My husband has a conference in Boulder in July, and I'm thinking about tagging along so that we can make a vacation out of it once the conference is over. Anyone have any suggestions on hikes, white water rafting, or other "outdoorsy" things to do?

Hi There. Are you planning on staying in Boulder the whole time? from Boulder it is not to far a drive to Indian Peaks Wilderness. Beautiful hiking and camping. There is a lodge http://www.sundance-lodge.com/lodge.htm that might be fun for a night or two
some photos of what to expect http://lamar.colostate.edu/~samcox/Indian_Peaks.html
also the Brainerd lake area is nice but sometimes crowded.

Do not know of any rafting in the area.

Also you may want to go to Summit County. Summit will have everything your are looking for. check out www.summitnet.com for activities and lodging. Summit is about 90 min away. Personnaly that is where I would go. Boulder is alot of fun but if you are already spending a few days there why not see more of the state?

I am actually tagging along with my husband to a law conference in Boulder the first two weeks in July too. I am going to cooking school during the day but looking for activities at night that I would be able to do alone. Would I be able to hike by myself on nearby trails - when does it get dark?

You can probably hike until at least 8:30 or 9 pm. I'd probably want to find someone else to hike with unless it's a heavily travelled route. I can't tell you about specific trails.

Beth look at http://www.coloradoguide.com/recdisplay.cfm

I know it's not outdoorsy but if you want to try a day spa after a day of hiking, I recommend Essentiels day spa in Boulder. It's absolutely wonderful--I believe their website is essentielsspa.com. A group of us try a different spa every year and this is far and away our favorite. It's located near CU's campus. A day away from Boulder hiking in Estes/Rocky Mountain National Park would be fun and within easy driving distance.