When to Go

Denver defies easy weather predictions. Although its blizzards are infamous, snowstorms are often followed by beautiful spring weather just a day or two later. Ski resorts are packed from roughly October to April, and Denver itself often bears the traffic. Summers are festival-happy, with a rock-concert slate at nearby Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre and big names at the tent-covered Universal Lending Pavilion (also known as CityLights), in the parking lot outside the Pepsi Center downtown. Perhaps the best times to visit, though, are spring and fall, when the heat isn't so intense, the snow isn't so plentiful, and crowds are relatively thin. Ski resorts are still as scenic, but less expensive.