The 5 Most Charming Small Towns In Colorado Near Denver, According To Visitors

Colorado is a gem of a state. Not content with offering some of the absolute best skiing in the U.S., it also touts ancient cliff dwellings over in Mesa Verde National Park and the jagged granite monoliths of the Rocky Mountain National Park, to name just two other highlights. And then there's the wealth of charming small towns that speckle the region of Denver. Those are the focus of this guide — we've trawled through local blogs, tourism boards, and online forums to curate a list of five standout small towns within easy reach of Colorado's capital. 

Every single spot you'll find here is no more than an hour's drive out from the metropolis in normal traffic. Each promises an escape from the buzz of Denver's downtown, with walkable centers, historic architecture, art shows, and oodles of nature right on its doorstep. Without further delay, here are five destinations that deliver small town charm within easy striking distance of the Mile High City.

Idaho Springs is the most oft-mentioned charming small town in the Denver orbit. It's one in a string of enticing pit stops along Interstate 70 as it threads its way into the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains west of the big city. The town sits far below the summit of Mount Blue Sky, a 14,266-foot mountain that hosts the highest paved road in North America, the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway.

Located around 40 minutes from downtown Denver, Idaho Springs is a true historic mountain town. It was established around the very same time as the Colorado Gold Rush, for this was the spot where a certain George Jackson first panned for the precious metal in the Centennial State way back in 1859. Within a few years, it had become a thriving mining camp settlement, and you can still witness the history today as you stroll between the vintage facades of Miner Street, the main drag. But, where there were once saloons and hardware emporiums, you'll now find brewhouses and independent shops.

Idaho Springs is likely to be an especially good getaway choice if you like your small towns with a side of adrenaline. Clear Creek, the river that rolls right through the heart of the town, has thrilling whitewater for all levels, and even boasts more rapids than many of the other commonly rafted riverways in the state. You can also hike up to see the ice tongue of a glacier here. Take the route to Saint Mary's Glacier — rated an enviable 4.8 out of 5 on AllTrails — to find endless alpine meadows and snow-covered peaks.

Widely considered one of the most enchanting escapes near Denver, Pine is an unsung mountain town with fishing, canyons, and trails. Historically known as Pine Grove, the town is just shy of an hour's drive from the metropolis. The journey takes you on beautiful Highway 285 for most of the way, which means crossing big, open swaths of Rocky Mountain territory — you'll want the camera charged for the trip.

When you arrive, Pine continues the picturesque theme. It boasts a wonderful setting beside a gurgling river on the edge of the vast Pike National Forest, a 1,729-square-mile patch of the Rockies that's stacked with mountains and evergreen forests. The Pine Grove historic district is a pint-sized collection of old-school B&Bs and timber cabins, while the population is roughly 3,600 in all. To put it another way, the charm here is in quietude, tranquility, and proximity to nature.

Indeed, nature is right there on Pine's doorstep. Just a three-minute drive to the west is Pine Valley Ranch Park, where a shimmering lake reflects the mountains and hiking trails dip south into the Pike National Forest. The South Platte River — the very same that runs through the middle of Pine — also happens to be a celebrated fishing area with stocks of cutbow, brown trout, and rainbow trout. 

Population 2,145, Lyons is the "Double Gateway To The Rockies," sat just under 50 miles north of Denver. It's where the two most popular routes into Rocky Mountain National Park begin — Highway 7, which offers panoramic vistas of Longs Peak, and Highway 36, which connects directly to Estes Park, a storybook escape with roaming elk and majestic views.

But, Lyons is also much more than just a stepping stone into the wilderness. It's "the hip little town everybody loves," according to its official tagline. A whopping 97% of businesses here are independent ventures. You'll see that when you step onto Main Street, where Uniquely Lyons, a boutique gift outlet selling Lyons-inspired merch, sits alongside The Rock Garden, a multi-use event space with craft beer and visiting food trucks in a laid-back courtyard.

Lyons also brings art and culture to the fore. Simply wandering around town feels like exploring an open-air gallery, thanks to the heARTS of LYONS Outdoor Arts Collection, an eclectic array of public sculptures that includes a big metal moose and an oversized bear. Summer, meanwhile, is high time for the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, a bluegrass-heavy music blowout hosted by Lyons for over 30 years. 

Once a boomtown that grew on the back of a silver motherlode, Georgetown now makes its way as a popular stop on the I-70 corridor outside of Denver. It'll take you roughly 55 minutes to trade the Mile High City for this erstwhile mining town in the mountains, but it's worth it if you're craving historic architecture, pretty street scenes, and byways that'll have you gasping at every bend.

According to TripAdvisor, the Georgetown Loop Railroad is the top attraction. Hop aboard at the station in Georgetown proper, then chug along a narrow-gauge track as stunning panoramas of the Rockies unfold outside your window. One reviewer summed up their trip with five stars on Tripadvisor. "What a fun and memorable experience! Fall color in the aspen were glorious and the steam engine sound is so fun," they wrote. The experience is ideal for families and the coach cars are wheelchair accessible. 

On 6th Street — the main street of historic Georgetown — you can wander past 19th-century buildings and catch glimpses of the majestic mountains rising behind. Also on 6th Street is The Historic Happy Cooker Restaurant, an iconic family-owned joint that's been serving up plates of fluffy European-style waffles since the 1970s. The menu also features some Americana classics — biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos, and homemade meatloaf.

An ever-popular pit stop on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway that runs between Estes Park and Black Hawk, Nederland is around an hour's drive northwest from Denver. Its place on said scenic byway should give you a clue about its exquisite setting. It's seriously wonderful, with the town spreading across the base of a glacier-carved valley, while the moose-stalked summits of the Indian Peaks Wilderness rise in the background.

The charm factor is high around Nederland, too. The local motto speaks for itself: "Life is better up here." And it's hard to come by any description of the place that doesn't note its charming oddities and overall quirkiness. Expect the unexpected here, like the Carousel of Happiness, one of the last remaining hand-carved wooden carousels in the country. Oh, and don't be surprised if you rock up to find folks celebrating the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days, a shindig that includes coffin races and ice bath plunges in honor of a local man named Bredo Morstoel, who was cryogenically frozen by his own family. Yes, you read that correctly! 

The quirky mountain town of Nederland also has tons of trails. Colorado-born Noel Krasomil from The Packable Life waxes lyrical about the 7.2-mile 4th of July route, which he says offers incredible vistas across Arapaho Pass, including glimpses of alpine lakes and mountain wildlife. According to AllTrails, one of the most popular routes is the Lost Lake via the Hessie Trail, a 4.2-miler that threads through aspen forests and past tranquil waters.

To finalize our selection of the most charming small towns near Denver, we combed through leading travel publications, local blogs, Reddit commentary, Tripadvisor reviews, and forum discussions among locals and visitors alike. This gave us a sizeable selection of destinations recommended by past travelers and Colorado residents, which we were able to whittle down to just a handful by eliminating the places that are too large, such as Boulder, or too far away. All of the towns on this list are located within an hour's drive of downtown Denver, making them ideal for a day trip from the city or a pit stop en route to the Rockies.