The Buttes Trail at Pawnee Buttes: This easy day hike exposes you to some of the "other" Colorado: the prairie on the state's eastern plains. A 1 1/2-mile trail leads to Pawnee Buttes, the Rattlesnake Buttes made famous in James Michener's Centennial. Keep your eyes open for coyotes, a variety of birds, and other wildlife, and colorful wildflowers in the spring.

The Emerald Lake Trail at Rocky Mountain National Park: If you like mountain lakes, this is the trail for you. Starting at Bear Lake, it's an easy 1/2-mile to Nymph Lake, then a moderate 1/2-mile climb to Dream Lake, and the last 3/4-mile brings you to Emerald Lake. Total elevation change is 605 feet over a little under 2 miles, with spectacular scenery all along the way.

The Colorado Trail at Kenosha Pass: This easy section of the Colorado Trail near Breckenridge is a fun day's walk or can be the starting point for a serious backpacking trip. Pick up the trail off U.S. 285 where the highway crosses 10,001-foot Kenosha Pass. This access point provides opportunities for short or long hikes through the aspen and bristlecone forest.

Hiking the Dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Monument & Preserve: This isn't a trail at all, but an opportunity to don your best French Foreign Legion hat and set out into the shifting sands in search of dramatic views from the top of a 750-foot dune.