Red Rocks, Golden and Boulder
A Front Range foothills loop from Denver: a morning walk among the red sandstone fins of Red Rocks Park and a look at the empty amphitheatre, Buffalo Bill's Grave on Lookout Mountain, lunch and a creekside stroll in Golden, the Flatirons from Chautauqua Park, and dinner on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall.
One-time purchase. You own your guide forever and can return for the latest update any time.
Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →
From April to October, the Front Range foothills are usually sunny and dry in the mornings. Late spring and summer days are warm to hot on the plains and in Golden, a little cooler at Red Rocks and Lookout Mountain, and afternoon thunderstorms with lightning and sometimes hail are common from late spring through August, so do the exposed walks before mid-afternoon when storms are in the forecast. September and October are often the most settled months, with crisp mornings and warm afternoons; the first snow can come in October. Spring brings sudden wet snow and wind. Winter days can be mild and bright between storms, but shaded trails hold ice. The sun is strong at this altitude in every season. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.
Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.
A full mountain day from Denver: an early walk past Bear Lake to Nymph and Dream lakes, Trail Ridge Road above the trees to the Alpine Visitor Center, a late lunch in Estes Park and elk in Moraine Park, with the timed-entry reservation that makes or breaks the day explained plainly.
From Denver, a long day in Colorado Springs: an early walk among the red sandstone fins of Garden of the Gods, lunch and the free mineral springs in Manitou Springs, then Pikes Peak by cog railway or by the Pikes Peak Highway, with an optional evening stroll in Old Colorado City.
A narrow-gauge train over the Devil's Gate High Bridge, an optional silver mine tour, a stroll through Victorian Georgetown and a late lunch in Idaho Springs, with a Guanella Pass detour when the road is open and honest advice on beating I-70 traffic home.
A non-ski day in Summit County from Denver: over the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass, the Dillon Reservoir shore, lunch on Frisco's Main Street, the Sapphire Point overlook, a free gondola ride from Breckenridge and an evening stroll on its historic Main Street, with honest notes for winter roads, summer wildflowers and fall aspens.