Outdoor Picture of the Day: Sanitas Cliffs on a Perfect Summer Day
On a clear summer afternoon, the cliffs of Mount Sanitas can appear close enough to touch. Pink, red and rust-colored rock catches the sunlight, ponderosa pines cling to the slopes, and Boulder spreads across the plains below like a living map.
Locals simply call it Sanitas. Rising to approximately 6,863 feet, it is Boulder’s backyard mountain—close enough to reach from downtown but steep and rugged enough to deliver a legitimate foothills workout.
That combination defines Mount Sanitas. It is accessible without feeling ordinary, challenging without requiring an entire day and deeply connected to Boulder’s history.
A Mountain Named for Health
The name “Sanitas” comes from the Latin word associated with health and well-being. The name is tied to the Colorado Sanitarium, which opened near the mountain’s base in the 1890s. Patients were encouraged to spend time outside and walk the surrounding slopes as part of a broader health regimen…