Chautauqua Park & Flatirons
Colorado Chautauqua
A grassy park beneath the iron-shaped sandstone cliffs that define Boulder, and the most popular starting point for hiking routes.
Colorado Chautauqua was built in 1898 as a summer learning camp for teachers, and it still preserves its wooden auditorium and cabins. The park's grassy slopes face five huge tilted sandstone slabs called the Flatirons, Boulder's city icon. From the visitor center, you can follow the roughly 1-hour Chautauqua Trail loop or take on the Royal Arch Trail, a round-trip hike of about 5 km. Parking is tight on weekends, and free shuttle buses run in summer. It is about 45 km from Denver, roughly 40 minutes by car, and can be combined with the Pearl Street Mall for a day trip to Boulder.
Opening hours
Park open all day
Nearby sights
- Pearl Street Mall
- Coors Brewery & Downtown Golden
- Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
- Dinosaur Ridge
- Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
- Confluence Park
- Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park
- Meow Wolf Convergence Station