Denver Leisure

Denver is one of the most sporting cities on earth, but it’s not all limited to spectator events. The locals love to take advantage of the beautiful scenery, vast recreational infrastructure and diversity of activities to get out and stay fit. There’s plenty to do right in the city, but if you head just an hour west into the Rockies, you’ll find a vast and wild mountain wonderland.

Spectator sports

The choice of professional sporting events in Denver is among the best in the country. Throughout the year, you can find every major sport played in America, so it’s very likely that you’ll be able to catch a game during your visit. The Colorado Rockies play their baseball at the beautiful old-style Coors Field in the heart of downtown. For basketball, the Denver Nuggets play their home games at the new Pepsi Centre between November and April. The Denver Broncos play football at the modern Investco Field at Mile High, while ice hockey fans can catch the Colorado Avalanche playing at the Pepsi Centre from October through April.

Skiing

Denver stands at the gateway to I-70, the artery which provides access to the entire Rocky Mountain region and its many ski resorts. The closest ski areas to the city are Winterpark, Loveland and Eldora, all located within an hour’s drive. As you continue another hour into the mountains, you can enjoy the much larger and more exciting ski resorts of Vail, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Keystone. Beyond these lie the famous town of Aspen. Colorado’s ski season runs from late November to early April, but you’ll need to rent a car if you want to go skiing, as unfortunately, there’s no public transportation system into the mountains.

City paths

One of the greatest things about Denver is the extensive system of cycling and walking paths which wind throughout the city. These paved trails are wide, safe and well away from street traffic, making for a perfect environment to get out for some exercise and great views of the mountains and city skyline.

The Cherry Creek Bike Path is one of the nicest trails, stretching from Cherry Creek Shopping Area to Larimer Square along the peaceful creek which bears its name. Other excellent trail systems include the 20-mile Platte River Greenway, which runs alongside the river, and the Highline Canal path, which runs 70 miles along level dirt paths all the way across the Denver metro area.