16 Of The Best Quick Day Trips From Denver
Denver is a perfect jumping off point for many of Colorado’s best attractions, thanks to its prime position next to the Rocky Mountains.
I’ve lived in Denver most of my life and have seen a ton of the city’s best nearby attractions. So I know first hand, trying to compile a list of day trips here is a nearly never ending task. To narrow things down, I composed a list of my favorite quick day trips from Denver, all are within a quick 1.5 hours of the city.
These destinations offer excellent mountain views and exciting attractions, but don’t require too much time.
The Best Quick Day Trips From Denver
Lake Dillon
1 hour 15 minutes from Denver
Lake Dillon is a huge reservoir surrounded by magnificent mountain views. It’s open to boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, and is encircled by Dillon Reservoir Loop, a popular path for walking or biking. You can even join a sailing tour or catch a concert at Dillon Amphitheater.
Near the lake are the towns of Silverthorne and Frisco, which both have great dining options as well as an outlet mall in Silverthorne.
Lake Dillon is very easy to get to, located right off I-70, just watch out for traffic during weekends and other peak hours.
Boulder
30 minutes from Denver
Boulder is one of the easiest quick day trips from Denver, located just 30 minutes from the city.
Take a walk along Boulder Creek or visit beautiful Chautauqua Park. From the park you can snap a quick photo of the Flatirons or continue on a variety of hikes, Royal Arch is my favorite!
After taking in the sights, go for a stroll around the 4 block pedestrian mall, Pearl Street Mall, where you can shop, drink, and eat. Boulder has a seriously impressive food scene and great happy hour specials.
You May Also Like: How To Spend One Perfect Day In Boulder
Nederland
1 hour from Denver
Nederland is a charming mountain town nestled some 8,000+ feet above sea level, just west of Boulder.
The town is most well known for hosting two very popular events, NedFest, a music and arts festival. The other, Frozen Dead Guy Days, which celebrates an attempt by a Norwegian immigrant to cryogenically freeze his deceased grandfather. To me, these events sum up Nederland nicely.
Even if you’re unable to attend one of their famous festivals, there’s also wonderful hiking, a picturesque lake, and small downtown area to enjoy as well.
Georgetown Loop Railroad
45 minutes from Denver
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow gauge railroad originally used during the silver boom of the late 1800’s. The train, now used for tours, was completed in 1884 and was considered an engineering marvel of its time.
Ride the train and be sure to join in on one of the mining excursions! Tickets are available at: Georgetown Loop Railroad.
Tours are available June through the holidays, with the schedule changing throughout the year. This is especially popular in fall when aspen leaves give a spectacular show.
While you’re in the area, stop in Georgetown or Idaho Springs for a bite to eat, or go for a scenic drive along Guanella Pass.
Golden
25 minutes from Denver
Golden is a former mining town just outside of the city, making for an excellent quick day trip from Denver. There are so many great activities to chose from here!
Take a tour of the Coors Brewery, raft Clear Creek, enjoy the views at Lookout Mountain, or visit Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. In addition to all this, you’ll have plenty of dining, shopping, and breweries to choose from in downtown Golden.
Black Hawk & Central City
1 hour from Denver
Looking to hit the casinos during your day trip from Denver? Black Hawk/ Central City is the place for you.
The two neighboring towns have 18 casinos from upscale resorts to small family-owned saloons. Additionally, the town offers a good variety of dining, nightlife, hiking trails, and scenic drives.
Popular casinos in Black Hawk include: Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa, The Lodge Casino, Isle Casino Hotel, Monarch Casino and Resort, Lady Luck Casino, and Sasquatch Casino.
Colorado Springs
1 hour from Denver
There’s no shortage of things to do in second largest city in the state, Colorado Springs.
See the famous Garden of the Gods, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, go for a cave tour at Cave of the Winds, see the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, hike, bike, or explore downtown Colorado Springs.
If you’re up for an increase in altitude, then drive, hike, or ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the 14,115 ft summit of Pikes Peak.
For more ideas, check out The Best Things To Do In Colorado Springs.
Lyons
50 minutes from Denver
Lyons is a charming small town just north of Boulder.
Raft or kayak on the St. Vrain River then take a stroll down their Main Street and pay a visit to the original Oskar Blues Brewery. Fan of pinball? Check out Lyons Classic Pinball for old school pinball and arcade games.
If you’re visiting in winter, lace up at the ice skating rink in LaVern M. Johnson Park.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary
45 minutes from Denver
This is the day trip for animal lovers! The Wild Animal Sanctuary’s top priority is the well being of their rescue animals and recreating a habitat as close to natural as possible.
Visitors can view the lions, tigers, bears, and more from above, utilizing 1.5 miles of elevated walk way. Animals are territorial and will behave so with people near them, however, they do not view the sky, or in this case, an elevated walkway as their territory. This allows visitors to see the animals without disturbing them.
It’s a great day trip and a wonderful way to support an important organization.
Looking for something a little closer to Denver? Check out the Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Roxborough State Park
45 minutes from Denver
Roxborough State Park is home to striking red sandstone formations, similar to the famous Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, but much closer to Denver.
The park offers a variety of easy, relatively flat trails. Fountain Valley Trail my favorite, it’s a 2.6 mile route with lots of good views and abundant deer sightings.
This is also a great place to hike in the winter, just be sure to bring your snowshoes or crampons.
Check out Sedalia or Old Town Littleton for additional things to do in the area.
The Best State Parks Near Denver
Looking for more state parks near the city? Check out these great options that make for fun quick day trips from Denver.
- Castlewood Canyon State Park – great for hiking and one of my favorite Colorado State Parks.
- Chatfield State Park – great for lake activities.
- Staunton State Park – excellent for hiking and sightseeing.
- Eldorado Canyon State Park – known for its rock climbing routes and hikes.
- Golden Gate Canyon State Park – one of the most popular state parks near Denver, it’s especially popular in fall when the aspens are changing.
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
20 minutes from Denver
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is one of Colorado’s most unique attractions and one of the best things to do near Denver. It’s the worlds only naturally-occurring, acoustically-perfect amphitheater and it’s only 30 minutes west of downtown, making it the easiest day trip from Denver!
This music venue opened in the early 1900’s and has since seen everyone from Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder to The Beatles perform on its iconic stage.
The park and concert venue are free to explore as long as there’s no event. There’s lots of hiking and pretty sights to enjoy in the area, in addition the the spectacular concert venue!
Evergreen
35 minutes from Denver
Evergreen is a beautiful mountain town with a ton of hiking and activities, especially around Evergreen Lake. Hike around Three Sisters Park, Maxwell Falls, or check out the old growth trees in Mount Goliath Natural Area, some trees here are as old as 2,500 years!
At Evergreen Lake lake you can kayak, paddle board, have a picnic, or walk around the lake. Otherwise, if you’re visiting in winter, the lake is fantastic for ice skating.
Afterwards, enjoy a drink or bite to eat at the rustic roadhouse, Little Bear Saloon, in downtown Evergreen.
Fort Collins
1 hour from Denver
Fort Collins offers tons of great attractions, and best of all, it’s only an hour from Denver.
The city is home to the most microbreweries in Colorado, an impressive feat in a state bursting with them. Do a bike brew tour through town or join a tour at New Belgium or Odell Brewing Co.
While here be sure to visit Old Town, a historic district with tons of good restaurants and bars, it’s a very charming area. In fact, Old Town Fort Collins inspired some of the buildings along Main Street USA in Disneyland, California.
Visiting FoCo in the summer? Hike, swim, paddle board, or rent a boat at one of the best recreation lakes in the state, Horsetooth Reservoir.
Idaho Springs
35 minutes from Denver
If you want a glimpse of mountain life within close proximity of Denver, Idaho Springs is a great option.
Here you can hike St. Mary’s Glacier, zipline, join a mine tour, or just wander the charming streets of historic downtown.
Be sure to stop by Beau Jo’s famous Colorado-style pizza for a bite following your adventures!
The town gets quite busy since it’s so close to Denver, but I still think it’s a great choice, just head out early if you wish to avoid large crowds.
Castle Rock
40 minutes from Denver
Another easy day trip from Denver is the suburb of Castle Rock.
This former ‘Wild West’ outpost has an adorable downtown area with exciting restaurants and breweries, ample parks, and the very popular Outlets at Castle Rock.
Most visitors will stop by Castle Rock for the outlets alone, but spend some time exploring the town while you’re here, too.
Conifer
45 minutes from Denver
Conifer is a mountain town slash Denver suburb with a great selection of outdoor activities.
Day trippers can go ziplining, hike, and take in views from scenic Reynolds Park.
The city doesn’t have a traditional downtown area, but you’ll still find a handful of local coffee shops and restaurants worth visiting during your trip.
As you can see, there are lots of great quick day trips from Denver, these can be a great addition to your vacation or a fun getaway for locals.
If you’re up for a longer drive, be sure to also check out The Best Day Trips From Denver for more ideas!
Any questions? Drop a comment below or reach out on social media!
Looking for more ideas? Below are additional Denver and Colorado guides or head on over to Visit Colorado!
More Information For Your Trip To Denver:
More Information For Your Colorado Vacation:
- Best Colorado Cities & Regional Hubs For Visitors
- Colorado Travel Guide (everything you need to know!)
- All Colorado Guides
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This is perfect, just what we need! Thanks, Amy!
Wonderful! I’m working on another post with additional day trips that are a bit further out, I’ll let you know when it’s up.