Apex-Enchanted Lollipop

This is the classic Apex Loop. Runners will start out with a steady climbn that leads to the Enchanted Forest. You'll swear you are in the Appalachia on this portion of the run as it rolls through a dense forest.

Watch for out for mountain bikers. This trail description runs clockwise and will be exposed for the first 3 miles, but this rewards the runner with amazing downhills through Enchanted Forest.

From the parking lot head west on the Apex Trail. The Apex Trail is a steep ascent. It's steep enough to get your heart rate up, and characteristics like water bars and large rocks keep it interesting. The way back is similar and can be hard on the knees. You'll be encompassed in a rugged valley for most of the duration of the trail.

At junction of Apex Trail and Enchanted Forest continue on the Apex Trail for the loop. At the next junction, turn southwest into the Enchanted Forest and follow this trail until it rejoins the Apex Trail and heads east back to the parking lot.

Enchanted Forest is a great alternative to the upper section of the Apex Trail and enables the creation of a loop at the top of Apex Park. Aptly named, the trail follows tight and twisty singletrack through dense forest (by Colorado standards), lending it a different mood from other trails at Apex. The lush, dense forest that Enchanted Forest runs through can look more like the Pacific Northwest than the Colorado Front Range.