Local Recommendations
Here's a bunch of fun adventures we've either done or heard of near us. There is *a lot* more to do than what is listed, depending on how far you want to drive and what you're into, so I would encourage you to just google anything you're interested in! Honestly, in most areas in CO, you can't really go wrong. Also, we are here to answer any questions!
Keep in mind Denver is pretty big! Traffic can play a huge role in getting around so get up early and plan ahead to beat the crowds. Also, we've learned that Colorado drivers can be pretty aggressive and the speed limits are faster than the midwest so be alert!
Everything below includes estimated distance from Longmont, CO.
Rocky Mountain National Park
(1-1.5 hours)
RMNP offers many options for hiking and site seeing - peaks, waterfalls, and lakes galore. You may only enter the park through reserving a date and time, as well as purchasing a park pass, so please plan ahead! We have some tips and tricks if you're interested.
Park permit & pass
Estes Park, CO
(50 mins)
This city sits at the entrance of RMNP. There is shopping, restaurants, and is generally a cute town to walk around. If you can't go to RMNP, you can still get some views here.
Boulder, CO
(30 mins)
Home of the flatirons, Boulder is a medium sized city that is known to be one of the healthiest in the country! It is a big cycling town and has a lot of local hiking (check out Chautauqua Park or the NCAR trailhead). Also check out Pearl Street Mall, an outdoor shopping & dining area.
Colorado Springs, CO
(2 hours)
Our old hood, the Springs (as they call it) is home to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and Manitou Springs. Pikes Peak is one of many 14ers in Colorado, but one of few that you can just drive up (or take the railway cog - but plan ahead for tickets)! Arrive at Garden of the Gods before 9am for the best parking, and stop by Manitou Springs for local shops and restaurants.
Downtown Denver
(45 mins - 1 hour)
While we haven't spent much time downtown ourselves, if you're a city person then I'd recommend checking out some of these areas: RiNo, LoDo, Colfax, Washington Park, and Littleton (this one's not downtown, but still cute!). There are festivals, museums, sports, food, parks & gardens, shopping, culture, etc.! We'd recommend a Rockies game if there's a home game. Check out the rail system (RTD) if you don't want to deal with parking.
Golden, CO
(50 mins)
Cute foothills town and home of Coors Brewery. Two recommended activities here are outdoor climbing and river tubing (this isn't a lazy river, so be prepared to flip & lose sunglasses!). And also, as most places in Colorado, several great restaurants with great beer.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
(4.5 hours)
While a trek from Longmont, if you're headed south anyway we would recommended stopping by this lesser known NP! There's a small river, mountains in the background, and sand dunes that never seem to end. We hiked as far as we could on the sand mountains and watched people glide to the bottom on their skis and snowboards!
Dillon Reservoir / Breckenridge
(1.5-2 hours)
Dillon Reservoir is a large lake right off of 70 where people hike, sunbathe, boat, paddleboard, kayak, and more. It is, of course, surrounded by mountains. If you want to see Breck in the summer, it's a ~20m drive south from Dillon. Ski towns are awesome for shopping, eating, and drinking - and there's even hiking up on the slopes. Fun fact - Breck is where we got engaged!
Fort Collins, CO
(50 mins)
We've only been here once but would recommended for 2 items - Horsetooth Reservoir and breweries. Fort Collins is home to New Belgium (my fav!) and Odell. On the reservoir you can hike, camp, fish, boat, swim, picnic, or just enjoy the views. Fort Collins is also a college town so it has a small cute downtown for food and shopping.
Mt. Evans Scenic Byway
(1 hour 15 mins)
If you want to see some views without as much physical activity, this trip will take you to the top of Mt. Evans, the 14th tallest 14er in CO. Starting in Idaho Springs, the drive climbs over 7,000 ft. in 28 miles. Along the drive you'll have many scenic views along the highest paved road in North America.
Other:
Here's a few others that are worth checking out.
- Red Rocks Amphitheatre: unique music venue w/ nearby hiking (Morrison, CO)
- Painted Mines: beautiful rock formations (Calhan, CO)
- Black Hawk: old casino town
- Georgetown Loop Rail
Alltrails...
If you want to hike, we recommend downloading the Alltrails app. You can filter by distance, park/location, elevation, things you want to see, and many other factors to find a hike right for you.