Denver Metro Trail Systems
When living in Denver, it seems like there is always an outdoor activity or trail within a mile of you. The lifestyle in Colorado is generally active with hiking, biking and winter sports at the helm. Our family isn’t into biking, but most of us love hiking (at least Ethan and I do, the rest just go along for the scenic drive and picnic food). We have loved exploring these amazing hiking trails and have used many for backgrounds in our family pictures and graduation photos. Deer Creek and Mount Falcon are the best for the views of the foothills and majestic Rocky Mountains. On my daily walks I don’t drive quite so far west and stick to the High Line Canal System, which has numerous entrances and trailheads all over Denver and the Metro Area. When in town, try some of these great places to hike, run, ride your bike or just to get your kids in nature.
- South Platte River Greenway
- Green Mountain Trails
- Bear Creek Trail
- Harriman Lake Park
- Castle Rock Trail
- Clear Creek Trail in Golden
- Deer Creek Canyon Loop Hike
- South Valley Park
- Meyer Ranch Open Space
- Trading Post Loop at Red Rocks
- Waterton Canyon
- Evergreen Lake Trail
Aurora
Aurora is not part of Denver, rather a sister city that sits just to Denver’s east. Military history of Aurora has attracted military service members over the past 100 years to Fitzsimons Army Hospital, Lowry Air Force Base and Buckley Space Force Base. Aurora started its first big boom after WWII and then again in the 1970’s, having doubled in size, growth and diversity over the years. Today, Aurora is home to the Anchutz Medical Center network of specialists and hospitals, including University of Colorado Hospital, Children’s Hospital and Veterans Hospital.
When visiting Aurora, try to avoid the medical center and head over to Wings Over the Rockies or Stanley Market Place instead. Wings Over the Rockies is Colorado’s official Air & Space Museum and is part of the Denver CityPASS® ticket that I highly recommend to save visitors money in museum entrance tickets if used in a week or less. The museum claims it is dedicated to displaying iconic aircraft, space vehicles, artifacts and military uniforms. There is a second museum located in Centennial Airport that is referred to as a future-focused experience.
Stanley Marketplace is a foodie’s dream come true. Colorado’s dining experiences tend to be steakhouse heavy and devoid of the cultural diversity that I have been spoiled to have experienced living in Philadelphia, South Florida, New York and Berlin. Stanley Marketplace is the solution for this problem. There are sustainable markets such as Elita and Gotham Greens, cooking classes at Create Kitchen and Bar and options from coffee to breweries; serving Mexican, Mediterranean, Asian, gourmet meals and more!
- Annette
- Boychik
- Cheluna
- Chi Lin Asian Eatery
- Churreria De Madrid
- Comida
- Denver Biscuit Co.
- Famous J’s Pizza
- Logan House Coffee
- Maria Empanada
- Miette et Chocolate
- Misaki Sushi
- Rolling Smoke BBQ
- Rosenberg’s Bagels
- Stanley Beer Hall
- Sweet Cow Ice Cream
- Traveling Mercies Oyster Bar
Children’s activities, such as the Tattered Covered Bookstore experience for kids, children’s boutiques, and even a Mindcraft Makerspace are all located inside Stanley MarketPlace. Outside, you’ll discover LuBird’s Light Playground located near the Stanley Marketplace. This is the first inclusive playground in Denver and Aurora, allowing children of all ability levels and interests a chance to play.
Southwest Denver
Morrison is a small western town that has a huge attraction for both music lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike…Red Rocks Amphitheater. Red Rocks is 738 acres of natural park space and concert amphitheater. It shares history from the dinosaurs to music legends taking to the stage on the only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world. The stage is 6,450 feet above sea level and 193 steps from stage to the concession plaza. Hubby and I like to sit at the top of the stadium, best views and closest access to bathrooms and concessions. They have great offerings up there, beer stands and bars with frozen or spiked hot drinks. You’ll smell the grill going during a show, but don’t stop at hot dogs and burgers. There are delicious brats, BBQ and even Greek Gyros up there. Fair warning, if it’s windy and you choose to eat a powdered sugar covered funnel cake, you will wear a layer of white sugar for the rest of the night…but I’d do it again! The food at Red Rocks is almost as iconic as the shows.
That 193 steps is after the stairs and ramps of whatever parking lot you decided to enter. The upper lot is the easiest for shows, but you also need to get there a few hours early or have a handicapped tag. There are bathrooms with real plumbing at this lot, the others only have port-o-potties. The upper south lot has a huge ramp that you hike (at altitude) and hear most of the concert-goers huffing and puffing. There is a bus for handicapped patrons to avoid the hike and drops them off at the ticket check entrance. The lower north lot has tons of stairs, grades and natural ramps to ascend. My son graduated from Columbine High School last year, who held their graduation ceremony at Red Rocks. What an amazing venture to celebrate such a milestone…but you will earn your seat if you park in the lower lot.
If you are planning to visit the park for outdoor recreation, the two lower south lots are for hikers and bikers and stay away from the amphitheater traffic. The park is open 1-hour prior to sunrise and 1-hour after sunset, so visitors are able to take full advantage of the views. This area is considered a geological phenomenon, where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains and you can see plants, birds and animals from both regions in their natural habitat. Be aware of rattlesnakes during season, there will usually be signs up at park entrances. In the summer, grab your mat and arrive early on Saturday morning for Yoga on the Rockies. What a spectacular place to watch the sunrise and start your day.
Littleton drew us in as a family, 5 years ago when we first came to check out the area to potentially move our family. Spoiler alert, we moved to Littleton and have lived on both sides of the town, that is not “little” at all, with three separate school districts and counties serving one town. When we first moved to Littleton, we lived on the west side in Jefferson County, also referred to as the Gateway to the Rockies. You are truly in the foothills on this side of town. We quickly found a favorite breakfast spot (Bowls Cafe), favorite Chinese takeout (Canton House) and a local bar and grill to watch the Eagles games (303 Bar & Grill). Sushi was a much harder find in Littleton; Colorado in general is not really known for its fish scene (outside of trout). However, I happened upon a place called Iwayama Sushi which specializes in sushi and Hawaiian cuisine. I love the traditional sashimi, creative rolls and Hawaiian specialities. We’ve continued to drive across town to go to these special spots, once you find them you have to keep them in business!
I have found a good Italian Market called Tony’s…what else would it be named? I grew up on Italian food in Philadelphia, so I was going to need a place to get the ingredients in Denver. Tony’s has a great selection of meat and cheese, an amazing bakery and ton’s of prepared foods if you want to grab something to go quickly. Tony’s is located across the street from Clement Park, the best park in Littleton in our opinion. It has a path around the lake for hikers and bikers and an extensive playground that is busy with kids all the time. The Jefferson County library is located in the park and during the summer months the splash pad is open, which is also a great place for kids to meet. In the winter, there are some manageable sledding hills for young children in the park and a skate park for the teens. I love meeting friends with kids at this park, as well as bringing family and visitors.
Our oldest son was just starting high school when we moved from Florida to Colorado. Since we moved so late in the summer he matched at Columbine High School the weekend after Freshman orientation. We had visited the school, memorial site and amazing park the campus shares on our summer vacation trip a couple months prior, never having thought our sons would be attending this infamous high school. It was a hard decision at the time, to get past the tragic history of the school both my husband and I remember so vividly. Ironically, I was accepted to teacher’s college the week of the Columbine tragedy and it impacted my whole career in education. Our kids didn’t know the history of the school until our trip, sadly the first in a long list of school violence. Both of our sons and family have had the best experience at Columbine High School. The leadership of the principal, Scott Christy, as well as the school staff and community are incredible. It turned out to be the best educational decision we made, unknowingly at the time.
Downtown Littleton is a cute strip of stores, restaurants and cafes where many of the town’s activities take place. My favorite coffee shop, the Nook, is located in the heart of downtown and can satisfy a coffee lover or ice cream fan. The two best brunch spots in town are Bacon Social House and Toast. They are at the opposite end of town and ambiance. Toast is a great location for family breakfast or the post church crowds and Bacon Social House is the perfect place to make Mother’s Day or Easter brunch reservations. The Breckenridge Brewery and Carboy Winery both have locations in Littleton and Black & Haus Tavern, Cafe Terracotta and View House are all great spots to get lunch or dinner, many with a view too.
The Denver Tech Center, referred to as DTC, is located just south of Denver and can easily be confused with areas of Centennial and Greenwood Village, it all seems to be mixed together on a map. There is a small neighborhood called Belleview Station that has a great brunch scene at Corvus Coffee, the urban egg or my favorite spot to sit outside in the summer, Le French. There is also a new Bier Garden that has opened on one end and the fine dining experience Ambli Global at the other end. Just down the road is the best bottomless mimosa, brunch at The Inverness. Eat from seafood towers, carving stations and sweet treats all while day drinking, what could be better?
Douglas County
A little further south, Douglas County opens to the wealthy, suburban areas of Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock. Highlands Ranch claims 26 parks (many with off leash areas for dogs) and 70 miles of trails for hiking, biking or running. There is 8,200 acres of conservation space in the Backcountry Wilderness area, used for camps and classes. Highlands Ranch hosts family activities such as 4th of July fireworks, 5K events and Oktoberfest (with the annual wiener dog races). Some of our favorite restaurants in Highlands Ranch are Old Blinking Light, Lansdowne Arms, Fujiyama Hibachi and Prost German Bier Garden. Highlands Ranch has a bit of a pretentious reputation, but I find it has its own version of everything Downtown has to offer with less traffic and better parking.
At the southern end of Douglas County we have Castle Rock, named for its well known and easily spotted flat rock that looks like a castle. This area is not as close to the foothills, but the topography of Castle Rock and the views of the whole mountain chain are magnificent in this area of Douglas County. Castle Rock has an area of food and drinks in the outlet shopping exit, as well as in the Downtown area. In downtown, try the fried chicken at Castle Cafe or make a reservation at Union Bistro or Scileppi’s at the Old Stone Church for a fantastic meal. You can’t go wrong with the views in south or western Denver.
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