MIndy Sink - Walking Denver: 32 tours of the Mile High Citys best urban trails, historic architecture, and cultural highlights

Walking Denver: 32 Tours of the Mile High Citys Best Urban Trails, Historic Architecture, and Cultural Highlights

Second edition, second printing 2018

Copyright 2018 by Mindy Sink

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Manufactured in China

Cartography and cover design: Scott McGrew

Interior design: Lora Westberg

Photos: Mindy Sink unless otherwise noted

Indexing: Rich Carlson

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sink, Mindy, author.

Title: Walking Denver : 32 tours of the Mile High Citys best urban trails, historic architecture, and cultural highlights / Mindy Sink.

Description: Second edition. | Birmingham, Alabama : Wilderness Press, [2017] | Distributed by Publishers Group WestT.p. verso. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017044547| ISBN 9780899978680 (paperback) | ISBN 9780899978697 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: WalkingColoradoDenverGuidebooks. | HikingColoradoDenverGuidebooks. | Denver (Colo.)Guidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV199.42.C62 S755 2017 | DDC 796.5109788/83dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017044547

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An imprint of AdventureKEEN
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Cover photo: City Park with the Denver syyline and Rocky Mountains in the distance (); Russell Kord/Alamy Stock Photo

Frontispiece: Cherry Creek Trail (); courtesy of Visit Denver

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while following the walking trips described here. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.

Acknowledgments

When I wrote the first edition of Walking Denver, I relied on experts from Visit Denver, Historic Denver, and other local resources. This time I relied on my previous work, taking a fresh look at everything on my walks. The most important difference for me on these walks was doing them with my daughter, Sophie Seymour, who wrote the Kid Tips in many of these chapters for the benefit of families who enjoy doing the walks. I am so glad she participated fully, and Im grateful to my editors for taking a chance on having a kid coauthor this time.

Authors Note

With the mild climate and nearly year-round sunshine in Denver, you can enjoy a walk in any season here. And, yes, some of the walks reach that exact 5,280-foot mark above sea level here in the Mile High City (and higher when you get into the foothills). Keep that elevation in mind when out for a walkespecially if you are not a localand always have water, sunscreen, and a hat. Even on a seemingly flat city walk, the altitude can be a factor, so be sure to rest often and stay hydrated. Its a good idea to wear layers when out for a walk too, as the day can start off chilly, then become hot quickly with the bright sun. Conversely, it can cool off fast when the sun goes down. In short, bring a backpack that you can keep loading and unloading during a walk.

I would never brag about my sense of direction, but at least I know that the mountains are always to the west when Im in downtown and I can orient myself. Let them prevent you too from getting turned around while walking Denverand enjoy the view!

Mindy Sink

Walking Denver

Numbers on this overview map correspond to walk numbers. A map for each tour follows the text for that walk.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Denver is a compact city that is great for walking around, and it is also surrounded by some wonderful places worthy of walks that can feel like a little vacation.

This book was written with the idea that many of these walks can be combinedto possibly explore adjacent neighborhoods or to simply make for a longer walk on a beautiful day. The really ambitious pedestrian could connect the first 11 walks, or take one walk and then after a short light-rail train ride, take another walk too.

Although Denver has the 10th largest downtown in the country, that area is so compact that within a one-mile radius you can walk to a majority of the Mile High Citys historic, architectural, and cultural highlights.

Beyond the appeal of the city itself are some intriguing towns and places to exploreeach with a strong connection to Denver, such as a prolific architect, a city that was once the state capital, or a terrific view of Denver itself.

Its not just that there is a lot to see and do in Denver for locals and tourists alike, but also that those sites or towns are best enjoyed on foot, when you can soak up the Colorado sunshine almost every day of the year, smell the pine trees, see the whimsical or historical public art, and stop in for a bite to eat along the way.

Capitol Hill:

Politics and Architecture Rolled into One

Tour the Molly Brown House Museum. See more about .

BOUNDARIES: Colorado State Capitol Building, 14th Ave., Pennsylvania St., Governors Park, Logan St., Colfax Ave.

DISTANCE: 2.25 miles

DIFFICULTY: Easy

PARKING: Metered on-street parking is available along Sherman St., which intersects State Capitol Building, and on Grant St. on the east side.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: Denver B-cycle (denverbcycle.com) has nearby bicycle rental stations at 13th Ave. and Pennsylvania St., 12th Ave. and Sherman St., and elsewhere. RTD buses (rtd-denver.com) serve this area.

Denvers Capitol Hill neighborhood offers a peek into the citys earliest years and how the boom and bust cycles affected even just a few blocks, as castle-like mansions went up and then fell into disrepair when apartment buildings were built next door. Once homesteaded land beyond the muddy streets of downtown, this little slope was soon recognized for its views of the mountains and remove from the noise and chaos of city life. In 1868, Henry C. Brown (owner of the Brown Palace Hotel) donated his acreage for the capitol buildingonly to take it back and put grazing livestock on it when the construction did not begin as soon as he had wanted it to. A lawsuit secured the land rights, and the grand structure was completed in 1908. Meanwhile, many of the citys wealthiest citizens had mansions built in the vicinity, only to have to sell them after the Silver Crash of 1893. J. J. Brown, husband of the Unsinkable Molly Brown (no relation to Henry C. Brown), moved into the neighborhood in 1894. (He made his fortune in gold and copper.) The couple made their mark on Capitol Hill and Denver with their wealth and charity, and on this walk youll see their former home as well as other institutions they funded. Today the Capitol Hill neighborhood is a hybrid of architectural elements with Art Deco apartments, beautifully restored historic homes and churches made from stone and brick, high-rise buildings, and other curiosities.