Before I even moved to Colorado, I visited Golden and fell in love. It’s the most

picturesque little town and I remember thinking I WILL live there one day. Well I don’t

exactly live there yet haha but I still think it has so much magic to offer! Whether you’re

visiting from out of state or just looking for a change of scenery day trip, this guide will

give you all the Golden to-dos!

ACTIVITIES IN GOLDEN

Golden has a variety of trails in the foothills that you can enjoy for hiking or snowshoeing, just 20 minutes from downtown Denver! Some of my favorite hikes there include (linked to alltrails info): North Table Mountain, Mount Galbraith, Windy Saddle (Lookout Mountain), Mayhem Gulch, and South Table Mountain. If you’re planning on snowshoeing, be sure there ample snow- keeping in mind that the foothills don’t get as much as the front range. *One thing I’d note is that it’s cool to bring visitors up Lookout Mountain. Even if they don’t want to hike around the views are really enjoyable* 

Another unique activity Golden has to offer is Clear Creek Whitewater Kayaking Park in the summer time! Running right through the center of town, Clear Creek is easily accessible and free to enjoy! If you need to rent tubes or kayaks for the day, you can hit up Golden River Sports (linked here) In the summer, you will see massive amounts of people partaking in this rafting fun! If mountain biking is your jam, North Table Mountain is very popular. Once you reach the top, there are various biking trails to enjoy.

TOP FOOD + DRINKS IN GOLDEN

Breweries — If Golden does one thing right, it’s breweries. They have so many cool spots to enjoy post-hike or after a day of rafting. I don’t even like beer but I love going to the breweries

in Golden! Here are some of my favorites (purely for atmosphere, not beer haha):

Golden City Brewery (my absolute favorite), Mountain Toad Brewing, New Terrain

Brewing Company, Barrels & Bottles Brewery, St. Vrain Cidery and of course the iconic

Coors Brewery. If you want to get the full experience of Coors, do the brewery tour ($5 if

you’re a CO resident, $10 if not). You’ll get 3 beers at the end, a commemorative glass,

and it’s just a cool experience. Here you can find all the tour time info here.

Cocktails + Dive bars – I am more of a dive bar gal, BUT Golden does have really

great cocktail bars in addition to quality dive bars to choose from. So lets start with the

nicer cocktail spots: Miners Saloon, Golden Moon Speakeasy, Abejas. Now if you’re

into a more relaxed type of vibe, check out Columbine Café (live music in the summer),

Rock Rest Lounge, and Buffalo Rose.

Brunch — This is important, because a hike isn’t complete without a bomb-ass brunch in my

opinion! Here are my picks: Sassafras for a buttery, New Orleans style breakfast, Windy

Saddle Café for a quick bite and great coffee, Abejas for a fancier dining experience,

and Louis’ Café for a Mexican style brunch!

Lunch + Dinner — Trailhead Taphouse + Kitchen, Barrels & Bottles, Miners Saloon, Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza, Indulge Bistro, Abejas.

Want to stay tuned in to special annual events to look forward to in Golden? It’s all here!