Day Three: Take a Day Trip to the Rocky Mountains or Nearby Town
Located 71 miles (114 km) northwest of Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park features 400 square miles (1,036 sq km) of scenic beauty, including Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the world, which crosses the Continental Divide at higher than two miles above sea level. The park has two information centers, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, tranquil lakes, waterfalls, wildlife and horseback riding. Estes Park is a resort town on the edge of the park with restaurants and shops.
Located at the base of the foothills, Golden was the territorial capital until 1867 and remains one of the most historic towns in the state. An arch spanning the street proudly proclaims that Golden is "Where the West Lives!" Spend the day exploring Golden's fantastic museums such as the Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden History Museum, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum or the American Mountaineering Museum. The legendary Coors Brewery can brew up to 22 million barrels and package up to 16 million barrels annually, making it the biggest single-site brewer in the world. For a fee, take a guided tour (requires a reservation) highlighting the malting, brewing and packaging processes and ending with a sampling of Coors products or opt for a sampling-only experience. You can also visit the gift shop.
Pikes Peak Country is located 60 miles (97 km) south of Denver and features more than 40 attractions centered around 14,000-foot (4,267 m) Pikes Peak and the city of Colorado Springs. Things to see include the Air Force Academy, one of three United States military colleges; the famous Broadmoor Resort with its lake and three golf courses; the nearby Seven Falls, a magnificent series of waterfalls; the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame with its exhibits on this exciting professional sport; and Garden of the Gods, which has gigantic, 500-foot-high (152 m) red sandstone rock monuments at the base of Pikes Peak; and speaking of the mountain, you can hike, drive or take a truly unique trip to the summit via the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. For an adventurous guided experience, check out Adventures Out West, which offers Jeep tours, zip-line fun, hot-air balloon rides and tours of Garden of the Gods on Segway vehicles.
Option 4: Idaho Springs, Mount Blue Sky and Georgetown
Idaho Springs, only about 30 miles (48 km) from Denver, packs in a full day of adventures. Take a trip back into Colorado's gold mining history at the Argo Mill and Tunnel. During the warmer months, Clear Creek Rafting Co. and Raft Masters offer rafting along beautiful Clear Creek. Or zoom above Clear Creek on a canopy zip-line tour with Colorado Adventure Center. You'll reach heights of up to 65 feet and get stunning views of the canyon as you fly along nearly a mile of zip line. But what if you want to experience it all in one place? Lawson Adventure Park & Resort offers a do-it-all package where you can zip line, traverse granite cliffs (thanks to Colorado's only private via ferrata), roll down the mountain inside a giant ball and finish your adventures by rafting on Clear Creek. You can also spend a night in either cabins or yurts and do it again the following day or try disc golf, ATV tours, fly-fishing and more.
Mount Blue Sky has the highest paved auto road in North America, snaking its way to the 14,260-foot (4,346 m) summit. Please note: online reservations are now required for timed slots. The road is open only from the Friday before Memorial Day through the first Monday in October and frequently has snow on it, even in August. (The road closes at Summit Lake after Labor Day, preventing you from reaching the top). The summit is 60 miles (97 km) from downtown Denver and the view from the top takes in the entire Front Range. On your way up the mountain, be sure to stop at M. Walter Pesman Trail (maintained by Denver Botanic Gardens) for a wildflower hike; you won't see anything like the rare flowers and 1,500-year-old bristlecone pine trees anywhere else in the world. The trail winds through subalpine and alpine areas where wildflowers and animals of the fragile tundra live.
Located just 42 miles (68 km) west of Denver, Georgetown is a delightful Victorian village set in a spectacular mountain valley with 200 restored buildings from the 1870s. The main street has shops and restaurants and many of the old homes have been turned into antique stores. The Georgetown Loop Mining & Railroad Park operates during the summer months with narrow gauge steam locomotives curling down a mountain ledge, at one point crossing over a 90-foot-high (27 m) trestle with an optional tour of a silver mine.
Situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins offers fabulous recreational opportunities, diverse cultural attractions, a vibrant nightlife scene and plenty of family-friendly activities. Just 65 miles north of Denver (about an hour's drive) on I-25, the town is home to Colorado State University. Explore the city's 50 parks, trek over 280 miles of trails (including paved and unpaved walking and bike trails) or go for a whitewater adventure on the Cache la Poudre, a river runner's paradise, from May through September. Downtown Fort Collins features a wide array of cuisine and nightlife options, not to mention some great shopping. And of course, no visit to the city would be complete without a trip to the world-famous New Belgium Brewery, a must-see for craft beer aficionados.
