Colorado in July (6 day itinerary)

Colorado is possibly the most beautiful place I’ve been to, with a multitude of mountains, canyons, red rocks, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and more. So much of the state has been preserved in parks and open spaces, which provides a multitude of activities in the surrounding areas of Colorado’s metropolis, Denver.

This itinerary is meant for 6 days, 5 nights and requires a car. I arrived in the afternoon and left on a very late red-eye flight (making it basically 6 nights). So if your flight itinerary differs, you may need to shift things around. Hopefully this will provide a starting point for what I promise you will be a spectacular trip that will not disappoint (if you’re not already accustomed to domineering mountains and tall pine trees. If you are, well, then you’re just a nature snob, and we’re not all as lucky as you).

Day 1: Travel to Denver

Arrive mid-afternoon, and pick up a rental car if you’re flying in. Note: The airport tacks on all kinds of fees; it’s probably more cost-effective to Uber to a different rental car location. I used Enterprise – Aurora North because it was cheapest when booking it online, but I also noticed that the cheapest locations kept changing.

Check in to your accommodation before heading into downtown Denver. I recommend Holiday Inn – East Stapleton for mid-budget. It’s out of the way so you save some money and the parking is included. You also get a sweet city view of the Denver skyline in front of the mountain, if you’re facing that direction. It’s only about 10 minutes from downtown (with no traffic.)

Once all checked in, head towards Larimer Square, a historic district that’s lit up with a wide selection of restaurants and shops nearby. Take a walk around the block and grab a hearty American dish at Euclid. Afterwards, walk through downtown Denver towards 54thirty rooftop bar for some cocktails with a view of the mountains. 

Day 2: Denver & Colorado Springs

Spend the morning in Denver to enjoy a little more of the city life before heading to the outdoors in Colorado Springs. If you’re like me, you want to start your day off with a cup of coffee. Head to Hooked on Colfax for a latte and a delicious egg sandwich. 

Make your way towards City Park for a walk around the pond. One of the best views of the skyline is from the back of the Museum of Natural History.

Next we’re heading towards Cheesman Park and the Denver Botanic Gardens. 

There’s free Botanic Gardens parking (but limited, so try to get there early enough). Walk over to Cheesman Park for more greenery before heading back to the Botanic Gardens entrance. The gardens are huge so it will likely take a couple of hours to get through.

Around noon you might consider heading to Colorado Springs. We decided to get our nature and hikes in before checking into our hotel. We also decided to get something quick (Chick fil A) and bring it to the first hike to eat. First stop is Austin Bluffs Open Space, which is about an hour and a half hike to the top of the rock formation.

Next up, drive to the top of Palmer Park (keep left, as far as the road goes to the top parking area). Enjoy some panoramic views of the mountains and a hike through the wilderness with views of rocky canyons.

Final outdoorsy destination of the day: High Chaparral Open Space, which is in a residential area but provides overlooking views of the mountains.

Finally time to check in to your accommodation. I stayed in SCP Hotel (Soul, Community, Planet) which has a modern, trendy feel. It was clean and comfortable with an aesthetically designed room, but the walls were paper thin. It’s right off the highway which is convenient but can be noisy. SCP Hotel offers fair trade pricing, meaning at the end of your stay you have the option to pay what you think your visit was worth.

For dinner, try Bada Japanese.

After you’ve filled up on an enormous sushi roll, head to Quail Lake Park to watch the sun set over the lake, behind the mountains. Then go back and get a good night’s sleep!

Day 3: Colorado Springs 

Get ready for an incredible day of mountains and rock formations like you’ve never seen.

You’re going to want to start early so plan ahead to get to Garden of the Gods as soon as possible. The Visitor’s Center opens at 8am and you don’t want to arrive much later than that (at least in July, we caught the last parking spot in the lot next to our trail). 

I recommend Palmer Trail, which weaves around most of the park, providing magnificent views of the rock structures, valleys, and mountain ranges beyond. When looking out, you’ll be able to spot Pike’s Peak.

This trail is about 3-4 miles long if you take it all the way to the Siamese Twins formation. 

Garden of the Gods has several trails and offers rock-climbing and horseback riding among other things, so it would be easy to spend the whole day there. But if you are only in Colorado Springs for a day or two, you may want to diversify your adventures. Next stop: A drive through Manitou Springs if you want to see the downtown area of the mountain town. It’s about 10 minutes out of Garden of the Gods. Then head over to Ute Valley Park, offering many different trails and bike paths around the valley. This is a good spot to stop for a lunch break.

Besides Garden of the Gods, the other jewel of Colorado Springs (in my opinion) is North Cheyenne Cañon Park. Drive up to the Mt. Cutler trailhead for a 2 mile hike through the mountains with incredible views.

There are so many trails in this park, I wish I’d spent more time here and had more to recommend. For a waterfall view, head over to the Helen Hunt Falls Visitor Center to see Helen Hunt Falls and Silver Cascade Falls.

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, grab dinner and a drink at Colorado Mountain Brewery. If you’re lucky, you’ll enjoy your meal while gazing at the mountains. I tried the Colorado Pizza with bison and chorizo, which was delicious.

Day 4: Colorado Springs, Boulder, & Estes Park

Start your morning by heading back to Quail Lake Park for a reflective vista of the mountains in a different light than at dusk. Feast your eyes for every last second until heading over to Red Rock Canyon. 

With views that remind me of Jurassic Park, I felt like I’d step into a dinosaur footprint at any moment. You do not want to miss the canyons, rocks, lakes, and mountain views that this park has to offer, so be sure to pencil it into your schedule. 

We took the Red Rock Canyon Trail to Quarry Pass across a giant red rock, onto Greenlee Trail which looped back around to the entrance.

Next you’re heading to Estes Park, and if you have time along the way, why not stop in Boulder?

We stopped at Chautauqua Park for a moderate hike before grabbing a fresh lunch at Modern Market and taking a walk through the outdoors Pearl Street Mall. While only in Boulder for a couple of hours, we wanted to get a good feel for the college town/mountain city.

You’re back on the road to Estes Park. On the way you’ll drive through the Roosevelt National Forest on winding mountain roads saturated in scenic backdrops. When we arrived we checked straight into our accommodation, Estes Lake Lodge. The Lodge offers a variety of options for cottages and rooms to meet your needs. Lucky for us, our cottage had a leak and we were upgraded to the Lakeside Manor House, a 3-bed, 2-bathroom house with astounding views of the mountains over Estes Lake.

While a little out of the way (about 8 minutes from downtown Estes Park; 15 minutes to entry of the Rockies) the lodge appears to offer some of the greatest views in the entire area, as it looks out at all the mountain ranges to the west over the lake.

Head towards downtown Estes Park and the Riverwalk for a walk around the shops and restaurants of what I call the epitome of a mountain town. Grab some saltwater taffy, browse for mountain gear, and shop through artisan goods before finding a restaurant. I recommend Wapiti, which has a wide selection of burgers, sandwiches, seafood, and other American food for a reasonable price. Make sure to save room for dessert though—you won’t be able to walk by the Danish Cone Factory and not buy an ice cream cone after smelling the fresh, creamy scent wafting onto the streets from inside the shop.

After you’ve walked off a bit of your dinner, head over to Estes Lake to watch the sun go down behind the mountains.

Day 5: Rocky Mountains 

The day you’ve been waiting for is finally here. This itinerary is planned so the Rockies are experienced on weekdays rather than a weekend, as to be less busier. It’s also a solid strategy to plan the Rockies last since they’re so incredible, and if you experience them first, nothing else will compare to their magnificence.

You will want to get there as early as possible to get parking. The park fills up fast and this will be even more critical if you end up going on a weekend.

You want to park all the way at the end of Bear Lakes Road and spend the day exploring the many trails in that area. 

To begin, take a peek at Bear Lake. There’s a short trail that walks around it but admittedly, it is one of the more underwhelming lakes. 

We decided to get a head start on hiking Dream Lake and Emerald Lake instead; this ended up being a good idea. On our way out the trail in was a lot more packed with people.

The hike to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake is about 5.5 miles round trip. 

It was recommended to us by the park ranger as a “sweet hike,” and a sweet hike it indeed was. It had incredible views every minute of the way and might have been my favorite trail. 

Next hike to Alberta Falls and Mills Lake. The hike to the waterfall is about a mile. 

It takes another two miles to get to Mills Lake; so it’s about six miles round trip. This lake is definitely worth the hike and presented one of the most beautiful scenes we saw through our entire time in Colorado.

We stopped at the lake to eat our peanut butter sandwiches, and I gotta say, it’s the best view I’ve ever had while eating a meal. 

At this point you’ve easily hiked at least 12 miles and your legs are probably jelly. We wanted to see the west side of the park but it was about an hour-and-a-half drive (although only 50 miles). Instead we drove in that direction (through the Rockies) for about 30-45 minutes, pulling off at various points to admire the view. 

At Parks Curve, there is a stunning panoramic view of many of the popular peaks in the Rockies.

Head back to Estes Park for some good mountain-style barbecue and beer at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ and Brews. 

Day 6: Rockies & Denver 

Last day in Colorado—gotta make the most of it! Start your day early again, pulling up the the Deer Mountain trailhead. Hike up to the Deer Mountain summit for some gorgeous, high-level views. It’s only about 1,000 feet of elevation so it’s very manageable for a beginner. It’s about six miles round trip. 

On our way out, we broke off the main trail to head towards the campsite in that area. Walk about a half-mile, just enough to enjoy the views from that side of the mountain, and head back to your car.

Drive over to the Roaring River waterfall at Alluvial Fan. It’s a short walk away, and you might as well visit while you’re in the area. 

Take your lunch at a side-stop with an incredible overlook. We took ours almost at the entrance of the park, on a side with a large rock and amazing scenic view of the Rockies. Take one final lasting sweep of the peaks and hop on the road.

Head back into downtown Denver to kill some time before catching your flight. Check out the Denver Art Museum, walk through the 16th Street Mall, and grab dinner at Blue Agave before kissing goodbye to the Mile High City.