Twelve miles north of Denver in the historic town of Golden, social distancing loses a bit of its bite with outdoor recreation, takeout, and curbside beer delivery.
photo courtesy Visit Golden
As pandemic restrictions loosen this summer, the town of Golden offers a close-to-home spot for responsible travel. Due to the constantly evolving situation, we recommend checking out jeffco.us/open-space before heading out.
Eat
The City of Golden, Visit Golden, and the Golden Chamber of Commerce teamed up to promote TakeOut TakeOver Golden. Takeaway services are available at all of the town’s mainstays: Woody’s Pizza, Bob’s Atomic Burger, the Buffalo Rose, and Sherpa House. If you’re already familiar with these restaurants, it’s time to branch out. Bella Colibri (bellacolibri.com), a new Italian joint, is selling premade meals from one of the town’s most historic buildings, where the legislature used to meet back when Golden was the capital of the official Territory of Colorado. Can’t decide? Order curbside pickup from The Farmer’s Market at Tributary Food Hall. If you’re visiting Golden in the morning, wake up to a to-go cup of coffee at Windy Saddle Café, followed by a fried green tomato benedict at Sassafras.
Sleep
Many local hotels have temporarily closed their doors during the pandemic and the campgrounds at Golden Gate Canyon State Park are shut until further notice. But when travel restrictions are lifted, visitors will once again have access to some truly great accommodations. Start dreaming now of a stay in the The Golden Hotel (thegoldenhotel.com) a clean, creek-side property catering to the park-the-car-and-leave-it crowd.
Play
From rock climbing at North Table Mountain to mountain biking at Apex Park, Golden has been (and will be again) a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Chimney Gulch Trail is a favorite hike, especially for low-risk and social distancing practices. It starts downtown with a leisurely stroll along the paved path beside Clear Creek (a destination for fly fisherman and tubers), and ends with the steep climb up Lookout Mountain.
Golden’s museums were made for outdoorsy spectators. While the American Mountaineering Museum and Mines Museum are closed, it’s still possible to get your cultural fix with the Golden History Museum’s self-guided walking tour, a 1.5-mile circuit with 16 fascinating stops. The tour is outlined in detail online, at goldenhistory.org/learn-do/walkingtour/. Art lovers can download the Public Art Commission Brochure (cityofgolden.net/media/PublicArtBrochure.pdf), and enjoy Golden’s impressive outdoor art collection.
