Doudy Draw

Doudy Draw at a glance

Doudy Draw sits in the quiet south end of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks system, just east of Eldorado Springs. OSMP rates the trail Easy/Medium, lists it at 2.20 miles with 586 feet of gain, and records it as a low-use trailhead at 30 to 69 average visits a day, which is a rare thing this close to the Flatirons. The trail meanders south along the draw to the Spring Brook Loop junction, then crosses the creek and climbs east to the Flatirons Vista trails through open stands of ponderosa pine on a savannah ecosystem. Because it's low and open, the views point back north at the Flatirons instead of up at them.

The Doudy Draw Trailhead, hours, and parking fee

The trailhead is at 4100 Eldorado Springs Drive, 1.8 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive (Highway 170), and it's open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The lot is on the south side of the road with 40 standard spaces, 2 ADA spaces, and 3 horse-trailer spaces. Parking on Highway 170 isn't allowed, so if the lot's full you'll need another plan.

This is one of the OSMP fee trailheads. If your vehicle isn't registered in Boulder County you need a permit: $5 for a day or $25 for the year, bought at the trailhead's ParkMobile station or online ahead of time. Online orders add a $1.50 service charge that isn't the city's, and buying early doesn't hold a space for you. The annual permit is tied to one license plate and runs through the last day of its issuing month a year later. We've collected the rest of the trailhead fee picture in our Boulder trailhead parking guide.

How accessible is the first section?

OSMP identifies the Doudy Draw area as mobility-friendly, and it's honest about the limits. In the city's accessible trail rankings, Doudy Draw covers about half a mile one way on a crusher-fines surface, not pavement. The scenery rank is a 5, the highest on the table, but the notes list two real obstacles: the accessible area is limited, and the grade is a continuous incline. Shade rates a 1, so there's very little of it. OSMP defines mobility-friendly as a firm surface such as crusher fines with irregularities like small rocks and roots, at a grade that never exceeds 20 percent and generally stays under 12 percent. A restroom and a picnic table sit 0.3 mile south of the trailhead on the trail, and grills and stoves are prohibited there.

Bikes, horses, and where you can take them

Bikes are allowed on the Doudy Draw Trail and on its connections to Community Ditch, Flatirons Vista Loop, and Spring Brook Loop. Riding Doudy Draw up to Flatirons Vista opens the Greenbelt Plateau and High Plains trails, and Community Ditch reaches the Marshall Mesa area through an underpass at Highway 93, which makes this one of the better linked riding networks in the county. Bikes are not allowed on Goshawk Ridge Trail. Horses are welcome on every trail in the Doudy Draw area, and the lot has three horse-trailer spaces, but off-trail riding isn't allowed in the Spring Brook Loop area or the Eldorado Mountain Habitat Conservation Area.

Dogs and the seasonal bear rule

Dogs need a hand-held leash unless they meet OSMP's voice and sight control standard and wear a City of Boulder Voice and Sight tag, and picking up after them is required by law. There's a dog station at the trailhead. The rule that catches people out is seasonal: dogs must be leashed on the upper section of Doudy Draw south of Community Ditch Trail and west of the Flatirons Vista Trails because of black bear activity. OSMP's seasonal leash restrictions across the system run May 1 through July 31 and Aug. 15 through Dec. 1, but the city doesn't post the specific dates for this segment on the Doudy Draw page, so read the signs at the junction rather than guessing. OSMP's Trailhead Leash Program also asks you to leash up as soon as you get out of the car. More on the tag and the rules in our guide to hiking with dogs in Boulder.

Mud, wildlife, and what else to know

This area closes when conditions are too muddy, which happens after spring snow and heavy rain, so check the OSMP closures page before you drive out. When you do hit a muddy stretch, OSMP asks you to walk straight through it rather than around, because widening the trail kills the vegetation on either side. Black bears and mountain lions live here, along with birds of prey, mule deer, and coyotes, and songbirds work the streamside corridor. That's part of why the seasonal leash rule exists.

Best season and time to go

Fall and late spring are the best windows. The accessible section rates a 1 out of 5 for shade, and the ponderosa savannah higher up is open rather than forested, so a July afternoon here is hot and exposed. Early mornings are cooler and better for the wildlife along the draw. Winter can be lovely and quiet, though it's also when muddy-trail closures are most likely, so check the status first.

Nearby trails and guides

• Flatirons Vista: the wide-open mesa loop Doudy Draw climbs to, with the biggest views in south Boulder.
• Eldorado Canyon: the dramatic canyon a few minutes further west on the same road.
• Marshall Mesa: linked to Doudy Draw by the Community Ditch Trail underpass.
• Best easy hikes in Boulder: more gentle days out for families and first-timers.
• All hikes in Boulder: the full hiking hub, sorted by difficulty.

Doudy Draw FAQ

Sources

Facts on this page are drawn from these authoritative sources:

• City of Boulder OSMP: Doudy Draw Trailhead
• City of Boulder OSMP: Doudy Draw Trail
• City of Boulder OSMP: Community Ditch Trail
• City of Boulder OSMP: Parking Permits and Fees
• City of Boulder OSMP: Dogs on OSMP
• City of Boulder OSMP: Accessible Trail Rankings
• City of Boulder OSMP: Visitors Experiencing Disabilities
• City of Boulder OSMP: Trail Difficulty and Elevation Information
• City of Boulder OSMP: Trail Closures