Call to Arms Brewing Co. is a neighborhood craft brewery in north Denver's Berkeley neighborhood, celebrated for its approachable, well-balanced beers and warm, welcoming taproom atmosphere. The brewery leans toward classic styles done exceptionally well — crisp lagers, balanced IPAs, rich stouts — with a commitment to quality over hype.

The taproom itself is comfortable and unpretentious, with a large patio that draws families and dog-owners, and the Berkeley neighborhood surrounding it offers excellent restaurants, coffee shops, and independent retail within easy walking distance.

Denver's northwest neighborhoods have emerged as some of the city's most livable and interesting, and Call to Arms anchors the drinking side of that scene in Berkeley.

TIP: Call to Arms is particularly well-regarded for its lagers — order one if it's on tap.

TIP: The patio is busy on summer evenings; arrive before 5pm on Fridays to get a spot.

TIP: Pair the brewery with dinner at one of the excellent independent restaurants on Tennyson Street, just two blocks away.

Website

Call to Arms Brewing Co.

Cerebral Brewing is a highly regarded craft brewery in Denver's Cole neighborhood, known for producing some of the most technically accomplished and creative beers in Colorado — particularly its hazy IPAs, mixed-fermentation sours, and barrel-aged stouts, which regularly appear on national best-of lists. The name reflects the brewery's analytical, ingredient-obsessed approach to brewing.

The taproom is comfortable and design-forward without being cold, with a focus on the beer over spectacle. The rotating tap list is extensive, and the staff are genuinely knowledgeable about the brewing process — making it a good destination for serious beer enthusiasts as well as casual visitors.

Cerebral sits in a walkable stretch of Cole near other well-regarded food and drink spots, making it a natural anchor for a broader neighborhood afternoon.

TIP: Cerebral regularly releases limited small-batch beers (especially sours and barrel-aged stouts) that sell quickly — follow their social media for release announcements.

TIP: The taproom fills up on weekend afternoons; arrive before 3pm or after 7pm for a more relaxed experience.

TIP: Crowler fills are a great way to take exceptional beer home.

Official website

Cerebral Brewing

Just 45 minutes from downtown Denver, Boulder's Chautauqua Park is the Front Range at its most iconic. Five massive sandstone slabs — the Flatirons — jut out of the hillside at improbable angles, and a network of trails ranging from easy meadow walks to technical scrambles fans out from the historic 1898 dining hall at the park entrance. Even a short hike here puts you eye-level with formations that define Colorado's identity.

The town of Boulder below is worth an hour of its own — Pearl Street Mall is one of the best pedestrian streets in the country, with independent bookshops, street performers, and some of Colorado's best restaurants.

TIP: The First Flatiron Trail gains elevation quickly but rewards with a ledge view of the entire Denver metro stretching east to the plains — best in morning light.

TIP: Parking fills by 9am on weekends. The JUMP shuttle from downtown Boulder runs directly to the trailhead and saves the headache.

Chautauqua Park & The Flatirons

City Park is Denver's grandest urban park — 330 acres of lawns, lakes, mature trees, and public facilities in the heart of the city, anchored by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Zoo. It's modeled loosely on New York's Central Park and offers an equally impressive combination of natural space and cultural institutions.

The park features two lakes (Ferrill Lake and Smith Lake), formal rose gardens, fountains, a bandshell, and broad promenades with views of the Rocky Mountain front range that are exceptional on clear days. In summer, free Jazz in the Park concerts draw thousands of Denverites for Sunday evening performances on the lawn.

The Museum of Nature & Science perched on the park's eastern edge is one of the finest natural history museums in the region, with excellent dinosaur exhibits, a planetarium, and an IMAX theater.

TIP: The view from the east steps of the Museum of Nature & Science looking west across the park toward downtown and the mountains is one of the best urban panoramas in Denver. Sunday morning is magical here — families, joggers, dog walkers, and brunch-goers create a lively scene before the crowds arrive.

City Park

Denver Art Museum is one of the premier art museums in the American West, home to a collection of over 70,000 works with particular strengths in American Indian art (one of the largest collections in the world), Western American art, and pre-Columbian art from the Americas. Its two striking buildings — the original Gio Ponti-designed North Building and Daniel Libeskind's titanium-clad Frederic C. Hamilton Building — are themselves architectural statements worth seeing.

The museum has undergone a major expansion and reimagining in recent years, reopening in 2021 with dramatically improved galleries and new ways of presenting its extraordinary holdings. The ground floor is free to enter and connects to the adjacent Civic Center Park.

DAM sits at the center of Denver's thriving Golden Triangle Creative District, surrounded by galleries, design studios, and creative businesses in a walkable neighborhood.

TIP: The first Saturday of each month offers free admission for Colorado residents.

TIP: Don't skip the Ponti building's American Indian and Indigenous art collection in favor of the newer building — it's one of the most important and thoughtfully presented in the country.

TIP: The museum cafe has surprisingly good food and great city views.

Denver Art Museum

Denver Botanic Gardens is a 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of Denver's Cheesman Park neighborhood, home to over 40,000 plants from around the world including one of the best cactus and succulent collections in North America. It's a year-round destination with seasonal highlights from spring tulip displays to summer rose gardens to the dazzling winter lights show.

The gardens feature distinct themed areas including a Japanese garden, a healing garden, a cloud forest conservatory, and a spectacular rock alpine garden that recreates the ecosystems of Colorado's high country with rare alpine wildflowers and cushion plants. The 3,000-plant xeric section is particularly extraordinary — a showcase of drought-adapted plants from arid regions worldwide.

The venue also hosts an outstanding summer concert series that draws world-class acts to perform in the unique outdoor amphitheatre setting.

TIP: The Wednesday evening concerts in summer (Botanic Gardens on the Bricks) book up weeks in advance — check the calendar and buy tickets early.

TIP: Visit in late May for the peak rose bloom, or in September for spectacular fall color in the native plant section.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver Graffiti Tour is a guided street art tour through the RiNo (River North) Arts District, Denver's most vibrant creative neighborhood, home to hundreds of large-scale murals, graffiti works, and public art installations that have transformed former industrial warehouses into an open-air gallery. The neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of street art in the United States.

The tour covers works by both local Denver artists and internationally recognized muralists who have painted here, explaining the context, techniques, and stories behind specific pieces. The art ranges from photorealistic portraiture to abstract expressionism to social commentary to playful illustration — there's extraordinary variety within a walkable area.

RiNo is also home to numerous craft breweries, coffee roasters, and restaurants, making it a full afternoon or evening neighborhood destination beyond the art.

TIP: Even without a guided tour, a self-guided walk along Brighton Boulevard and Larimer Street reveals dozens of large-scale works.

TIP: The art changes constantly as walls are repainted — what you see today may be gone in six months.

TIP: Guided tours run most weekends; book at denvergraffititour.com.

Guided Tour

Must-see murals

Denver Graffiti Tour

Larimer Square is Denver's oldest and most historically significant block — the preserved heart of the city's original commercial district, dating to the 1870s, now home to some of Denver's best restaurants, cocktail bars, and boutiques. Its red-brick Victorian buildings and gas-lit streetscape give it a warmth and character rare in American cities of Denver's size.

The block is a genuine entertainment destination year-round, with outdoor dining on the cobblestoned street in summer, string lights, and a parade of some of the city's most celebrated chefs who have chosen this block for their flagship restaurants. The mix of historic architecture and creative energy makes it feel both rooted and alive.

Larimer Square also anchors Denver's broader LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood, which includes Coors Field, Union Station, and the vibrant River North (RiNo) arts district nearby.

TIP: Make a dinner reservation at least a week ahead at any of the top restaurants here in summer — they fill up fast.

TIP: For a less crowded experience, visit on a weekday evening — the atmosphere is great but waits are manageable.

Larimer Square

Mount Evans is home to the highest paved road in North America, the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, which climbs to 14,130 feet near the summit of a fourteener accessible entirely by car. The 28-mile road from Idaho Springs winds through forests, past glacial lakes, and onto bare alpine tundra before ending at a parking area just 150 feet below the summit, offering extraordinary high-altitude views without any serious hiking.

At the top, the views stretch across Denver, the Front Range, and dozens of 14,000-foot peaks. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are commonly seen near the summit parking area, making for remarkable wildlife encounters. Summit Lake Park, at mile 20, features a glacially-formed cirque lake at 12,830 feet that is one of the highest lakes in North America accessible by road.

The road is typically open late May through early November, and the route is one of the most popular day trips from Denver.

TIP: Drive up early — afternoon thunderstorms are extremely common above treeline and can be dangerous.

TIP: The summit parking area fills by 10am on weekends in summer — the earlier you arrive, the better.

TIP: The Echo Lake Lodge at the bottom of the byway is a good spot for coffee before the ascent and lunch on the way back.

Mount Evans

Mount Goliath is a Colorado State Natural Area on the slopes of Mount Evans Road at 11,500–12,000 feet, home to one of the most remarkable old-growth bristlecone pine forests accessible to the public. These ancient, wind-sculpted trees — some over 1,500 years old — have been twisted into dramatic forms by centuries of harsh alpine conditions.

The 1-mile Dos Chappell Nature Trail loops through the bristlecone forest and alpine meadows, with interpretive signs explaining the ecology and geology of this fragile tundra environment. The area is managed by Denver Botanic Gardens, and the on-site Alfred M. Bailey Plant Environmental Center serves as an education hub.

The setting at the edge of the tree line offers sweeping views of the Front Range below and the barren rocky summit of Mount Evans above, making it one of the most contemplative and unusual natural experiences along the Mount Evans corridor.

TIP: The trailhead has limited parking — arrive before 9am on weekends or you may not find a spot.

TIP: The trees look most dramatic in late afternoon light when their orange bark glows against the darkening sky.

TIP: Bring a windproof layer; even calm days can be blustery at this elevation.

NPS status page

Mount Goliath

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a naturally formed outdoor concert venue built into a geological wonder — two 300-foot red sandstone monoliths, Ship Rock and Creation Rock, frame the stage and provide perfect natural acoustics. Located 15 miles west of Denver in the foothills, it's consistently ranked among the greatest concert venues on the planet.

The amphitheatre seats 9,525 people and has hosted everyone from the Beatles to U2 to Radiohead to countless jazz and classical acts. Even outside of concert season, the park is open daily for hiking and the stunning red rock scenery draws thousands of visitors for sunrise yoga sessions, morning hikes, and the popular Trading Post Trail.

The geological setting is ancient — these formations are 300 million years old — and the 6,450-foot elevation means cooler temperatures and dramatically clear skies.

TIP: Morning hikes before 9am are magical, especially on weekdays — the steps of the amphitheatre make a challenging workout locals call the "Red Rocks workout."

TIP: If attending a concert, bring layers — temperatures drop sharply after sunset even in summer — and arrive at least 45 minutes early as parking lots fill quickly.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Station 26 Brewing Co. is one of Denver's most beloved neighborhood breweries, a relaxed taproom in the Park Hill neighborhood known for its approachable, well-crafted beers and genuinely community-focused atmosphere. Named after the nearby fire station, it occupies a converted warehouse with a large patio, dogs welcome, and a rotating cast of food trucks.

The brewery excels at session-able, food-friendly beers — their hazy IPAs, pilsners, and wheat beers are consistently excellent — without the pretension sometimes found in Denver's more trophy-focused brewing scene. It's a neighborhood hangout that happens to make very good beer.

Denver's craft beer scene is one of the best in the country, and Station 26 represents the neighborhood-taproom side of it rather than the large-scale destination brewery, which makes for a more relaxed and authentic experience.

TIP: Check the Station 26 website or Instagram for the current food truck schedule before visiting — the food pairing significantly elevates the experience.

TIP: Weekend afternoons are lively; weekday evenings are quieter and better for tasting flights.

Station 26 Brewing Co.

Summit Lake Park is a Denver Mountain Parks property at 12,830 feet on the slopes of Mount Evans, centered on a glacially-carved lake that sits in a dramatic rocky cirque. It's one of the highest and most accessible alpine lake settings in the United States — reachable by the Mount Evans Scenic Byway with a short walk to the water's edge.

The tundra surrounding the lake is carpeted in tiny alpine wildflowers in summer, and the rocky fellfields are home to pikas, marmots, and mountain goats that frequently wander close to visitors. The Chicago Lakes basin visible below is one of Colorado's most stunning glacial landscapes.

The park has a rustic log shelter that has stood since the 1930s and a small restroom facility, but otherwise remains beautifully undeveloped — a rare spot where you can sit at the edge of a high alpine lake with virtually no infrastructure in sight.

TIP: The wind at Summit Lake can be fierce even on warm days — always bring a windproof jacket.

TIP: Mountain goats are almost always present and sometimes walk right through the parking area — look along the rocky slopes above the lake.

TIP: Combine with a hike to the Mount Evans summit from the upper parking area for a full alpine day.

Summit Lake Park

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I’d go for The Crawford Hotel if you want a stay with a bit of style. Being downtown is handy for exploring.

From unique urban sights to enormous canyons and sand dunes with snowy peaks as their backdrop – Colorado is here to impress. And if you time your trip for the fall foliage like we did, it will blow your minds too!

The Crawford Hotel is a celebrated Denver institution housed in the beautifully restored Union Station building, opened in 2014 as the centerpiece of the lower downtown neighborhood's revival. The building itself — a Beaux-Arts landmark dating to 1914 — is the main attraction, with soaring ceilings, terrazzo floors, and a grand great hall that doubles as Denver's living room.

Rooms are spread across three distinct sections of the building, each with its own character — the Pullman rooms are compact and train-inspired; the Loft rooms are larger with exposed brick; and the classic rooms occupy the historic main building. The ground floor hosts a cluster of excellent restaurants and bars, including the Terminal Bar and Mercantile Dining & Provision.

Union Station's great hall is a gathering place for the whole city — farmers' markets, holiday events, and spontaneous socializing happen here year-round, giving guests a sense of being at the heart of Denver rather than just passing through.

The Crawford is best for travelers who want to feel embedded in Denver's civic life, with walkable access to LoDo, Larimer Square, and the 16th Street Mall. It's a strong choice for both first-time Denver visitors and returning guests who appreciate the building's character.

The Crawford Hotel

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The Mile High City blends urban sophistication with outdoor adventure. Don't miss the thriving craft brewery scene and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a concert under the stars.

The Crawford Hotel

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