Things to Do

Trail

Paved, 10-foot-wide trail along Clear Creek that links downtown Golden with Clear Creek Canyon…Paved, 10-foot-wide trail along Clear Creek that links downtown Golden with Clear Creek Canyon. The Gateway and Tunnel 1 trailheads have restrooms and more than 170 parking spaces.

Trailhead

Jeffco foothills park minutes from downtown Golden, popular with mountain bikers for technical trails and the…Jeffco foothills park minutes from downtown Golden, popular with mountain bikers for technical trails and the climb up Lookout Mountain. Several trails alternate between bikes and hikers by calendar date.

Trailhead

Hiker-only Jeffco park on Golden Gate Canyon Road: nearly five miles of steep…Hiker-only Jeffco park on Golden Gate Canyon Road: nearly five miles of steep, rocky trail and a 1.6-mile loop around the top of the 7,260-foot peak, with views over Golden and the plains.

Trailhead

Jeffco trailhead on Lookout Mountain Road for the Beaver Brook and Chimney Gulch trails…Jeffco trailhead on Lookout Mountain Road for the Beaver Brook and Chimney Gulch trails, and the launch for paragliders and hang gliders off Mount Zion.

Park

Near-backcountry Jeffco open space with a 12-mile loop, views of Clear Creek and a chance to see elk…Near-backcountry Jeffco open space with a 12-mile loop, views of Clear Creek and a chance to see elk. Weekend trail use alternates by date; the park closes to the public in December and January for a permitted hunt.

Park

Jeffco open space along US 6 in Clear Creek Canyon: climbing, fishing and paddling…Jeffco open space along US 6 in Clear Creek Canyon: climbing, fishing and paddling, and the paved Clear Creek Trail. Trailheads from the Gateway at 21100 US 6 up to Cannonball Flats.

Park

About seven blocks of built whitewater course on Clear Creek across from Lions Park…About seven blocks of built whitewater course on Clear Creek across from Lions Park, free to use and unsupervised. For paddlers who can handle fast, cold water.

Park

Free outdoor history park along Clear Creek in downtown Golden…Free outdoor history park along Clear Creek in downtown Golden: 1800s cabins and outbuildings moved from the Pearce Ranch, an 1876 schoolhouse and a Native American Arbor. Buildings open on event days.

Park

City park next to the Golden Community Center, just north of Clear Creek, with a large accessible playground…City park next to the Golden Community Center, just north of Clear Creek, with a large accessible playground, shaded picnic tables and two rentable pavilions. Known for its community Fourth of July celebration.

Park

Jeffco's nature center on Lookout Mountain, with exhibits on foothills plants and animals…Jeffco's nature center on Lookout Mountain, with exhibits on foothills plants and animals, a kids' play room and free naturalist programs, set in a 110-acre hiker-only preserve.

Park

City and County of Denver park on Lookout Mountain, open year-round: Buffalo Bill's grave…City and County of Denver park on Lookout Mountain, open year-round: Buffalo Bill's grave, a free observation deck with views of the Front Range and plains, picnic tables and a trail to the Lookout Mountain Nature Center.

Park

Jeffco Parks & Open Space mesa park with 15-plus miles of trails, panoramic views and rock climbing…Jeffco Parks & Open Space mesa park with 15-plus miles of trails, panoramic views and rock climbing. Trailheads at 4788 Highway 93 (West) and 100 Peery Parkway (Golden Cliffs).

Park

Golden's oldest park, built in the early 1900s beside Clear Creek just north of downtown: shade trees…Golden's oldest park, built in the early 1900s beside Clear Creek just north of downtown: shade trees, picnic tables and a big lawn, on the Clear Creek Trail.

Park

Mesa-top Jeffco open space with the new 1.5-mile T. rex Tooth Trail and a 3-mile loop past the 1935 WPA…Mesa-top Jeffco open space with the new 1.5-mile T. rex Tooth Trail and a 3-mile loop past the 1935 WPA amphitheater. Camp George West Trailhead at 1219 Kilmer Street.

Park

Small city park on Clear Creek across from the Coors Brewery, with a playground and a picnic pavilion…Small city park on Clear Creek across from the Coors Brewery, with a playground and a picnic pavilion. The take-out for tubers and paddlers coming down the creek.

Park

The largest park in the Jeffco Parks & Open Space system: 20-plus miles of multi-use trails and two walk-in…The largest park in the Jeffco Parks & Open Space system: 20-plus miles of multi-use trails and two walk-in, tent-only campgrounds. East Trailhead on West 56th Avenue, West Trailhead on Belcher Hill Road.

Venue

Denver's museum of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his Wild West show…Denver's museum of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his Wild West show, beside his grave on Lookout Mountain. Adults $5; the grave, observation deck and park are free.

Venue

A 15-acre railyard of more than 100 locomotives, cars and cabooses, with a working roundhouse…A 15-acre railyard of more than 100 locomotives, cars and cabooses, with a working roundhouse, an 1880s-style depot museum and train rides on set days. Adults $12, ages 2–17 $5.

Venue

Art center founded in 1968: free exhibitions seven days a week at 1133 Arapahoe Street…Art center founded in 1968: free exhibitions seven days a week at 1133 Arapahoe Street, with classes at its Creative Campus on 15th Street.

Venue

The city's history museum on 10th Street, free and open Tuesday to Saturday…The city's history museum on 10th Street, free and open Tuesday to Saturday, with exhibits drawn from a collection of 15,000-plus objects and a hands-on gallery for young children.

Venue

Colorado School of Mines' free earth science museum: Colorado minerals…Colorado School of Mines' free earth science museum: Colorado minerals, an Apollo 17 moon rock and more than 3,000 items on display, open daily in the General Research Lab building on Maple Street.