Urban Hikes in Boulder

A few years ago my husband and I discovered the joys of urban hikes. We live in Boulder, Colorado, which is an extremely pedestrian-friendly city. Bike and pedestrian paths with underpasses make navigating intersections a breeze, and of course the constant view of the Flatirons against a Colorado blue sky makes our walks even more enjoyable.

We freeze a little water in the bottom of two Nalgene water bottles, so that when we fill them with water they stay nice and cold, and carry everything we need on our backs. Often we will take care of errands, small purchases, even grocery shopping and wine purchases for dinner on foot during our urban hikes.

The very best part about it, though, is the conversation. Topics range far and wide from the state of the world and country, to the state of our children off at college, to my frustrations and successes at work. It is our best time to share with each other and often the walks will last three hours or more. Boulder has numerous great restaurants, so we will often have lunch out along the way.

We live in South Boulder and can easily head straight up into the foothills from our house and walk the Chautauqua trails behind the National Institute for Science and Technology buildings. Or we can walk through various neighborhoods to get to the brand new 29th Street Mall for lunch at L’s. Or we can head through the CU campus and down the big hill to walk the famous Pearl Street Mall.

When we visit other cities we always wish for the same walker-friendly environment there, since it is a great way to really see a town or city, but we rarely find it. If you know of a good walking town, post a comment and let me know.