Landing in Denver doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Lexi Marshall, who has lived in Colorado for more than a decade, wrote in Insider that Golden is where she’d take a first-timer. The town sits about 15 miles west of downtown Denver, about a 25-minute drive, and typically less than an hour from Denver International Airport. It has mountains, a creek, and a walkable downtown.
Waking Up in Golden
Golden does sunrise well. Jasmine Alley, who listed the town among her hidden gems near Denver, watched the sky turn soft shades of pink and gold over the foothills from a balcony at the Table Mountain Inn. She also stepped outside to catch the sunrise from the street, with caution, though few cars were out. For anyone wanting a quieter option than staying in Denver, she says Golden makes a good base.
Coffee, Then the Trail
Marshall would start at Sogo Beans and Boards, a family-owned coffee and skate shop that air-roasts its fair-trade coffee and makes its own syrups and pastries. Golden’s trails are close, so she’d rent an e-bike for the paved Clear Creek Trail, which follows the water through parks, or tackle North Table Mountain, where the initial climb stings but rewards with views of the city and surrounding mesas.
A Drive Up the Mountain
Alley’s other tip near Golden is Windy Saddle Park, where the good hiking means driving all the way up the mountain. The winding road has scenic overlooks of its own, and she says to expect mountain bikers on the way up and down. At the trailhead, a narrow path climbs to the top and back, with a few pull-offs for views of the mountains and the city below.
Lunch With a Rooftop View
Marshall’s lunch pick is The Golden Mill, a food hall along Clear Creek, where sushi, tacos, fried chicken, barbecue, and New Zealand-style ice cream share a roof with more than 50 self-pour taps. Creekside and rooftop patios have mountain views, and she also took a rooftop yoga class there. The summer series typically returns in May, and past events included rooftop barre and Keg Conditioning, a workout using empty kegs.
The Quieter Table Mountain
South Table Mountain is a flat-topped basalt mesa above Golden, and Alley says it is quieter than North Table. Castle Rock sits at the summit, and the view takes in Golden, Clear Creek, and the Denver skyline. The hike is free and open during daylight hours, and she suggests going at golden hour, when the trail is often nearly empty. Parts of the summit area are private property, she warns.
Browsing Washington Avenue
Washington Avenue handles the browsing, with locally owned boutiques, galleries, and Western outfitters, plus a seasonal Saturday farmers market. Coors began brewing beside the creek in 1873, and the Colorado School of Mines was established nearby a year later. Marshall says you can still sense that industrial past on foot. Kayakers play at Clear Creek Whitewater Park, and beer fans can tour the Coors Brewery.
Colorado Is Bigger Than One Day
For visitors with more than a day, National Geographic’s John Sizemore says Colorado’s size means many of its best spots often get overlooked. His circular road trip through under-visited corners includes Leadville, the highest-elevation incorporated city in the United States at 10,152 feet, nearly twice the elevation of Denver. It also stops at Great Sand Dunes National Park, where he suggests sandboarding downhill and climbing a dune for sunset.
More Hot Springs and Waterfalls
Sizemore’s route also reaches Glenwood Springs, where a short gondola ride climbs to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, and a soak awaits at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. He calls Hanging Lake Trail one of the state’s most memorable hikes, with waterfalls at the top feeding ponds in green hues. Ouray, nicknamed the Switzerland of America, has a Perimeter Trail circling town, two waterfall parks, and its own hot springs.
Why Golden Works
Marshall’s case for Golden is a concentrated first taste of Colorado, with mountain views and no long mountain drive, adventure beside a walkable downtown, and a full day’s worth of food, beer, and local character. Her favorite memories there include simple ones, like a quiet morning with her sister. More than a decade in the state, the ease and charm are still her idea of Colorado.
