Most mountain loving Front Rangers are probably guilty of this: Blowing past Golden on the way up I-70 to get into the mountains. Well, absolve your erroneous ways and take a moment to spend some time in Denver’s gateway to the hills. Here are five great activities to consider.
Hike and Hydrate
Over 20 miles of multi-use trails weave in connecting patterns at White Ranch just a few miles west of Golden. Combine them to your hearts content to create the loop hike or mountain bike ride that suits your ability be it novice to expert. The views are just as diverse ranging from mountains to canyons, pine forests to open meadows. Along the way you’re likely to run into old ranch barns or pieces of antique farm equipment. White Ranch shines all year round with Aspen trees showing off their colors in the fall and snow covered trails for skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
After all that, swing by The Mountain Toad to rehydrate. With big windows, an outdoor patio, food trucks and a beet garden, you will have plenty of delicious options to choose from. If for some reason your pallet isn’t jiving with what’s offered, just bring your own grub or order a pizza. Nonetheless, consider ordering the White Ranch Wit, namesaked for where you were just playing. It’s a complex wheat ale brewed with orange blossom honey, grapefruit peel and coriander with notes of citrus and spice.
Family Friendly
Kids will have a great time getting to know and love the natural world at the Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve. Your kids probably already love and respect natural ecosystems. But if not, they will after experiencing the hands-on play room where the interactive touch and feel activities lure them in. You might even get sucked in yourself and learn a thing or two about Colorado’s flora and fauna. Watch out.
Time Machine
The Triceratops Trail take you on an easy1.5-mile gravel covered adventure through huge vertical walls of sandstone and down into old clay pits. Interpretive stops along the way tell tale of the days of clay mining as well as sharing details about the dinosaur, bird, mammal, insect, and invertebrate tracks and traces that can be seen here. There are even several walls full of plant impressions from the tree-lined delta-like environment. Recommended start at 6th Avenue and 19th Street.
Bow WOW!
Tony Grampsas Memorial Sports Complex will give your pooch some much needed off-leash time at the north end of the ball fields at 44th and Salvia. These enclosed 2.5 acres is absolute heaven for us and our furry friends alike. Large trees offer great shade in the heat of the summer and there are lots of shrubby areas dogs love to explore. Do note that groundwater can reach the surface making for muddy paws, so bring a towel.
Surf’s Up
The Clear Creek White Water Park was dedicated in 1998 and was built for recreational canoeing and kayaking. The quarter mile of developed creek is split into a number of sections. The top has a series of drops and pools to play in and will accommodate a range of abilities. For flat, broad and shallow surf waves with a few random boulders to play with hit the middle section. Experts can head to the lower section for bigger surf and wave drops. Getting in is free but it’s also unsupervised so don’t get in over your head. Located at 1201 10th Street in Golden.
