colorado is a gorgeous state with amazing SCENERY and some of the best breweries in the countrY!
Colorado Tips:
Be aware of the altitude! It's real! Stay hydrated and take things slow to avoid feeling sick, especially when you first arrive
I-70 is notorious for back-ups and slow downs. Plan for extra time if you’re going somewhere that includes this route, which is most places in Colorado.
Below are my recommendations for Rocky Mountain National Park, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Frisco, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Greeley. My Denver list is simply too long since I have been there so many times, so my full guide is below:
Rocky Mountain National Park:
RMNP! I feel like this park gets a bad rap for being crowded, but I really enjoyed my time here. There are stunning views and a lot of wildlife. I saw moose, elk, and deer during my visit and I would recommend keeping your head on a swivel at all times.
The park also has a system for peak season entrance. You will need Timed Entry reservations and Bear Lake Road access permits if you are visiting essentially from May to October, depending on the year. Find the information on that system here.
Estes Park is right at the park entrance and makes for a great base for your adventure. The views from the town are great as well. It is of course a touristy area but it is still cute and has plenty of things to do. Grand Lake is also a cute town at the opposite end of the park but it is much further from trailheads. It makes for a great place to stop on your way into the park if you are traveling from that direction with lots of restaurants and of course the pretty lake.
Sky Pond Lakes Combo Trail: I hiked the Sky Pond, The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop Trail but also added on a detour to Emerald Lake. Overall this was 12.8 miles with 2,602ft of elevation gain and took about 7 hours with stops at each lake along the way. It will take you to Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, Lake Haiyaha, The Loch, Sky Pond, and Alberta Falls. You can do any number of versions of this trail—most folks just explore the lakes closer to the trailhead such as the Four Lake Loop Trail.
No matter what you decide I would say my favorites of all the stops were Dream Lake, The Loch, and Sky Pond. At The Loch be sure to go all the way out to the edge for the best view. I would also recommend starting early no matter your destination before it gets crowded, the parking lot fills up, and afternoon storms roll in.
I would probably skip Lake Haiyaha if it’s not already on your chosen path—you climb across boulders to get to the lake and it is not as nice/reflective as the others.
Climbing to Sky Pond is no joke—it is incredibly steep the last half mile until then you reach a waterfall that you need to physically climb up and then continue to hike further after that. Overall this combo trail’s elevation is really not bad, but that last push to Sky Pond is a doozie.
Drive the scenic Trail Ridge Road: This road takes you from Grand Lake to Estes Park, or vice-versa, with beautiful views along the way. It climbs all the way up to 12,183ft of elevation! Some points of interest along the way:
Rainbow Curve Overlook
Many Parks Overlook
Alpine Visitor Center and the Alpine Ridge Trail trail is here as well
Ute Trail: You can walk as far or as short as you’d like here
Bierstadt Lake Trail: This trail is 3.1 miles long with 620ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. It can be pretty steep at times, but it’s not too bad overall. I would highly recommend this trail at sunrise for a beautiful glow on the surrounding mountains and a pretty reflection on the lake. There is a little bit of road noise because you are hiking right off Bear Lake Road, but it’s not bad. The parking lot is small, but you can also take the shuttle to this trail or you can hike to Bierstadt Lake from Bear Lake as well.
Stay at Colorado Cottages: There are a ton of lodging options in Estes Park, but I found these cottages to be affordable, though basic, but nice enough, and only three minutes from the park gate.
The Barrel: This beer bar has 64 taps in the summer months and great vibes. They also have cocktails and a rotating onsite food truck. Highly recommend!
Full Throttle Distillery & Grill: A solid spot with a large tap list, cocktails made with their own liquor, and a barbeque focused food menu. They have a nice covered patio space and are located right next to The Barrel.
Avant Garde Aleworks: An average brewery with a small tap list and a nice patio.
ASPEN:
Aspen is a super boujie town where everything is a little over the top but it’s in a beautiful setting.
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness:
Buckskin Pass Trail + Crater Lake Trail: This combo trail is 11.3 miles long with 2,956ft of elevation gain and takes about 6 hours to complete. It starts at Maroon Lake, which is gorgeous. Most folks just head to Crater Lake from here which is about an hour out from the trailhead. This lake is pretty, though small and popular. The Buckskin Pass section of the trail is an absolute grind, but the views are remarkable throughout.
You will need to book either a shuttle from Aspen highlands in advance or a parking reservation for the small trailhead lot. The shuttle and parking at Aspen highlands is wildly expensive, so I would definitely try to get a parking reservation for the trailhead area.
Cathedral Lake Trail: This trail is 6.4 miles long with 2,060ft of elevation gain and takes just over 3.5 hours to complete. The trail is rated hard and is pretty tough at a few points, but not the entire way up. The lake itself is quite pretty and this is a nice trail—particularly because it is a bit further from town preventing too many folks from being there. The parking lot at the trailhead is quite small so I would recommend arriving early to secure a spot, and be aware the last half mile of the road to the parking area frankly sucks, but I made it in my little rental car.
Downtown Aspen:
Clark's Oyster Bar: A cute little spot that is a bit pricey, but very good.
Stanahan's Whiskey Lounge: I enjoyed a delicious Old Fashioned on the patio here. They also have a small food menu.
Aspen Brewing Company: This brewery is owned by Westbound & Down, so half of the tap list is specific to Aspen and half is W&B brews. They have a nice patio space and a pizza-focused food menu.
Snowmass:
I stayed in Snowmass and it sucked. 0/10 recommendation on this area. I chose it because it was far more affordable than Aspen but I should’ve spent a little more for a better experience.
Wienerstube: This German-style beer bar has a nice patio space and chill vibes. Unfortunately the drafts were broken during my visit so I left.
New Belgium Ranger Station: Half the reason I booked the condo that I did was because New Belgium had a tap room in Snowmass, but unfortunately they decided to not open during their posted hours so I was not able to visit.
Skip Venga Venga: I had high hopes for this Mexican restaurant with a view, but my food was served ice cold and the service was absolutely terrible.
Glenwood Springs:
The Glenwood Canyon area is very cool with drastic views, and this leads to the cute little old school western-style town of Glenwood Springs.
Downtown parking can be a little tough during popular times, but it is small enough that once you park once you can walk everywhere from there.
Casey Brewing and Blending: This stellar brewery is one of the top in the world. 12/10 recommend a visit to their taproom in the heart of Glenwood Springs! They have a large tap list alongside cans and bottles as well. Their team is incredibly nice and the beers are wildly good.
Hanging Lake Trail: This trail is 3 miles long with 1,062ft of elevation gain and takes about two hours to complete. It is a brutally steep climb at times over manmade rock steps. The trail leads to an incredibly unique blue-green lake with waterfalls that is gorgeous. There are nice benches up top to enjoy the view as well. The trailhead is just 10 minutes from town.
Heads up you need to make a reservation in advance to access this area, so though this is a popular hike it is not crowded thanks to this system. Make sure to also be flash flood aware, they are common here and you can see the evidence of destruction along the trail.
Woody Creek Distillers: This distillery and bar in Basalt is worth going out of the way for. Their cocktails are delicious and their taproom is cute. Fun fact, William H. Macy is an investor and a spokesman for the distillery and has a house nearby so he frequents the bar!
Slope & Hatch: A cute little spot with tasty tacos. Pro-tip: Grab some to-go food from here and walk over to Casey to enjoy!
Cooper Wine & Spirits: A great can/bottle shop in town. Their selection is insane! I just wish they had more single cans available instead of having to commit to 4-packs.
FRISCO:
Frisco is just over an hour from Denver and definitely worth an adventure to!
Outer Range Brewing Co.: A great brewery focused on IPAs. The brewery has amazing mountain views from the taproom as well. There’s also a coffee shop and a “Thai-ish” fried chicken restaurant in the building that has absolutely delicious food.
Hike! The Frisco area is absolutely gorgeous. I did a moderate 3.4 mile hike to a small lake that was right near downtown and had amazing views!
Cabin Creek Brewing: Located in Georgetown, Cabin Creek is the perfect stop on your way back to Denver. It is right off of I-70 making it super convenient! Cabin Creek has a full food menu with delicious pizzas and is located right on the lake surrounded by mountains! I would just add that if they are busy the wait times can be obscene, so beware.
BOULDer:
Boulder is only about 30 minutes outside of Denver and well worth a visit!
Boulder is definitely a college town so be aware of football games and other big events that could hinder your transportation/plans
Wild Provisions from 4 Noses Brewing: A great brewery with top-notch Lagers and Wild Ales. The vibes in their taproom and on the patio are fun.
Avery Brewing: Average beers in a large facility with an extensive tap list.
Mountain Sun Brewing: They have a cute little outdoor space and delicious food!
Fort Collins:
Fort Collins a cute college town with quite a few breweries. I stopped by 3:
Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project: A great brewery with locations in Fort Collins and Loveland. They have top-notch beers, Detroit-style pizzas, and incredible service.
Hello Brew Co: This brewery is adorable in a converted house space. Their taproom is mainly IPAs and Lagers and their beers are quite good!
Peculiar Ales: An average brewery with taprooms in Fort Collins and Windsor. They also have a small food menu.
COLORADO SPRINGS:
Colorado Springs is not my favorite area. I mainly visited to check out Garden of the Gods, and would not recommend spending much time here personally. A day trip from Denver would have been a better choice than spending a couple of days here.
Explore Garden of the Gods: I hiked the Palmer, Cabin Canyon, Strausenbach, and Central Gardens Trail Loop trail which is 4.3 miles long with 610ft of elevation gain. The front section of the park has the best views but also can be wildly busy with people. I would recommend arriving early for that morning glow effect on the rocks and to beat the crowds.
Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits: This bottle shop has an absolutely incredible selection. Highly recommend for snagging cans/bottles!
Cerberus Brewing: A solid brewery with a full food menu and a nice patio space.
They also have Seven Gates Taproom directly across the street with a handful of their beers and numerous guest taps.
Mount Cutler Trail: This hike is short and sweet at 1.9 miles long with 492ft of elevation gain. It is just 10 minutes from town located in North Cheyenne Cañon Park. The views are nice, and you can also spot the nearby Seven Falls from here. It is nothing special per say but served my purpose well of getting in a quick hike on my way into town. This park has lots of trails and is pretty overall.
Urban Animal Brewery: A brewery option downtown with average beers.
Pike’s Peak is another popular option in the area that you can drive up, hike up, or take a shuttle up to the summit for scenic views. Be sure to make reservations in advance. It seemed just a little too touristy and a little too inconvenient to me.
Greeley:
Greeley, Colorado is not a “must-visit” city by any means, but if you are reading this you are probably a beer nerd wanting to visit WeldWerks. That is also what brought me to this smelly, industrial city.
WeldWerks Brewing Co: Is an awesome brewery with a great patio space, a tasty food menu, and a massive tap list. I really enjoyed getting to taste their taproom-only brews and soaking in the vibes on the patio.
Stay at the DoubleTree Greeley: This is a nice, new hotel overlooking Lincoln Park and is conveniently a 5 minute walk to WeldWerks.
Wiley Roots Brewing Company is also in Greeley and I had planned to visit, but the walk from WeldWerks to Wiley Roots looked a little sketchier than I wanted to do at night, and their tap list did not look very exciting so I was not too disappointed.
