Denver is a veritable playground for adventurers from across America, and beyond, who want to experience some of the nation’s best access to outdoor adventure. In fact, many locals would tell you that the best “must-do” activities are located in the mountains surrounding the city.
There’s no question that these outdoor experiences around Denver are often unparalleled. However, don’t get so caught up in leaving the city that you forget to explore within the city itself.
The key to success with your Denver experiences is balance. For every activity you plan to do outside of the city, plan to do one within the city limits as well. That way, when you leave, you won’t regret that you didn’t hit a glorious hiking trail, or that you missed out on an epic craft brewery experience.
To that end, we rounded up 10 Denver experiences that you can use to build a balanced itinerary for your next trip to the Mile High City. Some options below might require a car, but none of these are more than two hours outside Denver.
10 Action-Born Denver Experiences
1. Hikes
Denver has unprecedented access to the great outdoors, more so than most other cities in America. That’s why we’re leading with the hiking options right out of the gate. The only problem is there are so many trailheads, hidden locations, and picturesque views to choose from (that’s a good problem to have though).
Before we dive in, it’s crucial you understand the difference in elevation between where you live and where Denver stands. The city is one mile above sea level (5,280 ft.), hence the name “The Mile High City.”
This altitude can absolutely wreck you if you try to tackle something too big, too soon. Consider adjusting to the altitude before engaging in any major hikes, or plan to downsize your plans if you want to hit the trail more quickly.
As a general rule of thumb, the locals would tell us “Sea Levelers” to avoid a 14er, which is a peak that exceeds 14,000 feet in elevation. Instead, there are plenty of other hikes that are easier to tackle:
- Chautauqua Park
- Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness Areas
- Golden Gate Canyon State Park
- Upper Chicago Lake
- Wild Basin of Rocky Mountain National Park
- Loch Vale
- Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs
If you’re a seasoned hiker looking for a super challenging hike, our team of locals recommends these places:
- Independence Mountain: It’s about 30 minutes outside the city, and only a few miles long. The trails get steep though, so make sure you’re prepared for a tough trail. However, the view from the peak is worth it.
- Gem Lake in Estes Park: This is a short and somewhat simple hike, and it has great views. Staying near the lake is a bit easier, so if you want a challenge head to the top. Warning—It’s a challenging climb to the top and somewhat sketchy, but epic views).
- Isabella Lake: Totaling four miles, this hike starts flat around the first lake and then goes uphill to the second. Another option with spectacular views (are you noticing a trend?).
2. Gardens
If you’re looking for something a bit more laid back than a trail hike, Denver and the surrounding area have some beautiful gardens for your enjoyment. While it’s not necessarily off the beaten path, the Denver Botanic Gardens are expansive, playful, and beautiful.
The Community Heroes Crevice Garden is another option that showcases ways to foster natural plant growth in a low water usage situation. Fun fact: crevice gardens, like this, often don’t need to be watered after the first few weeks of planting.
For those who want to go further afield, check out the Betty Ford Garden in Vail or the Steamboat Springs Botanic Garden.
3. Snowsports
Depending on what time of the year you hit Denver, you might be greeted by a pristine winter wonderland of snow. The outdoor activity doesn’t slow down in the winter season. Instead, it picks up big time as people flock to the slopes.
The season will fluctuate based upon weather patterns, but it typically opens in November and closes in April. Most of the ski destinations will be outside of the city limits, but still well within your reach for a day trip.
Most recommend Loveland, and it’s only an hour from Denver. Other great options for a day trip out and back are (time from Denver to destination):
- Arapahoe Basin (1hr 17min
- Breckenridge (1hr 37min
- Keystone (1hr 41min)
- Vail (1hr 48min)
4. Red Rocks Amphitheater
Easily one of the coolest music venues in the entire country, Red Rocks Amphitheater hosts top tier musical acts at a gorgeous outdoor venue. What most people may not know about Red Rocks, though, is that it’s a full park as well that’s open year-round.
On non-event days, the park opens an hour before sunrise and closes one hour after sunset. You can walk the trails, climb on some of the massive rocks, and enjoy a sunset only 28 minutes from Denver. On event days, the park still opens one hour before sunrise, but will close around 2 p.m. to accommodate for the upcoming show.
Aside from Red Rocks, there are many other music venues in Denver that will suit any taste in music, like:
- The Pepsi Center
- Summit Music Hall
- Marquis Theater
- Dazzle
- The Gothic Theater
- Paramount Theater
- Levitt Pavilion
- Grizzly Rose
- Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
- Bluebird Theater
- Ogden Theater
5. Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
While we’re on the subject of live music venues, Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox deserves a special callout. It’s an old brothel, sex shop, and peep show that’s been turned into a bar/restaurant, and promises to offer a super quirky and “always weird” experience (but in a good way).
In recent years, it’s become a major part of Denver’s music scene for people who want to catch local acts, enjoy a brunch performance, or hit the dance floor with others. There’s even vintage erotica that plays on the TVs at this boudoir-chic historical remix.
6. The Shelby American Collection
Head out to Boulder, only 40 minutes from Denver, and witness a piece of American automobile history at The Shelby American Collection. This collection celebrates the legacy of Carroll Shelby and the Cobra, Shelby Mustang, and the Ford GT 40 cars that changed the face of racing forever.
The staff will tell you that these are “some of the most important American cars ever made,” and they’re not exaggerating. These cars, quite literally, rewrote the narrative on what a race car was capable of with their powerful engines, tuned performance, and elegant styling.
7. Marijuana Tours
Denver made headlines when it was one of the first states in America to legalize marijuana. Acute business owners capitalized on the burgeoning trend, and have since built a booming marijuana industry.
A big part of this industry revolves around cannabis tourism. Visitors to the city often talk about their fun Denver experiences going into a storefront to purchase marijuana, edibles, or paraphernalia to remember their stay in the Mile “High” City.
Definitely consider shopping around at some of the most popular dispensaries in town, like:
- Apothecary Farms
- High Level Health
- Lucy Sky
- Denver Kush Club
- The Herbal Cure
- Terrapin Care Station
It can be tempting to hire a structured cannabis tour that takes you to different locations, but many protest and claim that these are overpriced for what you get. Instead, do some pre-trip research by browsing Weedmaps.com and lining up some of the best options in your location.
8. Craft Beer Tours
Before San Diego became the craft beer capital of the world, Denver had us beat. They were the proto-craft beer market, and showed brewers everywhere a new way to make beers that would draw in new crowds and money.
Similar to the marijuana industry in Denver, the craft beer scene is a huge cornerstone of the city’s tourism market, and rightly so. There are almost too many options to choose from, but the locals will say that these are some of the best around:
- Crooked Stave
- Mockery
- Black Shirt
- Ratio
- Little Machine
- TRVE
- Cerebral
9. Sports
Denver is fortunate enough to have major league sports teams for baseball (Rockies), football (Broncos), hockey (Avalanche), and basketball (Nuggets). This means, no matter what time of year you visit the city you can snag tickets to see teams play.
They also have a long list of amateur sports teams in the city. Speaking from experience watching San Diego’s amateur teams play, these events can be just as much fun, if not more fun sometimes, as watching the big dogs play.
Make a day out of the sporting event, and pop around to the local Denver restaurants, bars, and Denver food halls in the immediate vicinity of whichever venue you’ll be watching the game at. This is a great way to experience the city as a local would, and you’re sure to make a few new friends along the way (so long as you root for Denver).
10. Exotic Meat Sampling
Bison, elk, snake, boar, ostrich and so much more: Denver is famous in many books for the exotic meats you won’t find in most American cities. Just because you haven’t seen it many places doesn’t mean it’s not delicious though.
Check out Biker Jim’s for some wild boar or rattlesnake sausages, or hit up Buckthorn Exchange (one of the oldest spots in Denver) for some ostrich. While there is no official exotic meat tour, even though there should be, keep your eyes open at every restaurant for non-traditional meats.
Where Will Your Denver Experiences Take You?
As a parting thought, our local team mentioned that one of the best ways to traverse the city is by renting a bike. If the weather is favorable, hop on and enjoy the ride to and from the many adventures you’ll embark upon within the city. Should your Denver experiences take you outside the city, you can shuttle or rent a car. We’ll be back to round out your Denver trip with the best Denver hotels and recommendations next.
Image Credit: Red Rocks Amphitheater Facebook