Bear Creek Trail
Constructed and opened last year, this little-known gem runs from Pence Park, between Indian Hills and Evergreen, to Lair o' the Bear Park, outside of Idledale. Along the way, it cuts through two other Denver mountain parks, Corwina and O'Fallon. Unlike many of the trails along the Denver-area Front Range, Bear Creek is not just a jumble of rocks. It more resembles the Buffalo Creek Trail that runs along the Colorado Trail to the city's southwest: a smooth, wide, hard-packed-dirt single track, with lots of roller-coastery dips and climbs. If you want to get the hard part out of the way first, take C-470 to Morrison and climb up the canyon to Lair o' the Bear. Start grinding at the west end of the parking lot. (Review: Westword)

Dinosaur Ridge Natural National Landmark
Outside Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison; (303) 697-DINO;
Free Admission; Hours variable

Hillside bearing many dinosaur bones and tracks as well as other plants and fossils. Site of the first ever discovery of dinosaur bones in the western United States in 1887. Contact the visitors center for more info and directions. The original bones are on display at the adjacent museum (see below).


Morrison Natural History Museum
501 State Route 8, Morrison, CO; (303) 697-1873;
Displays contain the first original dinosaur bones recovered from the digs at Dinosaur Ridge (see above).


Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
640-acre parkland with hiking trails along the foot of the Rocky Mountains. One of the best scenic spots in greater Denver where 1-million year old sandstone has been colored a deep-red by oxidized iron-ore.
Also famous for the 10,000-seat natural amphitheater. For info on concerts and special events. (303) 697-4545 or (303) 640-2637.


Colorado State Capitol
Lincoln and Colfax Sts., Denver CO; Tel. 303.866.2604
Denver is well known as "the mile-high city," but visitors will be surprised to find that it is also one of the flattest major U.S. cities-- it's actually located on a wide Rocky Mountain platte. For confirmation that you really are a mile high, climb the front stairs of the State Capitol Building until you reach the 15th step (marked for your convenience), an official 5,280 feet above sea level. In addition to being able to check off another box on your list of Denver tourism stops, take a tour of the Corinthian-style Colorado granite Capitol with its gold leaf covered dome.


Elitch Gardens
I-25 and Speer Blvd., Denver CO; Tel. 303.595.4386
Imagine an amusement park located a quick five-minute drive from downtown's excitement. Load the kids into a taxi and head to the home of the Minderaser coaster and the looming Tower of Doom, with stunning views the mountains and downtown-- at a price. Should you have a heart murmur, or just a fear of free falling, visit the 350-ft. observation tower or relax on the 75-year-old carousel. Over 40 other rides and a Looney Toons playland for the kids complete the amusement park experience.


LoDo (Lower Downtown)
Designated a Historic District in 1988, this redbrick Victorian neighborhood had fallen on hard times until a massive revitalization project reclaimed the 26 block area. Since then, live-work lofts and hip and high-end restaurants have dominated the streets. The famed Tattered Cover bookshop is here, as is the city's historic Union Station. LoDo is also the new center of Denver nightlife and as the sun sets in the Rockies, the streets pack with tourists and locals alike, taking advantage of jazz clubs, upscale techno and retro dance clubs, as well as assorted cocktail lounges. On the Northern edge of LoDo is the sparkling brick-edificed Coors Field -- home to Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies, and one of the newest professional sports stadiums in the country.


Odyssey
16th St. Mall, 16th St. btw Wazee and Broadway, Denver CO
This mile-long pedestrian mall connects the Capitol center to Denver's newly renovated Lower Downtown area. In addition to local boutiques, souvenir shops and salons, the 16th St. Mall is home to world-class restaurants, local microbreweries and rollicking bars and clubs. Lovers may choose to traverse the length of the mall in frontier-style horse drawn carriages, but most take the fast, efficient and (most importantly) free shuttle buses that shoot down the corridor.


Sensory Garden Denver Botanic Gardens
1005 York St., Denver CO; Tel. 720.865.3500
There are several reasons that Denver's fine botanic paradise in the city was just named one of the top ten such public gardens in the nation by Country Living Gardener magazine, but here's one of the most touching: This garden takes advantage of all the senses, providing touchable, smellable, tasty, colorful and aural outdoor experiences all rolled into one. The therapeutic garden also serves as a landscape-design model for the facilities that cater to patrons with disabilities or special needs, featuring wheelchair-accessible paths, raised beds, container plantings and other amenities. (Review: Westword)


The Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver CO; Tel. 303.832.4092
The looming quasi-mythic figure of "the Unsinkable Molly Brown," a survivor of the Titanic's demise, exists on the periphery of America's cultural memory. However, this educated, dismissed-by-high-society doyenne deserves a more extensive handling. After her husband J.J. discovered gold in nearby Leadtown, Margaret "Molly" Brown moved into a quaint stone home on Capitol Hill. Denver society grudgingly accepted her while feeding media smears on a woman they perceived as brash and uneducated. In the years following her death, her house was sold and became a home for wayward girls, but was reclaimed and restored by a Denver preservation society. Women in period dress, some modeled after Molly's actual dresses, lead you through the three-story home while educating you on some of the historic dame's exploits.


U.S. Mint
320 W. Colfax, Denver CO; Tel. 303.405.4761
Originally opened at the turn of the last century to meet the needs to miners and prospectors who found the gold and silver in dem dar hills. Twenty minute tours show visitors how blank ore became treasury coin. If only Alan Greenspan had one of these in his house...


Overview - Jefferson County
Amoung the several counties of the Greater Denver area, Jefferson County is the second largest in population. It covers the western metropolitan area and reaches into the scenic Rocky Mountains and Pike National Forest. It was the mountain gateway through which many passesbys traversed in their pursuit of the great gold and silver rushes of earlier days.

The Jefferson County economy is highly industrialized, a major center for businesses specializing in geotechnology, materials, mining and energy.
The major cities and vacation attractions of Jefferson County are listed below.

Colorado Railroad Museum
Many steam engines and railcars alongside historic museum.
Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum and Grave
987-1/2 Lookout Mountain Rd, Golden, CO; (303) 526-0747;
Museum Open Daily: 9AM-4PM; Admission: $3 Adult / $1 Child (6-15);
Museum located on an incredible vista atop Lookout Mountain is dedicated to legendary frontier scout pony express rider and showman William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill [1846-1917]). His name comes from his days as a buffalo hunter for the railroad camps. Many artifacts include his gun collections, costumes from his Wild West shows and dime novels. His gravesite is nearby

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Coors Brewery
13th Ave and Ford St, Golden, CO; (303) 277-BEER;
The world's largest single-site brewing facility. Free 30-minute tours available Mon-Sat 10AM-4PM.


Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
1111 Washington Ave, Golden, CO; (303) 277-0377;
Museum and working resource center for quilters located in Golden, CO. Rotating exhibit will feature over 150 new and old quilts.