Genesee Park

Go see some bison and climb a small mountain.

During winter, you'll want spikes or snowshoes but it's beautiful scenery. We did the loop earlier and saw plenty of pups. It's not too hard to get to the summit although I'd say it's twice as easy in summer, without snow.

The huge bison pin is at the start and end of the trail.

Fun hike, would recommend but I'd rate difficulty as moderate in the winter.

Genesee Mountain is just a hop and skip off I70. It was very easy to access. There are several parking lots to hit the trail at. It is close to town but feels relatively secluded.

I did the summit trail and mountain trail while i was in the area. Both are currently snow packed and icy. Its always a good idea to check trail conditions before heading out to any trail. i like to use alltrails.

On the mountain trail or american bison trail, sometimes you are able to see the bison which appear to be part of a conservation project. They were sadly not out while i was visiting though.

If a walk in the woods if what you are after take the Beaver Loop with option to summit with Chavez. It doesn't take long after the trailhead before you are immersed in the woods. Halfway in you straddle a babbling brook for most of the way until you climb up Chavez. At the top, you can go off trail to your left for about 300 ft. for an unofficial lookout point.

My trail loop started downhill and at Chavez a steady climb of switchbacks. I would say it is moderate difficulty.

Kind of surprising Genesee Park doesn't have more reviews.

Kind of surprising it's only 22 minutes from my house.

Kind of surprising last week was my first time here.

First and foremost, this review is for the Beaver Brook and Chavez loop trail. Don't take Exit 254 to get here (where the signs for Genesee Park are). Take Exit 253 instead and you'll arrive right at the trailhead.

Second car in the parking lot, but first one on the trail! For 8am on a Thursday, traffic was pretty light. However, the parking lot was completely full for when I arrived back at the car.

This is one of those trails that is downhill from the start. Aka not preferred method of hiking. I'd much rather do the grunt work first, making the second half of the hike more leisurely. So, even if you do the loop or out and back, you don't have another option here. I decided to go clockwise.

For the hike itself, the hike down wasn't all that adventurous. You start near the highway, but it does quiet down quickly. Weird seeing power lines on a hike...but again you get your money's worth: Free/20 minutes from Denver.

Then out of nowhere, there's water. And lots of it! Twice you'll have to cross rushing water, so maybe bring an extra pair of socks. The brook was babbling indeed. Very picturesque, and as the sun popped out, it made for the perfect rest/snack break.

Don't let this hike deceive you. The way back is uphill, over 1000 feet in elevation. Drink water, stop for a sec and take your time.

One thing to note on the Chavez Trail is that it intersects briefly to the Braille Trail, which used to function as a nature trail for the blind. There are two directions you can go, but ultimately they both lead back to the Chavez Trail. I wish there were more signage explaining this, because in the moment I thought I veered off trail. And it you're doing the loop clockwise, this part is very steep.

All in all, a nice 5 mile hike with some great views down near the brook.

Genesee Park and Buffalo Preserve was so pretty! Loved the trails and the views of the river were really pretty. Nice hike and not too crowded if you go early. Also there was good shade in some areas.

So pretty! We love getting out into nature and taking in the fresh air. The hike was mostly downhill. We chose to turn around and go back. So the hike back was all uphill which was very tiring. We hiked to a large rock over the creek and had a nice lunch. The trails aren't easily marks, but we managed. We even looked for some Buffalo. Unfortunately they were hiding from us. Very pretty and full of nature.

I was just at this park today. It's one of those parks that's close to DENVER but still feels so remote. It was snowing lightly and I was the only one there. I saw two cars in the lot but never got to cross paths with anybody.

It's got my required essentials. Elevation and solitude. The latter during the weekdays and more so in winter. Summer it's crowded although the parking lot is big enough. Bathroom at the trailhead.

The trail never gets super muddy when it rains or snow It is well maintained. There's about 4 or 5 bridges for creek crossing and they're all maintained as well. Water gushing today. Peaceful.

You can make this hike a short or long one. Well about 8 miles or so. Or if you prefer downhill first and pay back later on the way back. Either way it's gorgeous during Fall and just a bit of everything during summer months. Some exposed parts and some shaded areas.

It's worth mentioning that the buffalo herd is to the left further down the trail.

I felt after all my overindulging these last few days I needed to get some walking in for exercise and I wanted a nice change of scenery as well. Headed to Genesee Park. Such a cool nature park with nice trails. After taking the freeway exit , Siri told me to go left (heading west) no way. That's only if the Buffalo are on that overlook side. I turned right and down a dirt paved road. There is a small parking lot and it has restrooms. There are signs along the way to tell you what trail is which. Lots of information on the Bison and about the area. If you walk down the paved trail East, you will come upon the grazing Bison. It was flurrying some snow and very chilly but they were not bothered. It was such a majestic scene. I stayed to observe them for an hour and half. There were some elk that came over as well. It was not too busy , some bikers on the path , and others taking photos as well. On my way back I noticed areas with picnic benches and I'll be returning in the Spring with warmer weather. This is a must stop for anyone looking for a day trip with a little adventure. 5 star recommended place.

Good trails, beautiful views and very quiet during the weekdays in the winter!!!
The main road was closed off to get to the Genesse park picnic area, but we parked by the closure and hiked the rest of the way up. On a Tuesday afternoon, we saw more bikes than hikers, but multi use trails are clearly marked, and sticking to the hiking trails only left us alone and at peace. Noise from i70 is very obvious, but the views and proximity are worth it.

A friend was kind enough to share this gem with my wife. We have an abundance of places to hike in the area, resulting in indecisiveness at times. It's super convenient with the park right off the I-70 interstate. I was concerned at first that the highway noise pollution would be present in the park. To my surprise the noise quickly dissipates when hiking the Beaver Brook and Chavez trail loop. When arriving at the park, there's a Bison lookout prior to the parking lot.

The animal that most Americans call a buffalo is actually a bison, including the reviews herein. Buffaloes are found in Africa and South Asia, while bison roam in North/South Americas and Europe.

The trail loop is approximately 5 miles long with a 1,200 foot of elevation gain. The loop can be tracked clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on your preference of gradual ascent or descent, which is on the Beaver Brook trail leg. The Chavez side is steeper. The park gets pretty crowded, especially on the weekends, so start in the morning to avoid the crowds. However, it's not as bad as places like Mount Falcon. That's what we did and avoided many inconveniences.

The trail is very scenic with views constantly changing. If you are on the Chavez trail, don't miss the lookout point, it's about two thirds of the way to the Beaver Brook trail intersection if traversing counter-clockwise. Look for a trail to your left when traveling down hill, it's short and leads to an opening and picturesque views of the canyons.

I think this is an awesome local park that will leave you breathless from the scenery and the track uphill.