Atlas Obscura Itineraries

A Denver Guide for National Park Lovers

If you want to explore Colorado’s wildest corners, you’ll first need to pass through Denver. Often called the gateway to the Mountain West, Denver is a portal to the rugged peaks, rolling sand dunes, and rippling aspen forests that lie beyond its doorstep. But this city isn’t just a stepping stone to adventure; it’s a worthwhile stopover in its own right. No Colorado visit is complete without a weekend in the Mile High City. Before Colorado’s national parks existed, these landscapes played host to explorers, naturalists, fur trappers, and thriving Native American nations. All these people and cultures converged in Denver, bringing maps, plant and animal specimens, and profound environmental insights with them. Over the last 175 years, that rich knowledge transfer has turned Denver into a city that is deeply connected to the natural world. Today, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science contains some of the state’s earliest animal specimens, as well as fossils from the Colorado Rockies. Botany enthusiasts will want to tour Populus, the head-turning hotel that looks like an aspen tree, or visit the Denver Botanic Gardens to learn how researchers are preserving the nation’s rarest alpine flowers. More interested in the cultural history of our national parklands? Sample traditional recipes at Tocabe, a Native American restaurant that highlights Indigenous-grown food; or grab a drink at Buckhorn Exchange, a 19th-century bar once frequented by miners, fur traders, and presidents alike. A city built by and for outdoorspeople, Denver is one of the best places on the planet to spark your curiosity before your adventure west. Here are eight of the best spots to prepare you for the outdoor experience of a lifetime.