Eldorado Springs

Fowler Trail

The Fowler Trail is an easy, nearly level walk on an old railroad grade above Eldorado Canyon, listed as ADA accessible by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with views straight across at the canyon's climbing walls.

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Fowler Trail quick facts

Managing agency
Two of them. The trail starts on City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks land and continues into Eldorado Canyon State Park, managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Distance
OSMP publishes 1.30 miles for the Fowler Trail on its side. Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes 0.90 miles one way for the Fowler Trail inside Eldorado Canyon State Park. They're measuring different segments of the same trail, so treat them as two halves rather than picking one.
Elevation gain
280 feet, per OSMP, for the OSMP segment. CPW does not publish a gain figure for its side.
Difficulty
Easy. Both agencies rate it easy, and OSMP's easy means average grades generally below 6 percent with few obstacles and few or no stairs.
Accessibility
Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists the Fowler Trail as ADA accessible and non-paved. It's the accessible trail in Eldorado Canyon, and the Doudy Draw area on the OSMP side is identified as mobility-friendly, meaning tread 36 inches or wider, firm and stable, generally under 12 percent grade.
Trail width
6 feet or more, per OSMP. It follows an old railroad grade, which is why it's so level.
Allowed uses
Hikers, dogs, bikes, and horses, with limits. Bikes are allowed on the first half mile of the Fowler Trail up to the Spring Brook Loop North junction and not beyond. Equestrians are allowed until the Goshawk Ridge junction and are not allowed on the Fowler Trail inside Eldorado Canyon State Park.
Dog policy
Leash. OSMP says plainly to keep your dogs on leash here, and CPW lists the trail as dog friendly under state park rules. A Voice and Sight tag is not the rule on this one.
Fee
Yes, depending on which end you use. The Doudy Draw Trailhead charges a parking fee. Eldorado Canyon State Park requires a parks pass and runs a timed-entry reservation system in season.
Parking
Doudy Draw Trailhead, 4100 Eldorado Springs Drive: 40 standard spaces, 2 ADA spaces, 3 horse-trailer spaces, restrooms and a picnic table 0.3 miles south on the Doudy Draw Trail. Open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. OSMP rates it low use, 30 to 69 visits a day.

Why two different distances are both correct

The Fowler Trail crosses an agency line partway along, and each agency publishes a number for its own piece. OSMP lists 1.30 miles with 280 feet of gain for the section on City of Boulder open space. Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists 0.90 miles one way for the section inside Eldorado Canyon State Park. Neither is wrong and neither is the total. We're leaving both here rather than adding them together and presenting a number no agency actually stands behind.

The accessible trail in Eldorado Canyon

This matters, because Boulder does not have many genuinely accessible trails with real scenery. Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists the Fowler Trail as ADA accessible and non-paved. On the OSMP side, the Doudy Draw area is identified as mobility-friendly, which OSMP defines as tread 36 inches or wider, firm and stable surfaces usually made of road base or crusher fines, and grades that don't exceed 20 percent and generally run under 12 percent.

The reason it works is history. The trail sits on an old railroad grade, and a railroad had to stay level, so a mile of foothills scenery arrives without the climb that normally comes with it. Expect some small irregularities in the surface, rocks, roots and the like, since it's a natural trail rather than a sidewalk.

What you'll actually see

OSMP describes the trail as ascending from prairie into shrubs and then forest, with spring flowers, canyon walls, and rock formations along the way. The headline view is across into Eldorado Canyon itself, at the lichen-covered sandstone walls that make this one of the most famous climbing areas in the country. On a good weekend you can stand on a level path and watch people two hundred feet up a wall. There's a railroad grade cut partway along that's a favorite spot with kids.

Bikes and horses: read the junctions

The use rules change partway along, which catches people out. Bikes are allowed on the first half mile of the Fowler Trail, up to the Spring Brook Loop North junction, and are not permitted past that point. Equestrians can ride the Fowler Trail until the Goshawk Ridge junction, and horses are not allowed on the Fowler Trail inside Eldorado Canyon State Park at all. Doudy Draw has three horse-trailer spaces if you're riding.

Dogs on the Fowler Trail

Leash, and OSMP says so outright on its own trail page. This is worth flagging because much of the OSMP system lets a dog with a City of Boulder Voice and Sight tag go off leash, and that doesn't apply here. Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists the trail as dog friendly under standard state park rules, which also means leashed.

Parking, fees, and reservations

Most people start at the Doudy Draw Trailhead, 4100 Eldorado Springs Drive, 1.8 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive. It has 40 standard spaces, 2 ADA spaces, and 3 horse-trailer spaces, and it charges a parking fee. Parking is not allowed on Highway 170, so don't try it. Restrooms and a picnic table are 0.3 miles south on the Doudy Draw Trail rather than at the lot itself. The trailhead now has cameras so you can check how full it is before driving out. OSMP rates it low use, 30 to 69 visits a day, which makes it one of the calmer places to start a walk near Boulder.

If you'd rather come in through the state park, you'll need a Colorado state parks pass and, in busy periods, a timed-entry reservation. See our Eldorado Canyon reservations guide and the OSMP parking permit guide before you go.

Mud closures

The Doudy Draw area closes when conditions are too muddy, which is a real consideration in spring and after storms. OSMP posts muddy trail closures on its interactive map, and you can text OSMP to 888-777 for alerts.

Nearby trails and guides

Fowler Trail FAQ

Is the Fowler Trail wheelchair accessible?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists the Fowler Trail as ADA accessible, non-paved, and easy, which makes it the accessible option inside Eldorado Canyon State Park. On the OSMP side, the Doudy Draw area is identified as mobility-friendly: tread 36 inches or wider, firm and stable surfaces, and grades that generally stay under 12 percent. It follows an old railroad grade, which is the reason it stays so level.

How long is the Fowler Trail?

It depends which agency's segment you mean, because the trail crosses a boundary. OSMP publishes 1.30 miles with 280 feet of gain for the portion on OSMP land. Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes 0.90 miles one way for the portion inside Eldorado Canyon State Park. Neither figure is the whole trail on its own.

Can you bike the Fowler Trail?

Only the first half mile. OSMP allows bikes on the Fowler Trail up to the Spring Brook Loop North junction, and bicycles are not permitted beyond that point. If you want a longer ride from this trailhead, Doudy Draw connects to Community Ditch, Flatirons Vista, and the Spring Brook Loop.

Do dogs have to be leashed on the Fowler Trail?

Yes. OSMP states it directly on the trail page: keep your dogs on leash here. That's stricter than much of the OSMP system, where a Voice and Sight tag lets a dog go off leash, so don't assume the tag covers you on this trail.

Do you need a reservation for the Fowler Trail?

Not from the Doudy Draw side, though that trailhead charges a parking fee. If you're entering through Eldorado Canyon State Park you need a Colorado state parks pass, and the park runs a timed-entry reservation system during busy periods. Our Eldorado Canyon reservations guide walks through how that works.

Can you see the climbers from the Fowler Trail?

That's the best reason to walk it. The trail runs along the south rim above Eldorado Canyon, so you look across at the sandstone walls where Eldorado's climbers are working. It's the easiest place in the Boulder area to watch serious rock climbing without doing anything harder than a level walk.

Sources

Facts on this page are drawn from these authoritative sources:

Last checked . We verify trail facts against the managing agency, and we say so when a figure isn't published.