of good easy to moderate hikes. Very dog friendly. Trails are well maintained and marked. Wildlife was scarce when we went but lots of signs that it was present just not visible midday.

Beautiful place. Mountain lion trail is quite difficult for bikes but good for hiking. Mule deer is totally great for bikes.

We camp here every year. Make weekend reservations 6 months (the max) in advance. Camping here provides opportunity to hike nearby trails in the park. One nice trail starts in the back of the campground.There are always family Ranger events on Fridays and Saturdays in the amphitheater. Theyve become repetitive over the years now.There is a comfort station useful for washing dishes (Ive noticed people plug their coffee makers in the morning, seriously?). Large bathrooms and showers are central to most sites.Our children enjoy this campground and my non-camping spouse will even join us.

Absolutely beautiful! Just be prepared though, it is a state park so you do have to buy a day pass which is $8 CASH or check and you need to pay at the little stations that are located at the camp/parking/viewing areas. However, its worth it and youll get some great pictures and hiking here!

Good views. Good long trails. Wouldnt recommend with children under 5. Worth $8. Didnt see any wildlife, not even a bird.

Good parking, great views. Not hard at all, Racoon trail.

Horseshoe loop trail is a beautiful moderate 6 mile hike. Do it.

We had a wonderful hike, and the aspens were amazing!

Great place to take a weekend off! The park rangers were very helpful and the cabins and landscape were beautiful. Would definitely recommend.

Nice park and easy trails, and we saw a moose!

Beautiful scenery and the hiking trails are well maintained.

Absolutely breathtaking!

So cute! The campground had a cute ranger station and the hike was gorgeous!!!

So many trails at this park! Lovely views and well maintained. We love our state parks. Buy a pass, its worth it!

Don’t go here. It’s beautiful. :-)

Beautiful park with several trails of different difficulties and beautiful landscapes.

Only an hour from Denver. Large network of interconnected trails that make it easy to form your own hikes of any length. Excellent signage and trail ratings. It gets busy and crowded on weekend afternoons.

Great hiking close to Golden. Did a 6.5 mile loop which was very nice.