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Things to Do in Golden

Fishing

Clear Creek is a popular and convenient spot for fishing. Trout Unlimited did some work on the area west of the Whitewater Park, and set up good trout habitat. Lions and Vanover parks both offer creek access.

Photo by Dave Powers

Address: 10th & Maple (and west from there)
Distance from Downtown: 0.2 miles
Drive Time: 3 minutes

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Gold Panning

You probably won’t get rich, panning for gold in Clear Creek, but a certain amount of gold always washes down from the mountains. Select a spot where the water is shallow and make sure it’s flowing slowly enough that it won’t wash the water out of your pan.

Click here for an online tutorial on how to pan for gold.

Panning for gold in Clear Creek, Golden Colorado


Community Center

The Golden Community Center offers two pools (one for laps, one for recreation), a gym, dance studio, climbing wall, weight machines, indoor track, and meeting rooms. It is also a popular venue for weddings.

The Community Center offers many classes for tykes and teens, such as drawing, music, ceramics, dance, computer, sports, babysitting and first aid courses, and yoga. An on-site preschool program is fun and educational two mornings a week during the school year. Child-care is also available for a fee for children ages six months to seven years for people using the facility.
Address: 1470 10th Street
Phone: 303-384-8100.
Website: www.cityofgolden.net/play/recreation-attractions/community-center

Golden Community Center


Golf

Fossil Trace Golf Club has won course design awards and offers breath-taking scenery. The club house offers a good bar and restaurant as well as a pro shop.

Address: 3050 Illinois Street
Distance from Downtown: 3.1 miles
Drive Time: 10 minutes
Phone: 303-277-8750
Website: www.fossiltrace.com

fossiltrace


Hang Gliding and Paragliding

When the wind conditions are right, the sky above Mount Zion may be filled with paragliders and hanggliders.

Address: top of Mt. Zion
Distance: 4.0 miles
Drive Time: 10 minutes

Golden has several outfits that cater to the first-timer, as well as advanced training for the more experienced adventurers. Some of them can be hired for “tandem flights,” which allow inexperienced people to just go along for the ride! The Rocky Mountain Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association holds many events in Golden. For more information about this club for free flight enthusiasts, please visit www.rmhpa.org.

Parasailing from Lookout Mountain in Golden Colorado

Hiking/Walking/Running

Golden offers many hiking options, from the flat, paved walkways along Clear Creek to the ascents of North and South Table Mountain. The City proper has more than 20 miles of interconnected trails. It is also surrounded by thousands of acres of Open Space, which is public land and open for hiking. Check the Trails Page to see some of the most popular routes in and around Golden.

Several of the city parks offer walking loops: Beverly Heights, Tony Grampsas, Rooney Road, New Loveland Mine
If you’re looking for some running buddies, check out the Front Range Running & Cycling Club. We also have a group of people who get together to walk, several times a week. You can join any of these walks through the Golden Walks Meet-Up site.

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Horseback Riding

Pine Cliff Stables offers horseback rides that give you scenic views without having to travel far into the Rockies. Located north of Golden.

Address: 21517 W. 56th Ave.
Distance from Downtown: 4.3 miles
Drive Time: 12 minutes
Phone: 303-279-1221

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Kayaking/Stand Up Paddling/Tubing

How many city parks offering kayaking? The Clear Creek Whitewater Park is a hot spot for kayaking and stand up padding in spring and summer, and popular for tubing late summer/early fall, when the water levels go down and the flow is calmer.

Photo by Dave Powers

Address: 1201 10th St.
Distance from Downtown: 0.1 miles
Drive Time: 2 minutes

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Lookout Mountain Nature Center

The Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve is well worth visiting. Located just above the city on Lookout Mountain, they have a beautiful facility, built largely of recycled materials. Exhibits cover migrating birds and information about the ponderosa pine forest. The center sits on a 110-acre property that includes several nature trails.
Address: 910 Colorow Road
Distance from Downtown: 7.1 miles
Drive Time: 16 minutes
Phone: 720-497-7600
Website: lmnc.jeffco.us

Lookout Mountain Nature Center


Miners Alley Playhouse

Miners Alley Playhouse produces both comedies and drama. It seats 125, so every seat is close to the stage, and the performances are uniformly first-rate. They have a bar in the lobby, and you’re welcome to take your drink with you into the theater. There are many restaurants within a block or two of the theater. Check the web site or lobby posters to see what’s currently on stage.

They also have a children’s theater, which produces several plays each year and generally offers performances on Saturday afternoons.
Address: 13th & Washington, 2nd floor – Downtown
Drive Time: 0 minutes
Phone: 303-935-3044
Website: www.minersalley.com

Miners Alley Playhouse


Mountain Biking

The most popular place for mountain biking is Apex Park. Apex is part of the Jefferson County Open Space system, and is adjacent to Golden. Mountain biking is allowed on odd-numbered dates.

The City of Golden maintains a Bike Park with features designed to test all skill levels.

www.goldenbikepark.com
Address
: 4471 Salvia (Tony Grampsas Memorial Sports Complex)
Distance from Downtown: 2.4 miles
Drive Time: 5 minutes

mtnbiking


Mountain Driving

The most direct route through the mountains (heading up for skiing, for instance) is Interstate 70.  If you want an afternoon of beautiful mountain scenery, the Lariat Loop Road is a much better option.  The Lariat Loop was established in the 1920s, as automobiles were coming into wide use.  It covers 40 miles of scenic roads and was, in fact, recently designated as a National Scenic Byway.

Buffalo Overlook
If you don’t have a whole afternoon for your mountain drive, here’s a terrific shortcut:  drive 10 miles up I-70 to the Buffalo Overlook.  The City and County of Denver maintain a herd of buffalo which are descendants of wild bison found in Yellowstone National Park in 1914. A tunnel under the highway connects the two parts of their pasture, so they may not be immediately visible. The Overlook is worth a visit in any case because it is beautiful, with breathtaking views of the Continental Divide.   Take Highway 40 for the return route.  It runs parallel to I-70 all the way to Golden, is an easy drive, and feels a little more rural.  It runs on the north side of I-70.

Address: I-70 West, exit 254 (Genesee Park)
Distance: 10.3 miles
Drive Time: 18 minutes
Map to Buffalo Overlook

Buffalo Overlook

Museums

It is rumored that Golden has the highest number of museums per capita in the State. Whether or not that’s accurate, we do have an impressive collection, appealing to rock hounds, history buffs, quilters, climbers, and art aficionados. See our MUSEUMS PAGE to learn more about them.

All of the following museums are within easy walking distance of Downtown.

American Mountaineering Museum
Astor House Museum
Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum
Foothills Art Center
Golden History Center
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

These museums are less than fifteen minutes from Downtown Golden by car:

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
Colorado Railroad Museum
Dinosaur Ridge
Golden Oldy Cyclery


Parks

The City of Golden offers 253 acres of developed parkland as well as 377 acres of open space. The City parks offer a wide range of recreation, including playgrounds, tennis, horse shoe pits, skate boarding, inline hockey, dog parks, archery, fishing, sand volleyball, and kayaking.

Golden is also surrounded by nearly 8,000 acres of regional open space.

Visit the Parks page for details about the parks and the facilities they each offer.

Clear Creek History Park in Golden Colorado


Rock climbing on North Table Mountain

The cliffs on North Table Mountain are very popular with climbers, offering easy to moderate difficulty routes. Climbers refer to it as Golden Cliffs.

The trail to the Golden Cliffs is advanced with grades exceeding 25%; biking is prohibited. Hikers must yield to climbers and to climbing activities along the cliffs. Access the trail via the south end of Peery Drive.

Photo courtesy of Colorado Crack Gear.

Address: Park at the North Table Mountain Trailhead (see the Golden Trails Google Map)
Distance: 1.2 miles
Drive Time: 6 minutes

Rock Climbing in Golden Colorado


Coors Brewery Tour

Two blocks east of the downtown shopping district is the starting point for touring the world’s largest brewery. Tour vans collect visitors at the parking lot, take them on a brief drive through downtown, then over to the Brewery.

The tour includes a brief history of the business, an explanation of the brewing process, a chance to see the beer being made, and a trip to the Coors hospitality room, where visitors of legal drinking age can sample Coors products for free!

Tour Hours

May 30-Labor Day
Monday-Sat 10-4
Sunday 12-4

The Rest of the Year
Thursday – Monday 10-4
Sunday 12-4

Closed on holidays.

Address: 13th and Ford Streets
Phone:
303-277-2337
Website: http://www.coors.com/agegate/


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