A Few of Our Favorite Restaurants and Hiking Spots
Food scene
1. There are all kinds of breweries, high-end and eclectic choices on the Pearl St. Mall. The Mall has now been extended to add a couple of extra pedestrian blocks, so there are many great outdoor dining and walking options. Down here, for fish try Jax. For Mexican food/good margaritas check out Centro. The Rio is a Boulder staple with the best roofdeck in town… known more for margaritas than its food perhaps!
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Pearl Street Mall
1303 Pearl Street1. There are all kinds of breweries, high-end and eclectic choices on the Pearl St. Mall. The Mall has now been extended to add a couple of extra pedestrian blocks, so there are many great outdoor dining and walking options. Down here, for fish try Jax. For Mexican food/good margaritas check out Centro. The Rio is a Boulder staple with the best roofdeck in town… known more for margaritas than its food perhaps!
Probably the best restaurant in Boulder with excellent food, wine, and service.
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Flagstaff House
1138 Flagstaff RdProbably the best restaurant in Boulder with excellent food, wine, and service.
A little less well-known and really nice without being wildly expensive – check out the old-fashioned Cork on 28th St. Known for its steaks and cocktails, as well as a solid happy hour.
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The Boulder Cork
3295 30th StA little less well-known and really nice without being wildly expensive – check out the old-fashioned Cork on 28th St. Known for its steaks and cocktails, as well as a solid happy hour.
Close by the house – Proto’s Pizza. Wood-fired, high heat ovens and thin crust pizza with some less-usual toppings. Decent beer garden around the side, and very good for quick food.
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Proto's Pizza-North Boulder - Broadway
Close by the house – Proto’s Pizza. Wood-fired, high heat ovens and thin crust pizza with some less-usual toppings. Decent beer garden around the side, and very good for quick food.
Our personal favorite – the classic Dark Horse in the south of town. Students, laborers, CU faculty, hippies, and more all mix happily in this down-home pub which has more character than the rest of Boulder put together! Cheap burgers and beer, and bags of atmosphere.
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Dark Horse
2922 Baseline RdOur personal favorite – the classic Dark Horse in the south of town. Students, laborers, CU faculty, hippies, and more all mix happily in this down-home pub which has more character than the rest of Boulder put together! Cheap burgers and beer, and bags of atmosphere.
Hiking
The highlight of Boulder hiking is Chautauqua. It’s crowded May-September but pretty quiet otherwise, especially if you get off the main, central trails. I’m a fan of the Green Mountain trail but it’s quite long (6 miles, 2800 feet of elevation). Put “Chautauqua Park” into Google maps. Tons of shorter options here too.
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Chautauqua Park
9th StreetThe highlight of Boulder hiking is Chautauqua. It’s crowded May-September but pretty quiet otherwise, especially if you get off the main, central trails. I’m a fan of the Green Mountain trail but it’s quite long (6 miles, 2800 feet of elevation). Put “Chautauqua Park” into Google maps. Tons of shorter options here too.
Very close to the house is the excellent Anne U. White trail (put that name into maps). It’s 3.4 miles total of streams and shaded trails going gently upwards. It’s an out and back trail, so 1.7 miles each way. Pretty stunning and excellent on a hot day.
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Anne U. White Trail
Anne U. White TrailVery close to the house is the excellent Anne U. White trail (put that name into maps). It’s 3.4 miles total of streams and shaded trails going gently upwards. It’s an out and back trail, so 1.7 miles each way. Pretty stunning and excellent on a hot day.
Also close to us and ideal for walking or running is Boulder Valley Ranch (“Boulder Valley Ranch Trailhead” in maps). It doesn’t have a lot of shade though. This is a 2.7 mile loop that takes in a lake and some cattle/horse properties. It has average inclines on one side but the trail is very smooth.
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Boulder Valley Ranch Trailhead
Sage TrailAlso close to us and ideal for walking or running is Boulder Valley Ranch (“Boulder Valley Ranch Trailhead” in maps). It doesn’t have a lot of shade though. This is a 2.7 mile loop that takes in a lake and some cattle/horse properties. It has average inclines on one side but the trail is very smooth.
Less for walking but more for reading/hanging out in the evening (and also close by) is Buckingham Park (“Buckingham Picnic Area” in maps). There’s a little stream here and lots of shade, and it’s a lovely place to post up and relax.
Buckingham Park
Less for walking but more for reading/hanging out in the evening (and also close by) is Buckingham Park (“Buckingham Picnic Area” in maps). There’s a little stream here and lots of shade, and it’s a lovely place to post up and relax.
City/town information
A bit farther away is the quaint Colorado town of Eldorado Springs (“Eldo”), a few miles south of Boulder. There are very good trails here too that head up into the front range. Head for “South Mesa Trailhead” and there are all sorts of options ranging from all day hikes to an hour. On the weekends, go very early – these lots fill up and there’s no parking otherwise in Eldo.
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Eldorado Springs
A bit farther away is the quaint Colorado town of Eldorado Springs (“Eldo”), a few miles south of Boulder. There are very good trails here too that head up into the front range. Head for “South Mesa Trailhead” and there are all sorts of options ranging from all day hikes to an hour. On the weekends, go very early – these lots fill up and there’s no parking otherwise in Eldo.
Classic Colorado mountain town... look out for the elk hanging out on the golf course at certain times of year! Quirky and fun, with local shopping and good food/pubs.
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Estes Park
Classic Colorado mountain town... look out for the elk hanging out on the golf course at certain times of year! Quirky and fun, with local shopping and good food/pubs.
Catch the Rockies at Coors Field (tickets as cheap as $10) and enjoy the fantastic Ballpark neighborhood with all kinds of bars and food. The city has really blossomed in the last 10 years - tons of shopping and things to do.
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Denver
Catch the Rockies at Coors Field (tickets as cheap as $10) and enjoy the fantastic Ballpark neighborhood with all kinds of bars and food. The city has really blossomed in the last 10 years - tons of shopping and things to do.