Denver Hikes for Visitors

October 2, 2019 2 Comments »

In an effort to bring you some new voices on Ottsworld, here is a guest post from writer Chris Englert. I met Chris at a party last year and learned that she was an expert on Denver by foot, so of course, I started talking to her about hiking in the area! I’ve asked Chris to share her knowledge of the Denver hikes here as I’m busy traveling. All opinions and experiences expressed here are hers. –Sherry

Denver hikes

New to Denver or just visiting? A little freaked out about the altitude and all of the suggestions to go up in the mountains to hike? Want to get outside on a local hike first, that’s a bit more practical for first-time visitors to Denver?

We get it. Adjusting to the Denver altitude is no joke, especially if you’re visiting from Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, or New York. Sea level may be fun for water sports and beach breaks, but when coming to the mile-high city from sea level, it can be a bit of a challenge.

Discover 22 unique things to do in Denver from a local

You’ll want to take it easy for the first few days. Drink lots of water and get lots of sleep. Be sure to carry a water bottle with you and guzzle it as often as you can stand. As for hiking, you’ll need to follow similar advice.

Acclimate with a Denver Hike

The best way to enjoy higher altitude hiking up in Evergreen, Idaho Springs, or Rocky Mountain National Park is to start acclimating in Denver first. Locals will tell you there are some great hikes right here in Denver to get you started.

We give you three.

One in a neighborhood, one in a park, and one on a trail.

You pick the adventure you want, or all three! Walking these three urban hikes will help you adjust to the altitude at 5,280 feet and get you ready for the higher stuff up in the front range (which includes Golden, Boulder, and Breckenridge) and beyond.

Check out 7 of the best day trips from Denver

Hiking Denver’s Union Station Neighborhood

Denver Union Station

One of Denver’s most fun neighborhoods to walk through which will keep you distracted from your higher-altitude symptoms like thirst, shortness of breath and fatigue is right in the center of town. If you took the A Train from Denver International Airport to downtown, you’ve already been there; the Union Station Neighborhood!

This fun area that the locals sometimes refer to as “LoDo” (lower Denver) will have you walking on sidewalks and paved trails through history, by art, and along the river. What could be more fun? Plus, if you get tired, there are plenty of places to grab a drink or a bite as you settle into your higher-altitude rhythms (see Sherry’s review of Tupelo Honey for one of these great places to eat in Denver.) See the end of the article for the exact turn-by-turn directions you’ll follow to walk Union Station Neighborhood.

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Park Hiking in Denver’s City Park

Once you’ve warmed up your legs in Union Station Neighborhood in LoDo, head on over to Denver’s largest park, City Park. This giant park, filled with a zoo and a nature & science museum, enjoys a lake for paddle boating, fishing, and SUP’ing, tennis courts, rose gardens, historic monuments, and outdoor sculpture.

Denver City Park Trails
City Park Denver

But its best feature is the flat 5280 trail that meanders on soft and hard surfaces through the park for a good 5K or 3.1 miles. You can hop on the path and make a giant loop through the park, enjoying the oaks, pines, elms, and maples while watching kids play, locals fish, and teens talk.

Some of Denver’s best monuments are in the park; be sure to take a pensive moment at the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument and then giggle some at the Six Legs statue. After you’ve enjoyed the loop, rent a paddle boat to peddle out to the Pelican Rookery or drop into the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The 5280 trail is easy to find. Park at the Martin Luther King Jr. statue in City Park. The trail circles the west side of the monument. Catch it going south around Ferril Lake and stay on the marked trail throughout the park.

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Hiking Denver’s Historic Trail

Had your fill of people and buildings and just want to get on a trail? The city of Denver is loaded with hiking trails. Four main trails circle the city, including the Platte River Trail, the Sand Creek Greenway, the Cherry Creek Trail, and the granddaddy of them all, the High Line Canal Trail (a whopping 71-miler!)

We love all of our trails for so many reasons from having wilderness in the city to an urban meander through the treasures of metro Denver. And what’s great? You can hike them year-round.

Denver High Line hiking Fall Colors
Fall colors along the High Line Trail

If you walked the Union Station Neighborhood adventure above, you’ve stepped onto the Platte River Trail and the Cherry Creek Trail already. If you’re really ambitious, you can loop all the trails together and do the 42-mile, 9 Creeks Loop.

But if you’ve only got an afternoon, we recommend several segments of the High Line Canal in the Fall. You’ll like segments 6, 7, and 8. These flat segments on soft surfaces range from 6-8 miles and will bring you through towering cottonwoods, along historic preserves, and next to amazing front-range views.

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Yes, these hikes are one-way but feel free to do them as round-trips, doubling your mileage, or call a Lyft and meet a local to get back to your trailhead.

Acclimate in Denver First

No matter where you hike around Denver, starting inside the Denver city limits is a great way to start acclimating to Denver’s 5,280 feet altitude. Once you feel like you’re not losing your breath every time you move, you might be ready to tackle higher hikes like Three Sisters, Carpenter’s Peak, or even North Table Mountain.

Colorado's Mountains
Colorado’s High Altitude Mountain Peaks

For more hikes in and around Denver that will help you adjust, check out these great books about hiking in Denver, Best Urban Hikes: Denver and Walking Denver’s Neighborhoods. Have fun, enjoy, and breathe!

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Turn-by-turn Directions for Union Station Neighborhood (and map!)

Turn-by-turn Directions: Start inside Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop St. Tour the station, making sure you go upstairs to the lounge and look east up 17th St. Admire the chandeliers from the second floor, go to the basement and see the old bathrooms, and generally just explore the station.

When you’re ready, exit the rear of the station, go to the right, and take the left up the stairs over the train tracks. Exit the stairs onto 18th St, heading westerly and crossing Wewatta and Chestnut. Take the second set of stairs over the freight rail tracks, exiting onto 18th and crossing Bassett. At Little Raven, take a left.

Walk through the park toward the south, following the trails and enjoying the Platte River. Work your way back toward Little Raven to use the pedestrian bridge, also known as Millennial Bridge. Play in the large red reed sculpture at the foot of the steps, then go up the steps, crossing back over the tracks and down to 16th Street.

Take a right on Chestnut Pl and then a right on Delgany. Cross 15th St and pass the Museum of Contemporary Art and its Toxic Schizophrenia piece. Right before Cherry Creek take a left, walking easterly above the Creek.

Continue along the Creek, taking the ramp down to the Creek. At Larimer, take the ramp back up to 15th Street, and continue on Larimer toward 16th St. Walk through historic Larimer Square. There are various plaques on the buildings telling historical moments that you may enjoy. Continue on Larimer to 16th St, take a left.

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Walk along 16th St to Blake St and take a right. Take a left on 17th St, enjoying the views of Union Station. You’ll pass the Oxford Hotel. If you’re in the mood, visit the lobby of the Oxford Hotel to enjoy their fabulous Western art collection, and peek into the Cruise room to see their Art Deco wall sconces.

Leave the Oxford, walking down the alley between Wynkoop and Wazee toward 20th. At 20th St, approach the entrance to the Ballfield to find the Evolution of the Ball sculpture (this area is temporarily under construction and the sculpture may not be accessible.). Once you’ve enjoyed the artwork, turn toward Wynkoop.

Walk along Wynkoop, passing the original Union Station on the right, and Wynkoop Brewery, founded by Governor Hickenlooper before he was Governor, on your left. Return back to Union Station where you started. Get a delicious Beet Burger at Next Door!

Looking for somewhere to stay in Denver? Check prices and availability for the AC Hotel by Marriott | Read reviews for the AC Hotel on Trip Advisor | Search for other hotels in Denver

Take the Denver By Foot Challenge!

New to Denver and want to get to know it? Lived in Denver for a long time and looking for new ways to get to know Denver? Got New Year’s Resolutions to get fit, get outside, and get to know Denver? The Denver By Foot Challenge is a great way to get to know Denver. It’s for locals, natives, and newcomers alike.

Denver trivia hikes

But first, do you know the answers to these Denver questions:

Why is the Highland Neighborhood called “Highland?”
Because it was the solution to living in the smoggy Bottoms, and it had higher ground, better morals, and cleaner air.

Did you know the first female businesswoman to become a millionaire built her business right here in Denver?
Madame CJ Walker created a hair tonic and regimen for African-American women based on her own needs. She sold it door to door and made millions.

Why are there indentations in the grass at Cheesman Park?
They are left over from a city-sponsored re-internment of the dead to Fairmount and Riverside Cemeteries after they wanted to turn the graveyard into a park!

You’ll learn these fun facts and more on the Denver By Foot Hiking Challenge.

Discover what moving to Denver was like

What Is the Denver By Foot Hiking Challenge?

denver by foot hiking challenge

It’s a set of thirty activities that you download. Each activity requires you to walk or hike 2-5 miles on a safe, curated route through neighborhoods, parks, or on trails to popular, off-the-beaten-path, and unknown areas in Denver. You’ll discover well-known places in new ways, or unknown places you’ll want to share with your friends.

The Challenge is the perfect way to get out, do some hiking, and see Denver. Do you have a goal in the New Year to get outside and get fit? You can do both with the Denver By Foot Challenge.

If you do all thirty challenges, you’ll not only see thirty different locations but you’ll walk/hike almost 100 miles!

Perfect Activity for Denver Locals or Visitors

Have family in town? Visitors from sea level? Have bored kids that you want to get off their phones and into your conversations? The Challenge is perfect for all of these folks. Visitors will appreciate that the walking is mostly flat and all within Denver. Kids will at least learn a few things about Denver and might even show some interest in their hometown.

During the Denver By Foot Challenge, you will:

  • Hike on runways
  • Find Denver’s time capsule
  • Discover where the first “Denver” was founded
  • Visit where Denver and Aurora dueled it out
  • Climb the Himalayas
  • Learn what a Barnes Dance is

Learn New Places on the Denver By Foot Challenge

The Denver By Foot Challenge gets folks out of their routines and into new places. Have you hiked any of the 9 Creeks Loop, a 42-mile hike right here in Denver? Or do you know where Jack Kerouac sold veggies as a part-time job?

When you download the Denver By Foot Challenge, you can use coupon code “ottsworld” for a $5 discount on the purchase. 10% of all the proceeds go to benefit walking/trail/park advocacy in Denver.

After your hiking experience book a downtown Denver small group food-tasting tour or cocktail tour

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Meet the Author and creator of the Denver By Foot Challenge: Chris Englert, the Walking Traveler and Denver’s Urban Hiker, believes walking is the platform for life. Volunteered into wanderlusting at age 5, she’s since traveled all 50 US states and 52 countries. Chris shares her love of walking while traveling via blogs, books, and presentations. A natural storyteller, she invites you along as she explores the world, one walk at a time. Follow Chris’ urban hikes in Denver at @DenverByFoot at her blog at www.DenverByFoot.com. Follow Chris’ world travel and her 50 Hikes 50 States Project at @EatWalkLearn, at her blog at www.EatWalkLearn.com. Watch Chris on YouTube.


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