If you’re in town for a while, here’s the full list of our favorite Boulder activities, hikes, and food, as well as a few things outside of Boulder.
If you want a stunning local hike (or just have a picnic with a great view,) Chautauqua is the place! Chautaqua has a large green picnic/play space, a fancy restaurant, and of course, a large state park. Be warned: these hikes are deceptively hard given the altitude. If you're determined, we recommend Bluebell Road or the Bluebell/Baird/Chautaqua Trail Loop (1.5 mi). Parking is free on weekdays, and on weekends there is a free parking shuttle since it can be a bit crowded.
Peruse Pearl Street for window shopping and treats! Pearl Street is a bricked, mostly pedestrian outdoor mall in downtown Boulder. There are so many great stops on Pearl. Our favorite shops for browsing are Peppercorn and the Boulder Bookstore. There are also many great coffee shops, including Ozo, Laughing Goat, Trident, and Boxcar. For food, we love baked goods at Spruce, ice cream at Fior Gelato, lunch at Illegal Pete's, brunch at Foolish Craig's, sushi at Japango or Sushi Zanmai, and lunch/dinner Rosetta Hall. One of our favorite casual lunch/dinner spots is Sherpa's, which has great, relatively mild Indian/Tibetan food and a lovely outdoor patio on the end of Pearl. PS There are some fun mini-playgrounds and a splash pad for younger kids along the mall, too!
This is a great, flatter walking trail with still-beautiful views of the Flatirons. You are also sure to spot some local prairie dogs near the start of the trail. Boulder's trail systems are pretty interconnected, so you can go for as long or short of a walk as you want. The trail is wide, flat gravel. Parking is usually pretty available along the road near the trailhead. Since the trail is pretty exposed, we recommend a morning walk!
This is where Josh proposed to Maggie! This is one of our favorite summer hang outs. Dip your feet in the Boulder Creek (be warned: it's cold), rent a tube in town if you're feeling brave, or just picnic. There is a large covered picnic shelter, picnic tables, and a shaded green space. Parking can also be crowded, so you may have to park further down Arapahoe and walk.
If you're staying in town for the weekend, the Farmer's Market runs Saturday 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM. There is a mix of live music, hot food, coffee, produce, and treats. You can hang out in Central Park behind the market or compete for some seats in the food area. The market is also walking distance from the Boulder Public Library, which has a great outdoor playground and a small rotating art exhibit.
Maggie's favorite building in Boulder. A nice playground and green space outside. Check out the mini-art museum inside! Situated right on the Boulder Creek path and adjacent to downtown.
Boulder's tea house is a beautiful building to just look in! You can stay for a meal or just a cup of tea. We recommend the chai (duh). Located right behind the Farmer's Market on the weekends.
Not to be confused with the concert venue. There is a short (deceptively hard...) trail to a neat rock formation! Fun to climb if you're up for it, or just look at. Parking lot can be crowded.
This is another great intermediate/hard hike in Boulder. We strongly recommend starting counter-clockwise on the Sanitas Valley Loop and doing this as an out-and-back. This first part of the trail is a wider, gravel path with gradual elevation gain. (The other segment of the trail is essentially stairs, and can be pretty tough!). Views of Boulder and Denver.
Nice local brewing company with a patio/outdoor space. Usually has a food truck for food service.
Very short trail (.2 miles) to a waterfall! This is up Canyon Drive, which is a windy but well-paved, beautiful drive up Boulder Canyon. Keep an eye out for climbers as you go! There is a small parking area on the side of the road that will likely have cars in it. You will need to cross the road to get to the trailhead. If you want to keep driving, the town of Nederland at the top of the Canyon is one of our favorite funky mountain towns and mini-destinations.
If you're up for a short drive, this brewery in North Boulder has a great outdoor space and a great selection of creative, yummy beers.
If you're up for a bit of a drive, this is our absolute favorite brewery in Colorado. Truly delicious and unique beers. Small patio space and food truck.
One of our favorite bakeries in Boulder added a location in Lyons! Delicious coffee drinks and out-of-this-world bread and pastries.
If you're staying in Lyons, Maggie loves this funky Pinball spot!
Maggie and Josh's favorite lunch spot in Lyons. They make a lot of their own breads and baked goods, too! We love the Chicken Salad on a sandwich and "The Volunteer".
Buttonrock Dam is a great mild hike in Lyons along a river. The path is flat, wide gravel. If you want a challenge, Lion's Lair branches off from the same trail and is a great loop.
Rocky is a bit of an endeavor, but if you're here for a long weekend or extending your stay, we highly recommend. Summer is peak season, so expect it to be crowded on trails and in parking lots with long entry lines. You need to reserve a TIMED ENTRY PERMIT on their website months ahead of time in order to get into they park. There are also first-come, first-serve permits that open the night before (make sure to click fast!). One last option: if you enter the park after 2:00, you don't need an entry permit. We recommend reserving a timed entry to Bear Lake Corridor, which has access to more approachable hikes like Sprague Lake, Nymph Lake and Lily Lake. You can also just drive through park for a beautiful ride (try Trail Ridge road if you want to see some marmots and alpine wilderness). Prepare for daily thunderstorms from about 12-2 and be safe hiking at high altitude. Rocky is about an hour and a half drive from Boulder, 30-40 minutes from Lyons.