Easy access alpine bouldering?

I am heading to Boulder for a 10-day trip here in a few weeks. During the weekdays I will just be sticking close to town, likely heading up to Flagstaff to boulder in the afternoons when I get done with work. However, on the weekend I would like to find some alpine bouldering to more fully experience the beauty of being in the mountains. The catch is that I am looking for areas which are relatively acessible (I dont have a 4WD vehicle) and would be safe-ish to go at alone. I.e. protects with 2 pads. I would be willing to spend 3 hours total (drive from Boulder + approach) to get to such a spot. Ideally a single area with 10 or so lines so that I can spend the whole day in one general area. I climb up to V8ish, but for a day like this V4-6 would be the target range probably. Any suggestions, or even better locals willing to take a trip with me?

I know Mount Evans has a decent amount of bouldering, and there’s a road to the summit of the mountain. Haven’t been out there myself, so I’m not sure what the access is like. You also might need a permit to park on that road. 

You might try the Snowy Range near Laramie. I don't know of any established bouldering there, but there are trad routes with very short approaches starting at 10,700-11,000', so you could always fool around on their starts. It's a beautiful setting, and there are no permits and fees.

Guanella pass bouldering. 1.5hr drive from Boulder on paved roads, extremely short approach, mostly flat landings, many other boulderers (so lots of pads), and high density of problems in the V4-6 range. 

Matthew Chen wrote:

The catch is that I am looking for areas which are relatively acessible (I dont have a 4WD vehicle) and would be safe-ish to go at alone. I.e. protects with 2 pads.

Not to be presumptuous, but just a gentle reminder that rolling solo in unfamiliar alpine environments is a pretty risky proposition. Something as minor as twisted ankle or tweaked hip can be very consequential if you're alone and have a non-trivial hike out, especially if weather rolls in. 

Matthew Chen wrote:

Any suggestions, or even better locals willing to take a trip with me?

Have you posted in the Colorado Partners forum at all?

Guanella Pass is more sub-alpine forest bouldering than full-on alpine bouldering, but you'll definitely find other people there on the weekends to chat with and get your bearings. It's a pretty comfortable and convenient spot for quality bouldering at high-altitude. There's similar sub-alpiney alpine bouldering out near Vail/Minturn that is a bit less popular (afaik) but very high quality and definitely worth taking a look at.

Mt Evans and RMNP bouldering is definitely a step-up in the commitment factor, approach distance, alpine scenery vibes, and risk, but still plenty popular and far from isolated. Fairly easy to find a weekend crew to roll with for these types of adventures.

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Don't overlook the convenient mid-week bouldering options in Boulder Canyon! There's great stuff, especially near the Castle Rock formation. 

Cheers!

420 Boulders in Poudre Canyon (outside Fort Collins) is nice.