7 Best Sights in Rockies Near Denver, Colorado

Thousands of beer lovers make the pilgrimage to the venerable Coors Brewery each year. Founded in 1873 by Adolph Coors, a 21-year-old German stowaway, today it's the largest single-site brewery in the world and part of Molson Coors. Only guided tours with reservations are available; the tour explains the malting, brewing, and packaging processes. Informal tastings are held at the end of each tour and are included in the price of admission; for half the price of a tour, you can just sample beers. Reservations are required for tours and sampling, and you can buy souvenirs in the gift shop. A free shuttle runs from the parking lot to the brewery.

This is a great place to enjoy a mountain hike and the outdoors for a few hours. From the exit, it's a beautiful 10-mile drive up a forested hanging valley to the glacier trailhead. The glacier, technically a large snowfield compacted in a mountain saddle at the timberline, is thought to be the southernmost glacier in the United States. During drought years it all but vanishes; a wet winter creates a wonderful Ice Age playground throughout the following summer. Most visitors are content to make the steep ¾-mile hike on a rock-strewn path up to the base of the glacier to admire the snowfield and sparkling sapphire lake. The intrepid hiker, with the right type of gear, can climb up the rocky right-hand side of the snowfield to a plateau less than a mile above for sweeping views of the Continental Divide. Because of its proximity to Denver, St. Mary's Glacier is a popular weekend getaway for summer hikers, snowboarders, and skiers. There are two pay parking lots with about 140 spaces between them; the cost is $5 per vehicle per day (cash only), with restrooms and trash facilities available at both. Don't look for a St. Mary's Glacier sign on I–70; it reads "St. Mary's Alice," referring to the nearby ghost towns.

A National Historic District, Golden's 12th Street has a row of handsome 1860s brick buildings.

Near Indian Hot Springs Resort is a 600-foot waterfall, Bridal Veil Falls. The imposing Charlie Tayler Waterwheel—the largest in the state—was constructed in the 1890s by a miner who attributed his strong constitution to the fact that he never shaved, took baths, or kissed women.

The Colorado School of Mines, the nation's largest and foremost school of mineral engineering, has a lovely campus containing an outstanding geology museum with minerals, gemstones, and fossils from around the world, one of the "Goodwill" moon rocks collected during the Apollo 17 mission, and a reproduction of a gold mine.

Two properties—the Golden History Center and the Clear Creek Golden History Park (formerly Clear Creek History Park)—have combined under the name of Golden History Museum and Park. The park interprets the Golden area circa 1843–1900 via restored structures and reproductions, including a teepee, prospector's camp, one-room schoolhouse, and cabins. It is also populated with live chickens and bees. On select days, guides in period clothing lead 45-minute tours, but you can stroll the park and peek into the buildings anytime, and picnic lunches on the grounds are welcome. There's also a research center and an interactive area for kids.

Built between 1890 and 1930, this restored log cabin shows a popular and relaxed mountain summertime lifestyle. The museum, which includes three other buildings, has an exceptional collection of Southwestern Indian artifacts, and there's a short trail around the pretty property's 4 acres.