Here are five places to find hiking trails near Pueblo, Colorado

Summer is starting soon, which means that many hiking trails at higher elevations will soon be free of mud from wintertime snow.

Hiking can be one of the easiest ways to get outside and breathe some fresh air, since you don’t need any special equipment for more straightforward trails.

There are many options for hiking that are less than a 45-minute drive from Pueblo, where people can find robust trail systems that are likely to be less crowded than hikes that are closer to the more populated cities of the Front Range.

Here are five places in or near Pueblo where you can get your hiking fix this summer.

Along the Arkansas River

The Arkansas River starts flowing high in the Rocky Mountains near Leadville. Some snowmelt from the river eventually ends up in the Gulf of Mexico, but before it flows eastward, the river forms an integral part of the city of Pueblo.

A network of paved trails lines the Arkansas River through Pueblo, as well as Fountain Creek before it deltas with the Arkansas.

There are several access points to the trail system throughout the city, including at the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center, near downtown, and at Runyon Lake, according to a map from the city of Pueblo.

Lake Pueblo State Park

Just outside of city limits, the Lake Pueblo Reservoir offers myriad outdoor recreation opportunities and a hiking trail system.

There are options for all abilities and several looping trails, such as the Rock Canyon loop, the South Shore loop and the Skull Canyon loop.

And if you opt into the $29 Keep Colorado Wild pass when registering your car, you can go to Lake Pueblo for free, as well as all of the other state parks around Colorado.

Pueblo Mountain Park

Pueblo Mountain Park is just over 30 minutes away from town by car, but the forested environment is a refreshing change from the prairie ecosystem in and around town.

The mountain park is a city-owned property with over 100 years of history. Hikers can find miles of trails in the network, including one that goes to a fire-watching tower.

For more adventurous hikers, there’s also access to trails within the San Isabel National Forest.

San Isabel National Forest

Hiking trails for all levels abound in the nearby San Isabel National Forest in the Wet Mountains, which is the closest mountain range to the city.

Some trails, such as the Newlin Creek Trail, are due west of Pueblo, but there are several other options near Lake Isabel and close to the town of Rye.

The St. Charles River flows 65 miles from its start in the San Isabel National Forest and goes into the Arkansas River near Vineland.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park

Located less than an hour’s drive away from Pueblo on the southern part of Colorado Springs, this state park has plenty of hiking trails and opportunities for recreation.

Most of the hiking trails are built as loops or connect with other trails in the park.

More on hiking: How to stay safe while enjoying Colorado's hiking trails this summer

Anna Lynn Winfrey is a reporter at the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Best hiking trails in and near Pueblo, Colorado