Like many, you might equate Colorado with skiing and heading straight up to the mountains for snowy adventures. Yet, there is a lot of outdoor adventuring to be had right in the limits of our capital city of Denver (and the surrounding suburban towns). As locals, we’ve embraced mini day adventures around Denver with our toddler and kindergartener, and I’m excited to share some of our favorites with you. Get your sunscreen, hats and sunglasses ready (Colorado promises 300 days of sunshine, after all).

Playing in the tide pools at Chatfield State Park.

1. A Day on the Water at Chatfield State Park

Chatfield State Park has one of the area’s largest reservoirs, and since this mama misses the ocean regularly, a day trip to the reservoir is a wonderful antidote. We recently visited the renovated beach area, and it is such a lovely way to experience a warm day on the water. I recommend packing beach chairs and/or a beach blanket, towels, sand toys, and maybe even some fishing gear. There are on-site rentals for stand up paddle boards and kayaks, which is a great way to take advantage of being on the water.

In less warm months, we’ve enjoyed bike rides on the trails around the reservoir, and fishing in more remote parts of the park. The views of the mountains from this part of town are stunning!

Stand-up paddle boarding is our new favorite thing on the water!

2. A Hike in Red Rocks

You might think of the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater when you think of Denver. Truly, it’s the best place I’ve seen a concert, and I highly recommend putting this on a date night bucket list if you haven’t been. However, this is an amazing place to experience during the day with your young kids as well. We recently did a breathtaking hike on the trails that scatter throughout the park. There are many hikes of varying length and difficulty (we did the Red Rocks Trail with our kindergartener and toddler, which was a manageable one for us, while still feeling like a real hike with elevation change and stunning views).

After your hike, I recommend heading over to adjacent quaint town of Morrison in the foothills. Our favorite spot is The Cow, known for it’s ice cream and shakes, but also great pub fare for lunch that’s sure to be a hit with kids.

3. Visit one of the City’s Gorgeous Parks

Denver has beautiful and well-utilized parks all over the city and surrounding suburbs. In fact, many of the Denver neighborhoods are lovingly named after their park (i.e. Wash Park, City Park, Observatory Park). I recommend checking one, or more, out with your family for the playgrounds, jogging, walking in the public gardens, playing tennis, or simply lounging and picnicking on a sunny day.

One of our favorites is Washington Park (known as Wash Park among locals) , a busy but wonderful park with a brand-new playground, rentable paddle boats, a 2-mile path around the perimeter for walking and jogging, a cement loop perfect for bike rides, tennis courts, and plenty of green space for volleyball and picnics. Full disclosure: my husband and I used to live in the neighborhood before marriage and kids, and this park helped me fall head over heels for Denver while I was falling in love with my husband.

Another favorite is Ruby Hill in West Denver. They have a playground on top of the hill, with a drop dead gorgeous panoramic view of Denver. In the winter, you can sled and even ski (for free!) the hill, which is perfect for beginners. In the summer, Ruby Hill hosts a diverse and impressive free concert series that now spans the entire season. This is truly one of my favorite family weekend activities on a summer evening. We pick up takeout and have an outdoor dinner, listening to live music while the kids run wild playing football and soccer. (Note: while you are allowed to bring food into the venue, you cannot bring beverages, but there are drinks available for purchase inside, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. You can also fill water bottles inside. Food trucks are also available).

Down south in Greenwood Village, we’ve discovered a hidden gem, Westlands Park. Our kids absolutely love the playground, which is sunken from the entrance (so you either go down a big slide or walk down steps to enter the park, adding to the charm). In the summer, there is a splash pad, and there are pretty views from the green space side of the park.

The green space opposite the playground at Westlands Park.

4. Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens are maybe not the first thing that come to mind when you think of kid-friendly activities, but ours is! In the past few years, they’ve constructed the Mordicai Children’s Garden, where kids can play in a stream, and get down and dirty in a space that’s designed specially for them. Inside the main space of the gardens, there’s also an outdoor amphitheater, which is another prime place to attend a concert, or let the kids run and picnic.

5. Visit the Children’s Museum of Denver

If your kids are elementary-aged or younger, I can’t recommend a trip to the Children’s Museum of Denver highly enough. There is enough to keep young ones busy for days on end, and each section is well-designed to harness their sense of wonder and exploration. There is plenty to do inside on a rainy or cold day, but my kids absolutely love the outdoor space best if the weather is nice. From a huge sand pit and a babbling brook, to a zip line and a brand new Adventure Forest, kids can play in water or explore high up in the “tree tops”.

6. Golf Anyone?

My family loves a good golf game, and we have perhaps played every par 3 course in town. The ones we keep going back to are Kennedy Golf Course, Harvard Gulch Golf Course, and Broken Tee Golf Course. These are affordable 9-hole par 3 courses (shorter and easier than your traditional 18 holes), where we can still rent a cart since the toddler can’t yet walk the course efficiently without melting down. (I’ve also been known to push a jogging stroller on a golf course, but that’s a story for another day).

If mini-golf is more your style, we enjoy Aqua Golf. Don’t expect any windmills here though; these are tiny replicas of actual golf course greens, complete with water and sand traps. You can also use their driving range, in which you hit golf balls into a lake, which is a fun novelty for kids and adults alike.

Checking out the water at Kennedy Golf Course.

7. Visit Union Station and Downtown Denver

What’s a trip to Denver without a day in the heart of the city? I recommend utilizing our growing public transportation system for some of your exploration, which is affordable, environmentally friendly, and super fun for the family. One of our favorite things to do is catch a ride downtown on the light rail to Union Station. The building of Union Station was renovated and reopened a few years ago, and has quickly become an icon of downtown Denver. There is a high-end hotel, along with several outstanding eateries and bars.

A huge hit with our kids is going to Snooze for brunch and playing in front of Union Station in the fountain. Bonus if we stay to explore and have time for ice cream before catching our train home! (Pro tip: Snooze doesn’t take reservations and typically has a very long wait. I recommend putting your name on the list, and then going to play in the fountains/splash pad or going exploring while you wait for your table.)

The fountain in front of Union Station is a huge hit on a warm day.

8. Bike Ride and Fishing on South Platte River Trail and Breckenridge Brewery

We love going on family bike rides, and the South Platte River Trail in Littleton has been one of our very spots for bike rides dotted with fishing spots to stop, fish, and explore. If you need to rent bikes, this is a great spot. After you check out the trail, I highly recommend a meal and drinks at Breckenridge Brewery, which you can ride or drive to, just off the trail. Kids love this brewery for the wide expanse of lawn games while adults can enjoy the delicious beer and frequent live music. If you are looking for a more substantial or nicer meal than the outdoor food truck, head inside to the Farm House Restaurant…it won’t disappoint!

A bike ride along the South Platte Trail, complete with a fishing and rock-throwing stop.

Well, there you have it, our best of the best guide to enjoying all that Denver has to offer with your family in tow. Colorado has amazing mountain towns and ski resorts, but there are also endless adventures to be had on the front range, and we are lucky to call this place home.

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If you have other Denver adventuring favorites, I would love to hear from you! Please sign up for the mailing list and follow The Shortest Years on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest if you’d like to see more posts like this.