How to Get from Denver Airport to the Colorado Trail (Without Renting a Car)

As I prepare to start my first section hike of the Colorado Trail later this year, transportation is one of the puzzles I need to solve. Since I’ll be flying into Denver from Tennessee I need to figure out how I’m going to get to the trail, and after hiking for a few days, get back home without a vehicle waiting at the trailhead.

If you live in Colorado, or have family or friends there, it’s easy. You throw your gear in the truck, drive to the trailhead, and start walking. But for those of us flying in from out of state, it’s a little more complicated. You’ve landed in Denver. Now what? Do you need to rent a car? Can you Uber to the trailhead? What if your flight lands at 10pm, do you just sleep at the airport?

The reality is that the transportation headaches of your Colorado Trail section hike can start before you ever set foot on dirt. The challenge isn’t reaching Colorado. The challenge is figuring out how to get from Denver International Airport to the trailhead without spending a fortune or creating more problems for yourself.

Where Does the Colorado Trail Actually Start?

The northern (eastern?) terminus of the Colorado Trail is located at Waterton Canyon, about 45 miles southwest of Denver International Airport, near Littleton. For many hikers, this is the traditional starting point for a Colorado Trail journey, whether you’re attempting a thru-hike or tackling the trail one section at a time.

The good news is that Waterton Canyon isn’t deep in the mountains. It’s relatively close to the Denver metro area, which makes transportation easier than many first-time hikers expect.

Do You Really Need a Rental Car?

When I first started looking into hiking the Colorado Trail, I assumed I’d need to rent a car. It seemed like the obvious solution. Fly into Denver, grab a rental, drive to the trailhead, and go. The more I researched it, though, the more I realized that a rental car often creates as many problems as it solves, especially for section hikers.

First, you’d need somewhere to leave it while you’re on trail, and that’s not as simple as it sounds at Waterton Canyon. You can’t just drive to Waterton Canyon and leave your car there while you hike. The parking lot at Waterton Canyon is administered by Denver Water, not a parks agency, and overnight parking is not allowed. If you show up with a car and a multi-day itinerary, you’re going to have a problem.

Then, what happens after you finish your hike? Most section hikers aren’t hiking a perfect loop. You’re starting in one place and finishing somewhere else. That means your rental car is sitting at the trailhead hundreds of miles away while you’re hiking.

You either have to:

• Return to where you started
• Pay for a shuttle back to your vehicle
• Or pay expensive one-way rental fees

For many section hikes, rideshares and shuttles are actually simpler than dealing with a vehicle. That’s why my current plan is to skip the rental car entirely.

Option 1: Stay Near the Airport

The Denver airport area has plenty of hotels, and many offer airport shuttle service. So if my flight arrives late in the day or evening, which is most likely will, this is probably what I’ll do. The biggest advantage to this is simplicity. If your flight gets delayed, your luggage takes forever to arrive, or you’re just tired from traveling, you don’t have to worry about navigating across Denver late at night. You simply grab a hotel room, get some sleep, and deal with transportation to the trailhead the next morning.

For first-time Colorado Trail hikers, this is probably the lowest-stress option.

Option 2: Stay in Littleton or Southwest Denver

Another option I’ve considered is staying closer to the trailhead. There are hotels in the Littleton and Ken Caryl area that put you much closer to the Waterton Canyon trailhead, so your hike can start sooner the next morning. Instead of spending an hour or more getting across the metro area, you’re already positioned near the trail. The downside is that getting there after your flight requires an additional train ride, rideshare, or shuttle. It’s not difficult, but it adds another step to an already long travel day.

If I had an early arrival into Denver, this is probably the option I’d choose.

Option 3: Go Straight to the Trailhead

Some hikers fly into Denver in the morning and head directly to Waterton Canyon. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that approach. In fact, if your flight lands early enough, you may be able to knock out several miles on Segment 1 before setting up camp.

The only thing I’d caution is that travel days rarely go exactly as planned. Flights get delayed, or bags arrive late. You still need food. You still need fuel. Or you may discover you forgot something important at home.

Personally, I like building a little margin into my plans rather than trying to squeeze every possible mile out of Day 1.

Getting to Waterton Canyon

Once you’re ready to head to the trailhead, you have a few options.

Rideshare (Uber or Lyft)

This is currently my preferred strategy. It’s simple, with no transfers or complicated route planning. Just load your gear into the vehicle and go. For most first-time section hikers, this is probably the easiest option. You’ll already have enough on your mind, just make this simple.

From Denver International Airport, a direct Uber or Lyft to Waterton Canyon currently runs roughly $65-$75, depending on the time of day and demand. The drive is about 45 miles and takes around an hour. Obviously, the closer your hotel is, the less the rideshare cost will be.

RTD Light Rail + Rideshare (Budget Option)

If you want to keep costs down and don’t mind a more complicated journey, Denver’s RTD transit system can get you from the airport toward the Littleton area. From there, many hikers use a short Uber or Lyft ride to complete the trip to Waterton Canyon. This can save money compared to taking a rideshare all the way from the airport, though it does require more time and coordination.

The Colorado Trail Foundation acknowledges this route on their website. Here’s how it works*:

1. At DEN: Take the A Line light rail from the airport to Union Station in downtown Denver. The fare is a day pass (which covers your subsequent rides).
2. At Union Station: Transfer to the D Line light rail toward Littleton. The D Line runs from Union Station to the Littleton/Mineral Ave Station, about 32 minutes and 12 stops.
3. At Mineral Station: The trailhead is about 10 miles away. From here, take a rideshare to Waterton Canyon (or a nearby hotel). This final leg is much shorter (and cheaper) than an Uber from the airport.

*Always double-check current schedules at rtd-denver.com before your trip!

The main downside is that this route is genuinely complicated when you’re lugging a fully loaded backpack through a city you don’t know. It’s doable, and it saves real money, but I’d only recommend it if you’re comfortable with transit navigation and have some time buffer before you want to hit the trail.

Private Shuttle Services & The Colorado Trail Foundation Shuttle List

This one is worth knowing about even if you don’t end up using it. The CTF maintains a contact list of shuttle drivers (individuals and small businesses) who have offered to help hikers get to and from trailheads all along the Colorado Trail, including in the Denver area. The list isn’t published publicly (some of the drivers prefer it that way), but you can request it through a simple form on the CTF website at coloradotrail.org under “Shuttlers and Angels.”

There are also commercial shuttle providers that serve portions of the Colorado Trail. These can be useful for groups or hikers who prefer having transportation arranged in advance. Availability and pricing can change over time, so it’s worth checking current options before your trip.

The CTF emphasizes that advance arrangements are almost always necessary. Don’t assume you can request this the day before, reach out early.

Denver Airport to Waterton Canyon transportation options:

Option	Cost	Complexity	My Rating
Uber/Lyft	$$$	Easy	Best for most hikers
RTD + Uber	$	Moderate	Best budget option
Shuttle Service	$$-$$$	Easy	Best if pre-arranged
Rental Car	$$$$	Moderate	Usually unnecessary

Buying Food and Fuel Before You Start

One thing every flying backpacker discovers quickly is that you can’t fly with stove fuel. You’ll need to purchase fuel after arriving in Colorado. The good news is that Denver has plenty of options. Outdoor retailers, grocery stores, and big-box stores all carry backpacking supplies to varying degrees. It’s very easy to pick up supplies once you get there.

REI, which carries a full range of backpacking fuel and gear, reports having several locations in the Denver area, including a store listed in the “Lakewood” area. According to the map, it’s actually closer to the Littleton and Ken Caryl areas, which is along the corridor between Denver and the trailhead, so it works naturally into any of the transportation options above. You can stop there on your way out or the morning before you start.

The same goes for trail food. If you’re only hiking for a week or less, it may be easier to purchase most of your food after landing rather than trying to fly with everything. Besides, why fool with all of that extra weight at the airport? Instead of lugging your trail mix and oatmeal across country, just pick it up after you land. For food and other basic supplies, there are Walmart and other grocery supply locations in the Littleton/Lakewood area as well.

Some hikers even have groceries delivered directly to their hotel using services like Instacart or Walmart delivery. If you’re arriving late, this can eliminate one more errand before hitting the trail!

What I’m Planning to Do

I’m currently planning on hiking the first 100 miles (or so) of the Colorado Trail later this year, and right now my preferred strategy is pretty simple:

It’s not the fastest approach, but it’s straightforward and removes a lot of uncertainty. And when you’re about to spend a week walking through the Colorado mountains, starting your trip with less stress seems like a worthwhile trade.

Could I save a little money with public transit? Probably. Could I squeeze a few more miles out of the first day by starting earlier in the morning? Sure.

But for my first Colorado Trail section hike, simplicity has a lot of value. Transportation is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re planning from home. The more I’ve researched it, the more I’ve realized that getting from Denver Airport to Waterton Canyon is actually one of the easier logistics challenges on the Colorado Trail.

The bigger challenge is figuring out how to get home…