Boulder Travel Guide

Boulder’s natural beauty is second to none, shadowed by the towering Flatirons and surrounded by more than 31,000 acres of recreational open space and nature preserves. Often described as “the little town nestled between the mountains and reality,” Boulder is a small town of 28 square miles and only 100,000 people that has the quality of restaurants and variety of activities of a big city.

Downtown
The Pearl Street Mall, Boulder’s “downtown,” is a four-block pedestrian mall brimming with tourists and locals alike. This tree-lined promenade, long ago a refuge for the wildest of the wild westerners, is alive with cafés, galleries, brewpubs, restaurants, musicians, street performers, and every type of shopping imaginable. In the summer, the Pearl Street Mall is host to popular events such as Bands on the Brick and the Downtown Boulder Art Fair. The Boulder County Farmers Market is a short walk from the Pearl Street Mall, and is one of the most happening summer events in Boulder, offering organic fruits and veggies, local wines, artisanal cheeses, and beautiful flowers. The popular Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is just next to the Farmers Market, as is the Boulder Creek Path, which runs along the Farmers Market and meanders downtown. The Boulder Creek Path, which is often busy with bikers, joggers, and meanders through town, also heads up the Canyon, which leads to Boulder Falls.

University Hill
The University of Colorado at Boulder—referred to as “CU” not “UC”—is spread across more than 600 acres of landscape, dotted with gorgeous stone buildings with red Spanish-tiled rooftops. Catch a CU football game at Folsom Field, or during the summer, see a performance from the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. The Boulder History Museum is also on the CU Campus, as is Fiske Planetarium—a superb place to catch up on your stargazing. Macky Auditorium Concert Hall is a magnificent venue on campus that hosts a variety of music throughout the year.

Known as “The Hill” by locals, this neighborhood is right next to the CU Boulder campus and is a popular hangout spot for college students. Literally parked on a hilltop above downtown, this district provides pizza, subs, burritos, coffee, beer in a bucket, and head shops to CU’s 30,000 students. Fox Theater is located at the center of The Hill, and is a popular spot for students to go hear their favorite bands play live. The residential neighborhood on The Hill is an odd mix of fraternity and sorority houses, apartment complexes, student rental houses, and huge, beautiful old houses. Chautauqua Park rests at the base of Flagstaff Mountain on the southwest side of The Hill. The park, one of three remaining from the early 1900s cultural movement, features a dining hall and an auditorium that hosts an excellent summer concert series in a unique venue. Flagstaff Mountain is an great place to go hiking or to just drive up and get a spectacular aerial view of the city.

Surrounding Areas
Celestial Seasonings is just a short drive from downtown and offers a tour and plenty of samples. Eldorado Canyon State Park—where the world comes to rock climb—is a 25 minute drive from downtown Boulder, as is the small mountain town of Nederland, home to Eldora Mountain Resort.

Where to Go in Boulder