In October, 2023 my good friend and I were craving a good hike, so we decided to head out west! Colorado had been a state we were idealizing for months, and we went out on a whim and bought plane tickets! Denver, Colorado is a magical city, where you get the modern up and coming Downtown, and an hour away you have Rocky Mountain National Park filled with outdoor activities. No matter if you are an outdoors person or a city person, there is so much for one to do! There is always an event going on and you can never get bored! I think about this trip often and how I need to go back one day to see all the places and do all the things that I missed! 

Our adventure started bright and early, and although we only had three days, we made sure to fit everything we could possibly think of! We were fortunate enough to have rented a car and were able to drive everywhere we wanted to see, without it, I don’t think we would have been able to make this trip possible. 

Everything we did, I highly recommend to those who are visiting Denver and only have about three full days and two nights there! 

Day 1:

• Fly into Denver early in the morning! This is the key to making this trip work and to have plenty of time to hit everything! 
• Grab some brunch at Snooze! A classic breakfast diner chain in Colorado that is a must! Super quick and tasty! They have everything from the classic breakfast plate, to banana pancakes, and breakfast tacos! Yum. 
• Head to your hotel or airbnb and drop off your stuff and throw on some hiking gear! We stayed at this Entire Guest Suite in Arvada, Colorado, which was about 20 minutes outside of downtown Denver, in a quiet neighborhood. It was located off the major highways making our drive to our different destinations on this trip more accessible! 
• Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater: you are going to head over to Red Rocks and check out the concert venue! Maybe even try and catch a show there on this first evening! Unfortunately there was nothing we were interested in seeing, but I would love to go back one day! 

• Red Rocks Trading Post Trail: now it is time for your first hike! A quick and easy 1.6 mile loop hike around Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. Check out all of the rock formations and stairs with views of the winding roads beyond! This trail is definitely a nice way to ease into the next two days after a long flight. Its super easy to stop along the way to take in all the beauty. 

• Call it an early night! We decided to make dinner and stay in this night, but if you would like to ditch the cooking, head to Downtown Denver and get dinner at one of their many unique restaurants or drinks at a well hidden speakeasy. 

Day 2:

• Now this is the day! As people who love the outdoors, this was a day dedicated to a major hike in Rocky Mountain National Park! 

• Rise and shine! You will be starting this day super early, before the sun has even risen. Make sure to make a pit stop for some coffee before your hour drive to the trail head! 
• After much research on the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, my friend and I finally settled on one that was a decent challenge and length, with breathtaking views all along the way! 
• Chasm Lake Trail: get to the trailhead right around sunrise because you have a Hard, 9.5 mile out and back hike with 2,500 feet of elevation gain to complete! Now don’t let any of that intimidate you, because the views along the way and at the end are absolutely breathtaking and awe inspiring. The entire way we had to stop to take photos because we could not believe it was real life! Want to know more about this hike, how to do it, where to park, and what else you might see along the way? Check out my new blog post coming soon highlighting everything about this once in a life time hike! 

• If Chasm Lake Trail is not for you, then there are plenty of other hikes to check out in Rocky Mountain National Park, like:
  • Lake Haiyaha: 4.0 miles out and back, 846 ft. elevation gain – moderate.   
  • Dream Lake Trail: 2.0 miles out and back, 459 ft. elevation gain – moderate.  
  • Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls: 5.3 miles round trip, 984 ft. elevation gain – moderate.  
  • Sky Pond: 9.4 miles round trip, 1,758 ft. elevation gain – hard.  
• At the of the hike head out to Estes Park. We accidentally came up on this cute little mountain town when looking for a place to buy keepsakes for our trip after our long hike. There were many people visiting and looked like there was a ton to do, but we only checked out a small portion of the town. I would definitely dedicate more time to quaint little Estes Park, but maybe on another day where you have more time, or combine with a shorter hike than the Chasm Lake one. 

• If hiking is not for you, then you can spend this day wandering around downtown, checking out the shops, any pop up markets, and activities that are planned every day in the city! Want to see a list of things to see and do in Downtown Denver, check out this site. 
• After a long hike, no one wants to cook, and what better way to feed an appetite than Mexican food! Check out My neighbor Felix! If you are feeling a drink, you can choose one from their extensive list of yummy cocktails. The menu has any type of Mexican food you can think of, and best yet, depending on the time of year they decorate their restaurant according to the holiday! Since we went in October they had Halloween decorations covering the entire restaurant! 

Day 3:

• Downtown Denver: now my friend and I booked this trip to Colorado because we wanted to do some hiking. Because of that we did not do a ton of research into Downtown Denver. All we know is that we wanted to check it out the last morning we were there. The things we did do, 100% recommend checking out! 
• Roostercat Coffee House: now we did extensive research on good coffee in Downtown Denver, and this was one that came highly recommended. They had a ton of flavors outside of the regular vanilla and caramel. They have an extensive list of specialty lattes that you can’t find at many other coffee shops. The ambiance fits a book lovers dream and they had a little market stand to check out as well. Start your day off with coffee from here to power you through to your flight! 

• Larimer Square: after grabbing some coffee you are going to want to do some shopping! In the heart of the square they have Colorado flags hanging between the buildings! This area is home to a bunch of art and indie shops, and truly make the downtown experience. This is one of the busiest ares of downtown Denver, which is completely understandable considering how picturesque it is.
  • One store to definitely check out in Larimer Square is Garage Sale Vintage. A thrift / second hand shop with a fun little twist! The minute you walk through the doors you have a bar to your left with plenty of cocktails to order from. The best part is you can take your drink and walk through the racks of vintage clothing! There was so much I wanted to buy between the clothes, accessories, music, and more. 

• Denver Milk Market: now this is where you are going to head for lunch. There are a ton of little vendors filled with different types of foods from pizza to wings to asian and more. The inside aesthetic was clean and although we did not eat here, I would totally recommend checking it out. Theres plenty of seating and walking distance from the rest of the places you are going to check out while spending your morning Downtown. 
• Union Station / LoDo: this is the heart of Downtown Denver, and what most people picture! This is the historic district of the city with the Rail station landmark. The area is filled with Victorian architecture, string lights, restaurants, and shops. If you are there on the right day/night they also hold concerts and farmers markets in the area! Definitely a place to check out on the weekend! 

• After spending a morning in Downtown Denver and fueling up on a good lunch, its time to head home or to your next destination! If you still have time or an extra day in Denver definitely check out Commons park, we did not have the time, but I definitely would have loved to! 

Denver, Colorado is full of things to do inside the city and outside the city! You could spend an unlimited amount of time in Denver and never run out of things to do and things to see! The three days we spent was far from enough time, and I hope to go back one day to see more of the city and more of Rocky Mountain National Park.