Outdoor activities

Many graduate students take the time to enjoy all that natural Colorado has to offer.  These include hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, climbing, etc.   Boulder is full of outdoor enthusiasts and places to go to enjoy these sports.   Here are some suggestions for beginners:

-Chataqua Park in town has access to the Flatirons (good climbing) as well as a horde of trails, ranging from easy to difficult.  Its about a five minute drive from campus (off Baseline Road).

-Boulder has a lot of area dubbed "Open Space" and set aside for hiking, biking, and wildlife.  There are countless trails within the town alone.

-Rocky Mountain National Park has great trails, campsites, fishing, and drives in the mountains.  It is only about an hour's drive from Boulder, and a year-long pass is well worth the price.  There are elk abound, and in the fall they are everywhere after they descend from the highlands and take over the park!

-Colorado has about 20 "14-ers" (mountains over 14,000 feet high) to climb, including Long's Peak which in RMNP.  These climbs are challenging, but you can't beat the views.

-Utah is only about a 5-6 hour drive west, and areas such as Moab and Canyonlands National Park are very popular with mountain bikers.