(Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).

More than 100,000 motorists pass through Wheat Ridge, Denver and southwestern Adams County every day on Interstates 70 and 76, often in maddening traffic snarls. I wonder how many of them realize there is a lovely urban oasis hidden in the shadow of those noisy highways that serves as a peaceful refuge for cyclists, runners and walkers.

The 21-mile Clear Creek Trail runs from Clear Creek Canyon near Golden to the South Platte Trail near Commerce City. Most of it is beautiful, and some of it is downright spectacular. It generally runs along or near the creek, roughly paralleling Colorado Highway 58, I-70 and I-76.

Since 2021, the western terminus has been 1 1/2 miles west of Golden at Tunnel 1 in Clear Creek Canyon, a dramatic setting where rock walls hundreds of feet tall tower over rushing rapids. A westward extension of 1 1/2 miles or so is expected to open in December, with another 1 1/2 miles to follow in 2026. Some day it will be possible to run, walk or bike all the way to Idaho Springs, which is why this section of the Clear Creek Trail is also known as the Peaks to Plains Trail.

As stunning as the canyon section is, there are many more beautiful areas along the trail as it makes its way to the plains. It passes through a popular tubing area in downtown Golden, where the weekly Golden Farmer’s Market (always worth a stop on a Saturday morning) will be back in operation beginning May 31. It diverts away from the creek for a short section east of downtown Golden on the north side of Highway 58, where there are wonderful views of Golden’s twin mesas, known as North Table Mountain and South Table Mountain..

Then it drops back along the creek and soon enters the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt at Youngfield Street, where there is a trailhead with a large parking lot, two porta-potties and a bike pump. The Wheat Ridge Greenbelt is lovely, with a succession of four lakes and four parks over 5 miles or so. Much of it is heavily wooded with plenty of shade.

Crossing Kipling Street can be scary because traffic there usually is heavy, especially during the afternoon rush hour, but a map there shows a way around that problem — a half-mile diversion off the trail to the south via the Wheat Ridge Rec Center that leads to an underpass under Kipling before returning northward to the creek.

There are more heavily wooded areas east of Kipling. Two miles past Kipling there is an elevated foot bridge, a nice place to pause with nice views up and down the creek. About half a mile east of there, the trail crosses under Wadsworth Boulevard near the Interstate 70/76 split. CDOT says 135,000 vehicles travel through this area daily on 70 and 76.

From there, the trail generally follows along or near Interstate 76 the rest of the way. There are industrial areas in this section that detract from the trail’s scenic value, but it’s still relaxing and enjoyable. The trail crosses under Sheridan Boulevard, and there are crossings at Tennyson Street and Lowell Boulevard where traffic is light. There are parking areas for creek access on both sides of Lowell at 55th Place, with a porta-potty on the east side. A mile past Lowell, the trail crosses under Federal Boulevard at 60th Avenue near RTD’s Clear Creek-Federal Gold Line station.

Be careful a mile east of Federal, where the trail turns away from the creek to the north at a reservoir and crosses under 64th Avenue. Do not take a path to the right that appears just past 64th. Continue north about 0.3 of a mile, watching for a short tunnel underneath RTD’s B rail line. After emerging from the tunnel, watch for a sign on your right that will lead you back to the Clear Creek Trail.

At that point, you’re about 4 miles from the South Platte. Here the creek corridor is wide and largely barren, even bleak, but it’s still a nice ride if you’re on a bike as I was last week. I parked at the Tunnel 1 trailhead in Clear Creek Canyon and rode from the west end of the trail (just above the trailhead) to the Platte. According to my GPS, it was 21.1 miles with an elevation drop of 740 feet, most of which comes in the first 7 miles before you get to Wheat Ridge.

If you want to do the whole thing but aren’t up for another 21 miles back to Clear Creek Canyon, do what I did: Cross the Platte and ride another 0.9 of a mile to RTD’s Commerce City-72nd Avenue Station, then take the N train to Union Station and the W light rail to the Jefferson County Justice Center in Golden. From there it’s only 4 miles back to the Tunnel 1 trailhead in the canyon.

Whether you do that or split it up into sections using parking areas for access along the way, the Clear Creek Trail is a gem, showcasing a beautiful refuge in the metro area that is well worth your time to explore — all 21 miles of it.