Golden, Colorado lies just west of Denver, nestled in the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Founded in 1859, Golden is a charming small town with a rich western history and the home of the Coors brewery, which sits along the Clear Creek in the center of town. Golden is a great place to visit, for a few days or a few hours, with plenty of activities, great patio dining, friendly locals, and a vibrant downtown.

1. Visit the American Mountaineering Museum

The first & only museum in the United States dedicated to the heroism, technology, culture, and spirit of mountaineering, the American Mountain Museum is a must visit.  The museum has a wonderful collection of mountaineering artifacts & a large-scale Everest model.

2. Take a stroll along Clear Creek

The paths along Clear Creek offer a relaxing stroll to the sound of Clear Creek and a chance to explore a bit of Golden’s history. Check out the City of Golden’s website for a variety of choices and destinations in downtown Golden.

3. Visit the Colorado Railroad Museum

Stroll the Colorado Railroad Museum’s 15-acre railyard with over 100 narrow and standard gauge steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, cabooses, HO Model Railroad, and G-scale garden railway.

4. Have a picnic in the park

Grab a sandwich and head down to Parfet Park. The park is a great place to enjoy nature, people watch, read a book or throw a Frisbee. Parfet Park is located at Washington & 10th in Golden.

5. Tour the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum

The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum displays mineral, fossil, gemstone, meteorite, and historic mining artifacts & is home to a Goodwill moon rock collected during the Apollo 17 mission.

6. Take a hike

Golden Gate Canyon has 35 miles of hiking trails with 12 trails, each named after an animal and marked with the animal’s footprint.  Golden Gate Canyon Park is located 13 miles west of Golden on Golden Gate Canyon Road.

7. Tour the Coors Brewery

Tour the world’s largest single-site brewery on a 30-minute self-paced tour highlighting Coor’s malting, brewing and packaging processes, then cool off in the “fresh beer room,” and sip a cold sample.

8. Enjoy an afternoon in downtown Golden

With 60+ stores with offerings ranging from mountain bikes to clothing from the Himalayas, to a mining cart, you are sure to find it in Golden’s quaint shops. Enjoy a beer or ice cream on a patio, admire the statues, and do some people-watching in historic Golden.

9. Pay Buffalo Bill a visit

Buffalo Bill is buried at the top of Lookout Mountain, just west of downtown Golden. The Buffalo Bill Museum has a number of permanent exhibits about Buffalo Bill’s life and Buffalo Bill’s gravesite overlooks the Great Plains and the Rockies.

10. Ride a bike

Golden is a cycling community, so whether your preference is road cycling or mountain biking, you will find great trails and lots of company.  Stop in a local bike store for info & to rent a bike or grab the trail map published by the City of Golden and take a spin.

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