Recreation in Colorado

With 300 sunny days a year and a temperate climate, year-round, outdoor recreation is possible in the Denver area. Colorado has 40 state parks and three national parks, making activities like biking, hiking, camping, fishing, or skiing convenient

Denver has 25 world-class ski resorts within 100 miles of the metro area. In addition, there are over 75 public and private golf courses in the surrounding areas.

There are 205 parks within the city limits of Denver, making it the largest city park network in the nation. Surrounding counties have preserved over 100,000 acres as open space to enjoy. One of the longest recreational trails in the metro area, the High Line Canal, runs 60 miles connecting Douglas, Arapahoe, and Denver counties. In addition, there are more than 20,000 acres of parks within a couple of hours of the metro area, in the nearby mountains.

County Open Space Web Sites: Adams County Open Space Arapahoe County Recration District Boulder County Open Space City and County of Broomfield Open Space Douglas County Parks and Trails Division

Biking: Denver Bicycling Touring Club International Mountain Biking Association

Hiking and Climbing: Colorado Mountain Club Hiking in Colorado Mike’s Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park Rifle Climbers’ Guide

Hunting and Fishing: Colorado Division of Wildlife Home Page Colorado Fishing Colorado Fly Casting Colorado Fly Fishing

Parks: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument Colorado National MonumentMesa Verde National Park Rocky Mountain National Park

Ski Resorts: A-Basin Arrowhead Mountain Beaver Creek Breckenridge Copper MountainCuchara Mountain Resort Eldora Howelsen Skiing Keystone Skiing Ski Loveland Monarch Skiing Durango Mtn. Resort Ski Cooper Snowmass Village Steamboat Ski Ski Sunlight Vail SkiWinter Park and Mary Jane Wolf Creek Ski Resort