Denver & Boulder, colorado
Attractions Guide

Denver is the capital city of Colorado and is located just east of Rocky Mountain National Park. The national park is adjacent to the nearby suburb of Boulder, another popular destination. In addition to the Rocky Mountain National Park, several state parks and excellent hiking trails surround Denver and Boulder.

Downtown Denver has a few noteworthy attractions worth visiting including the Denver Art Museum and the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens. The Denver Art Museum is an incredible ultra-contepoaray structure featuring a vast array of great exhibits. Nearby are the Denver Botanic Gardens, which feature an array of lush and diverse gardens and tranquil ponds, as well as many abstract and modern art pieces on display.

Larimer Square in Denver has many great shops and restaurants in an old-town Main Street setting, similar to the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. Both of these historic downtown centers are highly recommended to visit. The real beauty in the area however lies outside of the cities within the surrounding mountains.

Red Rocks Amphitheater

Just outside of Denver to the west is the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater, a gorgeous outdoor venue surrounded by majestic red rock scenery, which you can even visit without paying to see a show.

South of Denver you'll find Roxborough State Park with striking and dramatic red rock formations coming out of the ground, set amongst a beautiful landscape. The best trails to hike here include the 2.1 mile (3.4 km) round-trip Fountain Valley Loop Trail which offers gorgeous scenery and a high probability of seeing wild deer.

You might also consider the 2.7 mile (3.9 km) round-trip South Rim Loop Trail which tours the stunning formations within the southern side of the park.

Boulder is a popular vacation destination due to its outdoorsy nature and close proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park. When visiting the city of Boulder, be sure to visit its historic downtown center, the Pearl Street Mall promenade.

Just outside of Boulder is the cliffside Sunrise Amphitheater which offer amazing views overlooking the city from high above. Nearby you can stop at the Lost Gulch Overlook for magnificent views overlooking an incredible landscape of mountains covered in vast forests.

A very popular hike to consider just outside of Boulder is the 3.2 mile (5.1 km) round-trip Royal Arch Trail. This trail travels through a rocky lush forest and concludes with an incredible delicate rock arch that looks like it could collapse at any moment.

Another popular hike to consider near Boulder is the 3.5 mile (5.6 km) round-trip Rattlesnake Gulch Trail in Eldorado Canyon State Park. This trail travels through a scenic rugged canyon with forests and a stream, concluding with amazing panoramic views from the Continental Divide Overlook.