I’ve been driving up Highway 67 to Cheesman Canyon for years. It’s still the trail I send Littleton clients to when they want to see what makes Colorado worth the move. Tucked between Sedalia and Deckers along the South Platte River, Cheesman is one of the Front Range’s best shoulder-season hikes and one of the closest serious canyons to the Denver metro.
Cheesman Canyon Trail at a Glance
- Location: Pike National Forest, near Sedalia, CO (80135)
- Drive from Littleton: about 50 minutes via Highway 67 or Highway 285
- Difficulty: moderate. Minimal elevation gain, but the trail is narrow and exposed.
- Best season: spring and fall (too hot in midsummer, snow possible in winter)
- Dog and kid friendly: not ideal. Loose gravel, exposed drop-offs, narrow tread.
- Trailhead: Cheesman Canyon fishing access lot (fills early on weekends)
When to Hike Cheesman Canyon
Sedalia is my go-to area for hikes when there’s still snow or mud in the higher elevations. Cheesman is perfect when the weather is cooler and you need a little sun on your back. I wouldn’t recommend it in the middle of summer unless you’re starting out really early. The canyon walls trap heat, and there’s almost no shade.
Directions to the Trailhead
You can get there via Highway 67 or Highway 285. Either way, it’s a beautiful drive. Highway 67 was recently graded, so it’s a smoother ride than I remember from years past. Parking is at the Cheesman fishing access lot. The lot fills up quickly because it’s a popular fly fishing spot, so plan for an early start on weekends.
To reach the canyon opening, cross a service road and take a half-mile hike through the woods. It looks like any other wooded trail at first. Then you pass the sign about the fishing below, and suddenly you’re walking along the South Platte River with some of the best views on the Front Range.
What the Trail Is Actually Like
The trail is narrow, and you’re traversing the side of a mountain the entire time. If heights make you uncomfortable, this isn’t the hike for you. There’s a lot of loose gravel, so I wouldn’t bring small kids or dogs either. Good shoes are a must. Hiking poles help.
The rock walls along the canyon are tall enough that you feel small underneath them, and watching the fly fishers casting their lines is just so quintessentially Colorado. I always stop along the way to have lunch on a rock or just sit in the sun for a few minutes. Once you reach the sandy beach area, the trail gets scrambly. Keep going; you’re almost to the reservoir.
The sound of rushing water, the rock formations, the blue skies. It’s the kind of hike I keep coming back to.
Why I Send Denver Metro Clients Here
Cheesman Canyon helps explain what Coloradans mean when we say “we live here for a reason.” It’s under an hour from Littleton, but it feels like another world. Sandstone walls. Gold-medal trout water below. The kind of quiet that’s hard to find on the more famous Front Range trails. If you’re thinking about moving to the Denver metro and want to know whether the lifestyle here is real, this is one of the easiest places to go see for yourself.
Have a favorite Sedalia or Pike National Forest hike I should add to this guide? Send it my way. And if you’re thinking about making Colorado your home, call me at 303-210-6156 or reach me through karinjacoby.com.
No long drive. No crowded trailhead. Just 27 years of knowing where the good Front Range hikes hide.