Colorado's 9 Best Denver Day Trips For Unmatched Outdoor Thrills

Denver is both the capital of Colorado and the 20th largest city in the United States, so the Mile High City has plenty of urban attractions, premier dining options, and modern neighborhoods that residents and visitors alike can enjoy. Denver, however, is also located at the threshold of the mighty Rocky Mountains, which frame the city's impressive western horizon. With real estate like this, Denver also boasts countless opportunities for day trips to many of Colorado's best outdoor attractions. A vacation to Denver need not only involve visits to the city's many art museums, top-rated restaurants, and concert venues. It also could involve an escape into Colorado's wildest natural wonders, without the need to abandon a cozy Denver hotel room for the night!

Denver's many outdoor day trips include stops at recreation-rich mountain towns, magnificent national and state parks, and some of the highest (and most accessible) mountains in the contiguous United States. No matter where you go, the outdoor attractions an hour or two from Denver are not merely impressive to look at; they also put you in touch with some of the most thrilling outdoor activities that the U.S. has to offer. Though you can probably drive an hour or so from Denver in any direction and eventually come across a worthwhile park or recreation spot, these nine locations within two hours of Denver have the perfect combination of spectacular mountain views and unmatched recreational opportunities in one of the country's most famous mountain ranges. 

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is one of the closest state parks to Denver, just 29 miles northwest. The park's 12,000 acres cover the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front Range's forests, intersected by steep canyon walls with the "golden" tinge that characterizes the landscape.

Golden Gate Canyon has some of the Denver area's best recreational options. Its 35 miles of picturesque hiking trails cross formidable mountain landscapes, with opportunities for bikers, equestrians, and cross-country skiers, too. Though the drive back to Denver is short, Golden Gate Canyon also has 132 campsites, cabins, and yurts.

Castlewood Canyon State Park, another "canyon" state park, sits 36 miles southeast of Denver. Though located at the edge of the Great Plains, Castlewood Canyon imitates the nearby Rockies with remarkable rock-laden streams. The park's famed boulders are a form of "caprock" that decorates the surrounding grasslands, forests, and riparian habitats, with views of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. 

Its boulders make Castlewood Canyon a popular Denver-area destination for rock climbing. The park's trails include easy and moderately challenging hikes, all with extraordinary views of rocky gulches, conifer forests, and distinctive ecosystems. 

Massive gorges are generally more of Arizona and Utah's thing, but Colorado also has impressive canyons! The Royal Gorge and its bridge are two hours from Denver. The gorge itself is a magnificent red-walled canyon along the Arkansas River, and the Royal Gorge Bridge is America's highest suspension bridge.

Together, these geological and engineering marvels are a veritable outdoor theme park. Guests can experience heart-pounding aerial gondola rides, "fly" on ziplines, walk 956 feet above the river, or attempt the Royal Gorge's thrilling trail system and climbing routes. 

Just 68 miles from Denver in neighboring Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods rivals Colorado's national parks with its mesmerizing red rock beauty. The "garden" consists of monolithic slabs of red sedimentary rocks cutting through Colorado's pinyon-juniper forests.

Though technically a Colorado Springs city park, Garden of the Gods is as extraordinary an outdoor playground as you can get. Among the park's activities are opportunities for hiking and rock climbing in a one-of-a-kind geological "forest." Concessioners also run guided Jeep, trolley, Segway, and bike tours from the park's Visitor and Nature Center. 

A top sight from Garden of the Gods is neighboring Pikes Peak, a 14,115-foot behemoth with the not-so-humble nickname of "America's Mountain." Despite its height, Pikes Peak is more reachable than most Colorado 14ers, and not just because it's only two hours from Denver. 

The Pikes Peak Highway is a 19-mile toll road and epic road trip to the summit. Alternatively, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway has wheelchair-accommodating train cars for the epic, 3.5-hour journey to the summit and back. Summit hikes are available on the Barr Trail and Crags Trail, though both are long, strenuous mountaineering routes.

Similar to Golden Gate Canyon, Eldorado Canyon State Park boasts scenic canyon trails close to Denver — 29 miles, to be precise. With colorful sandstone cliffs and forests near the city of Boulder, Eldorado Canyon State Park arguably holds the top spot for sightseeing and adventures in Colorado's state park system.

Eldorado Canyon's steep cliffs rise as high as 700 feet. Unsurprisingly, Eldorado Canyon is a great Colorado rock climbing destination. The park's trails are ideal for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing, with photo-worthy canyon views throughout.

Mount Blue Sky (formerly "Mount Evans") is 14,130 feet high, beating out the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak as the highest Colorado summit you can drive to. Located just 46 miles from Denver, Mount Blue Sky features the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, the highest paved road in North America. 

The drive to the summit has epic views of the Rocky Mountain Front Range, stunning alpine meadows, and plenty of mountain wildlife to distract you from the fact that you're ascending 7,000 feet in just 28 miles! You can also hike along the mountain's extensive high-altitude trail system. 

Just 33 miles from Denver, Idaho Springs is a walkable Colorado Rockies town with Victorian charm. However, the town's main draw is its location on Clear Creek, with some of Colorado's best whitewater rafting opportunities.

Idaho Springs has several outfitters that run rafting trips through Clear Creek, including beginner-friendly trips along class II and III rapids, and more advanced trips through class IV rapids. All trips showcase Idaho Springs' rugged mountain terrain (including Mount Blue Sky) from a unique riverside angle.

Rocky Mountain National Park is among the country's most popular outdoor getaways, and being only about 90 minutes away, it's Denver's main day-trip destination. The park's nearly 266,000 acres cover diverse ecosystems in Colorado's photogenic Front Range, offering far more outdoor adventures than can be experienced in one day. These include scenic drives, wildlife viewing, and winter activities like sledding.

Hikers can find unparalleled mountain treks like the stunning Emerald Lake Trail, which passes the ethereal Dream Lake. More daring adventures include the 14,259-foot Longs Peak and the dangerous, but unforgettable, Keyhole Route to the summit.