A city whose skyscrapers are dwarfed by the surrounding Rocky Mountains, Denver is an ideal getaway for visitors who don’t want to choose between wilderness and city. Denver’s past as an Old West boomtown is still present, especially in such historic neighborhoods as Larimer Square, alongside the free-wheeling spirit of a vibrant art scene and new tech energy. Denver makes it easy for you to take a morning hike in the mountains before an afternoon of shopping in the Cherry Creek neighborhood, or to follow a tour of the Denver Art Museum with samplers at a nearby craft brewery. There are plenty of bike trails and parks such as Sloan’s Lake to explore within the city limits, as well as outdoor shops that can supply you with skis or snowboards for an excursion to Colorado Ski Country.

Getting There

You won’t have trouble finding flights to Denver, since Denver International Airport (DEN) is a major hub for the Western states. To get into town, pick up a car rental at the airport, hail a taxi, or take the Airport Rail to Union Station downtown. Amtrak’s California Zephyr line, which runs from the San Francisco Bay Area to Chicago, also stops at Union Station, as do many Greyhound bus routes. Once you’re in town, the Regional Transportation District’s buses and light-rail trains travel to many corners of the city, and rideshares and bikeshares are plentiful.

Weather

One of the sunniest major cities in the United States, Denver sees only around 80 days of precipitation a year. Spring and fall are cool but comfortable, and temperatures regularly rise into the 80s and 90s Fahrenheit in July and August. Nighttime temperatures dip below the freezing point starting in November, but during the day, the city’s winter is relatively mild, averaging in the 40s and 50s. Denver sees a lot of snow during those months, but it doesn’t necessarily stick around — you have to go higher into the mountains for snow sports. No matter what season you visit, when you’re outdoors slather on sunscreen and wear sunglasses.

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Families with school-age children can easily spend an entire day in this 330-acre park, which offers wide expanses for picnics and running. And kids can explore the wonders of the Earth as well as outer space at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Once a swath of crumbling warehouses, RiNo has become the most colorful neighborhood in Denver — literally. You can spend hours wandering outside admiring the multistory murals, or popping into art galleries and boutiques. The art scene here has attracted cafes, food halls, restaurants, and bars, which keep the neighborhood lively well into the night.

Just 90 minutes from downtown Denver is one of the country’s most spectacular wilderness areas. More than 300 miles of trails wind through, and up, the mountains and around the shores of more than a hundred lakes. In the summer, you can stay in your car to drive along Trail Ridge Road, high above the treeline, or hike up to the alpine meadows where elk graze. (Keep in mind: The park charges a per-vehicle entrance fee.)