Green Mountain via Ranger/Saddle Rock Loop

From the Gregory Canyon parking lot, take the Ranger Trail South where you get a little bit of rest from steeper climbing as the newly reconstructed trail cruises along a ravine. Eventually the trail winds its way up to the Northwest ridge of Green Mountain, which is occasionally quite windy. The trail returns to steep climbing as you head up the ridge, eventually reaching a series of switchbacks up to the west ridge of Green Mountain. The Ranger Trail ends at a junction. Turn East and head up the final few hundred feet, which are steep, rocky stairs and logs.At the summit, enjoy the fantastic views to the East of Boulder and downtown Denver, and to the West, the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain National Park, Indian Peaks Wilderness, several 14ers, and ski areas.From the summit, head North down the E.M. Greenman Trail, which immediately drops into some steep and rocky switchbacks. The trail mellows out to almost flat near the Saddle Rock Trail/ E.M. Greenman Trail junction. From the trail junction, take the Saddle Rock Trail to the Northeast down more technical and rocky terrain generally between -20% and -30%. After a particularly rocky section, you need to come to a short ladder to get down a section of trail that was destroyed by flooding in September, 2013. Either descend the ladder or go down the left side on the steep slope.After the ladder, continue down heavily rooted trail and rock stairs to the Amphitheater Trail/Saddle Rock Trail junction. It doesn't matter which way you go from here, since both trails descend to the Gregory Canyon parking lot in about the same distance.Dogs are not allowed on the upper section of the E.M. Greenman Trail (i.e. the southeast side of the summit), but are allowed on the Ranger Trail/ Gregory Canyon / Long Canyon Trail side of the loop. The sections allowing dogs follow standard off-leash OSMP rules.

There's a sighting disk that will help you identify the many tall mountains to the west of Green Mountain. The plaque was placed there in 1929 by the CU Hiking Club.The E.M. Greenman Trail is named after Ernest "Dad" Greenman, who was part of a prominent Boulder family in early 1900s, and developed many of the trails and climbing routes in this area.In September 2013, several sections of trail were heavily damaged or destroyed by flooding. Some sections of the Ranger Trail are newly constructed, and there is a ladder on the Saddle Rock Trail.