Left Hand Canyon
Boulder County, Colorado
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Nearby Towns: Boulder, Longmont
Nearby Trails: Carnage Canyon, Gillespie Gulch, Castle Gulch, Fireman Hill
Season: Year Round
Trail Length: 3.35 miles
Elevation: 6,142 to 7,974 feet
Named Obstacles: Old Playground, Big Momma Hill, The Squeeze

Recommended by Ryan H.

As of 2005 the trail does not continue up to Fairview Peak. The maze of trails in the Playground were also closed and one single trail was created, put in place with fencing. There is only one hill left in the Playground, now called the Old Playground.

The first 0.2 miles of the trail is shared with people working their way to the Carnage Canyon trail, though this section is not difficult. There are "No Shooting" signs but there is almost always someone shooting in this area. After you pass this section the trail splits. The Left Hand Canyon trail (often abbreviated "LHC") goes to the left and up a hill, while the Carnage Canyon trail continues straight ahead. Turn left to follow Left Hand Canyon.

You work your way uphill around some corners, and soon the trail will continue straight or go slightly right and up a hill. If you go up the hill to the right you will be at the base of Big Momma Hill (if you wish to continue straight, see the section later in this description). This is a spur off of Left Hand Canyon and you can connect back to the main trail in two places.

Big Momma Hill is a very long, very steep and often very challenging hill. There are very few places where your vehicle will be level, so expect to tackle it all at once, often with momentum. There are many paths on the way up, and many have drastic whoopdeedoos and large rocks. Be careful if you move across the hill as it is easy to roll over if you are sideways and you drop a tire into a whoopdeedoo. This hill is especially challenging for dirt bikes.

At the top of Big Momma Hill it levels off and there is an option. You can continue straight up hill or you can turn left and go down hill. This hill is the Old Playground. Continue straight to get to the top of the current hill you are on (if you wish to turn left, see the section later in this description).

The trail continues up a small hill to a series of rocky ledges. They aren't huge, but they can be challenging because they threaten to tip you over. Choose your line carefully and you'll be fine.

Continue on the trail and soon you will be at an intersection of trails known as Five Points where there is a kiosk with maps and good information about the area. We'll come back to this intersection again in this description.

If you had continued straight at the intersection with Big Momma Hill instead, you would continue on a gently sloping dirt trail like the one you have been on. Route finding is easy. Soon you'll note road 286C on your right. This is the Old Playground, an area that has changed drastically in the last few years. It used to be an open area where you could pick from many different lines, but now it is one trail up to the top.

If you continue straight without taking 286C you will stay on the easiest route to the big intersection at Five Points. This is where the lower, easier section meets with the trail portion that took Big Momma Hill instead. Those two options ran parallel to each other, with one quite a bit more difficult than the other.

Road 286C connects these two paths right in the middle. It is a difficult, short section of rocky trail and it is optional, but it's fun. If you start at the top of Big Momma Hill you will be going down the steep series of rock to the bottom. It can be muddy or snowy unless it's summer, though this section is always challenging. The section from the top to the bottom is known as the Old Playground.

If you come up the main trail for Left Hand Canyon and you reach Five Points, you will see four trails leading away from this intersection marked with a kiosk. If you are facing the kiosk, these are the trails as you spin in a clockwise direction, with the first one listed directly to your right.

1. The trail directly to the right of the kiosk is a short spur that dead ends in a very short distance, with very little room to turn around. It is marked as a dead end.


2. The next trail to the right is a fun and more challenging way to continue up Left Hand Canyon. It is a steep hill followed by another steep hill, and the second steep hill can be very challenging. There are multiple ways to do the second hill, with lines to the right as the easier ones. It intersects with the regular Left Hand Canyon trail in a short distance, well before the Squeeze obstacle.


3. The next trail to the right is the main trail for Left Hand Canyon. See the description for this trail below.


4. The next trail over is Upper Carnage, the continuation of the Carnage Canyon trail.


5. The next trail is opposite of the kiosk and is Lower Carnage. It is typically run so that you finish it at Five Points, however you can take it briefly to get to the Fireman Hill trail.


6. The next trail is actually to the left of the kiosk and is the way from or to Big Momma Hill.


7. The final trail is directly to the left of the kiosk and is the lower section of Left Hand Canyon, how you got to the kiosk.

1. The first trail to the right of the kiosk is the top of Fireman Hill. It is typically run so that you end at this point, but you can run it in either direction. It is a short distance from here to the Fireman Hill overlook, and that is worth checking out.


2. The next trail is the one you just came up, the latest section of Left Hand Canyon.


3. The final trail is directly to the left of the kiosk, and this is the last bit of Left Hand Canyon before it ends at the top of the Castle Gulch trail.

Information last updated on October 2nd, 2007.

Member Reports

• September 30, 2007: ran by Chad and Monica
• August 5, 2007: ran by Ladd and Sean G.
• September 9, 2006: ran by Cheryl and Dane
• March 18, 2006: ran by Kendall and Mike S.
• June 4, 2005: ran by Bob S., Gary and Ladd
• December 14, 2002: ran by Kendall and Monica
• October 26, 2002: ran by Dave R., Kendall and Monica
• October 11, 2002: ran by Beth and Monica

Driving Directions

From Boulder, go north on Highway 36 to County Road 94. This is also marked as Lefthand Canyon Road and the town of Altona. Take this paved road 3.7 miles. The trail begins at the right of the road next to a sign for Roosevelt National Forest, marked FSR 286. Once you get started on the trail you should turn left to go to the Left Hand Canyon trail.

Meeting Places

Meet at the Starbucks at 3033 Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder. This is also immediately next to a gas station, Moe's Bagels and King Soopers.