Chautauqua Park, Boulder

Absolutely love this beautiful part of Boulder Colorado. We traveled here from Chicago and have been to this area many times, and each time the local people from Boulder in Chautauqua Park went above and beyond their way to be friendly, accommodating, and cheerful. Well it is very crowded on the weekends it is absolutely worth it to spend some time in this beautiful area at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I highly recommend people be sure to bring a hat, multiple bottles of water, and plenty of Trail Mix. Be prepared for any kind of weather is storms can come over the mountains relatively quickly.

A great place to say for vacations, family reunions or weddings. Makes gathering so easy. Comfortable cabins. Great eats at the dining hall. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on the porch - maybe even happy hour. Hike right outside your door. Amazing views. Close to town. Very convenient.

Lovely park with a family camp atmosphere at the base of many many hikes up and around the Flatirons. A must visit! The "dining hall" is a quaint restaurant with a wrap around porch for outdoor dining. It's well priced with a nice variety of food and drink options. A great stop before or after a hike!

A few notes: -This place can get extremely busy on weekends and is filled with locals and tourists alike. -Dogs are allowed and can actually be off leash in many areas. -There are a few miles of paved trail that are great for strollers, young kids, elderly, or disabled patrons. -There aren't a lot of bathrooms at the base of the trails, so be prepared to wait 10-15 minutes at least. Otherwise, you can get some great views of Boulder, Denver, and the Rockies from the local peaks here without killing yourself or driving too far from town.

For just the views, I would rate this park a 5/5. Unfortunately, other factors really ruin the experience at Chautauqua. Mostly, the insane amount of people that visit this park every day. I don't blame them. The bouldering here is sublime (check out the Satellites!), and the views are amazing. But this means that finding parking is a nightmare, and you're constantly ahead or behind a group of people. I would definitely skip this if you're looking for solitude.