Flatirons

Easily accessible trail head with three great ascents to select. Strongly recommend Flat Iron #3 and the Royal Arch – a little further, but wonderful train with beautiful views of Denver.

Eldorado Canyon

This is a true gem that outshines most better known wild places in a state that has no lack of them. The Fowler Trail there is a new found favorite, especially suited to older visitors who have passed the point where uphill trudging is viewed as exhilarating. It begins at the roadside high up on the canyon wall and maintains a more or less level course to the canyon mouth where one is perched high above rushing water and tree tops with a magnificent view out over gentler lands that stretch away to the eastern horizon. Along the route you might view rattlesnakes, bears and mountain lions (all missing on the day we visited) but the sight of apparently tiny fearless human flies clinging to sheer rock walls is more or less guaranteed, especially during the cooler morning hours. This is where devotees of rock climbing come from all over the country to practice and test their skills. Meanwhile, down on the valley floor cascades of rushing white water provide plenty of picnic sites interspersed with quieter stretches of stream that are suitable for wading, even by small children. Parking is limited and requires an $8 day permit that can be picked up at the park gate. The best time to visit is probably mid-week when it is relatively uncrowded. If you only have a day to sample the natural attractions of the Front Range in this vicinity, come straight here.

Shakespeare Festival

There are few better ways to spend a Colorado summer evening than taking in a Shakespeare play in the Mary Rippon Theater on the CU Boulder campus. I attended a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a group of friends and we all loved it. While there were many good performances, I particularly enjoyed Taylor Fisher as Helena.

If you go to a performance with an early curtain, get seats in the center or right side to avoid having the sun in your eyes while it sets. The theater is small enough that even the seats on the sides or in the back offer a good view.