Day Trips from Denver, Colorado

Denver can be a great place to visit or even live. But it is a big city, and life in the city can get crazy sometimes. Fortunately there are a lot of great things to do just outside of Denver - and many can be done in just a day. Here are my suggestions for five trips, based on almost 28 years living in this area.

Boulder
You may not think of this as "getting out of the city," since Boulder is a city in its own right. But it's a lot smaller than Denver and has a charm - and an attitude - all its own. Depending on when you go you'll find a lot of different activities; the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau is a good source of information. But Boulder's just a fun place to drive around and sightsee, and my favorite choice for that is the Pearl Street Mall, an area of Pearl Street several blocks long that's only for foot traffic. There are a lot of opportunities for shopping and dining on the Mall, but it's also a great place to just sit and people-watch. If you really do want a taste of nature, go west on one of the main east-west streets (my favorite is Baseline Road), and within minutes you'll be in the forest - and the foothills.

Boulder's easy to reach via the Boulder Turnpike (route 36), which you can access from Interstate 25 north of Denver. Depending on your starting point, it'll take from 15 minutes to an hour to reach Boulder.

Trail Ridge Road
Further up the highway from Boulder is Estes Park, a small town and tourist attraction that is the main "gateway" to Rocky Mountain National Park. And the main road through the park is Trail Ridge Road. It's a beautiful drive, especially in the early fall (mid- to late September) when the aspen leaves are turning gold.

Trail Ridge is described as the "highest continuous motorway in the United States." More than eight miles of it is above 11,000 feet, with the highest point being just above 12,000 feet. If you're visiting from a lower elevation and haven't been here long, keep in mind that the air is very thin up there. This altitude has another effect; Trail Ridge is closed from early October through late May (the actual dates depend on the weather). There's just too much snow there to keep the road open.