Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, just 35 miles northwest of Denver. Home of the University of Colorado’s main campus and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder sits 5,430 feet above sea level and is surrounded by a greenbelt of city trails and open spaces. Boulder is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, natural product retailers and restaurants, outstanding transportation options, diverse businesses, and technological and academic resources.
Getting There:
Various options to get to
Boulder from
DIA are described below.
No reservations needed, however they are recommended. Travel time is about 70 minutes. Get tickets on Level 5 (baggage claim level) across from Hertz near Door #510.
- RTD Bus Service: 303-299-6000
- $8.00 one way to several park-n-rides, and the Boulder downtown bus station. Leaves hourly from DIA at about 15 minutes after the hour from 6:15AM to 9:15PM Mon-Fri, 6:15AM to 7:15PM Saturday, and 8:15AM to 9:15PM Sunday. Sunday and Mon-Fri there is also a late bus, leaving at 10:45PM. From Boulder to DIA, buses depart the downtown station at about 20 minutes after the hour starting in the wee hours (4:25AM weekdays and Sat, 6:20AM Sun) and ending at 8:22PM except Saturday when the last bus is at 5:20PM. A typical scheduled time is 96 minutes. Here’s the complete skyRide Route Map for the airport route.
- Boulder Yellow Cab: 303-442-2277
- Not too pricey if you don’t take it all the way from the airport. If you take the RTD bus to the main bus terminal in Boulder (at 14th and Walnut), you can get almost anywhere in town for a couple of bucks.
- Passenger Car:
- There are two ways to drive from the airport to Boulder: via the freeways for 45 miles or via a mix of streets and freeways for 40 miles. Both seem to take about 55 minutes. Freeways: Exit from the airport onto Pena Boulevard (the only choice out of the airport) and go about 12 miles (from the parking lots, about 8 miles from the toll booths) to I-70. Take I-70 west to I-25 north (about 10 miles), exit right onto I-25 north and continue about 5 miles to the US 36 west exit (marked Boulder). Take US 36 west about 20 miles to Boulder. Streets: Exit from the airport onto Pena Boulevard (the only choice out of the airport) and go about a mile (a mile from the toll booths, easily 5 miles from the parking lots) to Tower Road. Take Tower Road north (right turn) a few miles to a traffic light at 104th Street. Turn left (west) and go about 10 or 15 miles to US 36 west. Turn right on US 36 (west) and continue about 10 to 15 miles to Boulder. Within Boulder US 36 becomes 28th Street; numbered streets run north-south with low numbers to the west (toward the mountains). Campus is to the left at the first light on US 36 in Boulder; to get downtown go left at the second light on US 36 (Arapahoe), the third light (Canyon), or the fifth light (Pearl). Hotels listed as on 28th St are on an access road just east of US 36 as you get into Boulder.
Things to Do:
Boulder Activities and Attractions
We Recommend:
Hiking
Strolling
A Drive Up Flagstaff Mountain
Brewery , Winery (and Meadery) Tours
(Don’t miss Avery, Twisted Pine and Mountain Sun Breweries if you want a full tour)
Shopping, Dining and People-Watching on Pearl Street Mall
Touring Celestial Seasonings
Checking out the Boulder Farmer’s Market
Take a Tour of the University of Colorado Campus
Get a little Oxygen (hey, the altitude is high up here!) at Tonic Herban Lounge O2 bar
Relaxing at the Spa (if you just want a massage, try Julie’s personal favorite, Massage Specialists.)
Tubing on Boulder Creek
Whitewater Rafting (located in Idaho Springs, about 22 miles outside of Boulder)
Denver Activities and Attractions
We Recommend:
Denver Art Museum (contact Julie for more info on this one! hunt.julie@gmail.com)
Denver Museum of Contemporary Art
Check out Confluence Park and the giant REI
Shopping in Cherry Creek North
Catching a Rockies Game
Visiting Red Rocks Ampitheater (15 miles west of Denver)
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