The Mile High City is a great place to visit with so much to see and do in the city and great nature not too far away. Being that I grew up in Colorado and go back for visits every year, I have a lot of places to share so this post will mostly just focus on Denver and the surrounding area. The places I’ll be sharing in this post are: Castlewood Canyon, Roxborough Park, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, Paint Mines, Hudson Gardens, Tiny Town, and the Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Zoo, and Museum of Nature & Science.

First up – Castlewood Canyon State Park. This is Franktown, which is about an hour drive outside of Denver. The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle. It has great views, trails, and rock climbing. Depending on how much you’re able to hike, you can stay on the trail and walk around the top of the canyon, or go down into the canyon which has a little more hills. I like both as the views from the top are nice, but also going down in the canyon is beautiful. It’s a great place to take kids with simple enough hikes for them. It’s definitely a nice spot to visit if you’re not up for going into the mountains. Fall and summer are the best times to go in my opinion for the foliage in the fall and greenery in the summer, or late spring.

Next is Roxborough State Park, about a 45-minute drive from Denver. It’s a nice little spot to walk trails with beautiful red rock formations around and is great for kids. The fee to enter is $10 per vehicle or $4 for an individual. It was nice and empty when I was there early in the morning, which is always nice. I had stopped by Roxborough Park one day with my mom and siblings one morning after trying to see the hot air balloon launch at nearby Chatfield State Park for their annual festival. Unfortunately, it was too windy that day for the balloons so, we tried to find something else to do since we were out. I have gotten out before sunrise, more than once, in the hopes of getting to see some hot air balloons and each time it was too windy for them to launch.

Another favorite spot of mine is Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, about 20 minutes from Roxborough Park and 20 minutes from Denver. There are nice trails around the park that are similar to Roxborough with the red rock formations. I enjoy walking around the amphitheater and trying to get a workout in by going up and down the stairs. If you go early in the morning you’ll find quite a few people getting their exercise in at the amphitheater. For the photos I have, I managed to get there near sunrise, which was beautiful. My favorite time to get out though not always possible. There are also many concerts that are held here, but I have yet to go to one. It’s definitely a gorgeous location to enjoy one.

Next up – Paint Mines. I stumbled across this spot when looking at Google Maps for something new to see near Aurora. It’s a bit further, near Calhan, taking about an hour and 40 minutes to get there from Denver. It’s another place kids would enjoy and easy enough to walk around. It is a dirt road once you get onto Paint Mine Rd, but just a mile and a half until you reach the mines. It’s free to enter, which is always a plus. The geologic formations and colors are quite fascinating and it’s just a cool spot to walk around.

Next is – Hudson Gardens. These gardens are located in Littleton, just a 20-minute drive from Denver. It’s not a huge botanical garden, but it is beautiful and each time I’ve gone it wasn’t crowded, making it a nice peaceful walk. Admission into the gardens is free, but there is a donation box for any contributions. The kids enjoy walking around the garden, particularly the Garden Railroad, which is located near the main entrance. The rose garden is beautiful as well as the little ponds. It’s a nice free thing to do if you have the time.

Next is – Tiny Town. Tiny Town is located 30-minutes from Denver in Morrison and is a town of miniature buildings that kids can look at and a few to do go in. There’s also a little railroad and train to ride that goes around. Admission is quite decent at $5 for adults and $4 for kids 2-12. Train rides are $4 each. Young kids will definitely enjoy it and it’s another quiet little spot (at least when I’ve gone).

Last on the list are the kid-friendly spots in Denver like the Denver Zoo, Denver Botanical Gardens, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and Children’s Museum. The zoo is your typical city zoo, with lots of animals to see. Tickets are $26 for adults and $19 for kids ages 3-15. The botanical gardens are nearby and while not as huge as other ones I’ve been to and doesn’t have as many gardens, it’s still a nice one to visit. Tickets are $16 for adults and about $12 for kids. Right outside the gardens is Cheesman Park, which is a nice park to walk around as well. One year, in 2014, I visited the botanic gardens when they had the Chihuly exhibit. I loved that so much, all of the glass sculptures were so beautiful and it was nice getting to enjoy them in the gardens. The Nature & History Museum is a great spot to take kids to. Tickets are $26 for adults and $21 for kids ages 3-18. My kids loved the Discovery Zone, Space Odyssey, and the Health Exhibit. There’s also a planetarium there to enjoy. Tickets for that are $7 for adults and $6 for kids ages 3-18. The Children’s Museum I haven’t been to since I was a kid, but I remember loving it. Tickets for here are $20 for ages 2 and up and $18 for 1-year olds.

This of course, is not an exhaustive list – there are so many other places within Denver and outside of Denver to visit. There’s the amusement park, Elitch Gardens, which was one of my favorites and near that is the aquarium (haven’t been there since it first opened and was called Ocean Journey). Be sure if you’re visiting Denver to check out all it has to offer, in the city and outside of it.

Next up – Italy