While there is much to do in Denver proper, the city is not located in the mountains, rather on the plains just east, so most people will want to get away for a day trip into the mountains for an activity like white water rafting (see below).There are three ways to travel into the mountains from Denver for a day trip; west, closest and most direct or north or south.
To the west is the closest skiing (from Thanksgiving through early June...someties later), and associated ski towns like Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Vail.
To the north is Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park.
To the south is Pikes Peak, and at its base: Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and a little further south Canon City and the Royal Gorge.
Taking the west first, you travel up -70 through some smaller towns until you close in on the COntinental Divide. Probably the biggest towns are Idaho Springs (where the Mt. Evans Rd. takes off) and Georgetown, (where the Georgetown Loop Railroad runs). Depending on traffic (which slows to a standstill on weekends all year long but especially the ski season), it will take you about an hour to reach the Eisenhower Tunnel and you wil pass under the Continental Divide into Summit County, home to summit county skiing, various ski resorts and mountain towns. The most direct ski resort is Copper Mountain (about 1.75 hours from downtown Denver), lots of fun in the winter but pretty slow in the off-season. Silverthorne and Frisco (along the highway before you reach Copper Mountain) are pretty lively all year round as is Breckenridge (about .5 hour south of Frisco on Highway 9).
Heading south, you travel down -25 to Colorado Springs first and then Manitou Springs (about 15 minutes west of Colorado Springs at the base of Pikes Peak). Traffic usually flows well aong this road except during rush hour (7 til 9 AM and 4:30 til 6 PM) when the area around Denver Tech Center clogs up. If you avoid these times, you can generally make Manitou Springs in 1.5 hours from downtown Denver. Manitou is a cute little town, home to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Cliff Dwellings Museum and Cave of the Winds. With a little planning, you can easily see the Garden of the Gods and one of the Manitou atttractions mentioned in a day.
Canon City (home of the rafting mentioned below and the Royal Gorge Bridge) is another 1.5 hours south of Colorado Springs.
Heading north and into the mountains north of Denver is Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. One travels north on -25 to Longmont and follows the signs west to Estes Park. While Estes is booming in the summer, it slows considerably in the winter. Rocky Mountain National park is beautiful in both summer and winter, but acessibility (both on foot and by auto) is much more limited when the snow flies. Estes is about 1.5 hours from downtown Denver. with a little more time, one can travel to Estes through Boulder, a pretty college town at the base of the mountains northwest of Denver. Rush hour (see above) can delay times getting out of Denver as well as traveling to Boulder.
Whitewater Rafting Near Denver
Whitewater Rafting Colorado | Rafting Colorado
Experience Whitewater Rafting in Colorado on the Arkansas River. Come see why more adventurers are choosing Lost Paddle Rafting! Trips for all ages and abilities. Close to Denver and Colorado springs.