If you’ve already made plans for Foursquare Connection 2025 in Denver, then you likely know that the Gaylord Resort + Convention Center has everything you need, from food to fun. Read more about what our location has to offer this year!

But, if you want to extend your Connection trip into a Northern Colorado vacation, the greater Denver area has a lot to offer—hiking, national parks, a great foodie scene and more. Bonus: It’s easy to rent a car before or after convention from nearby Denver International Airport so you can take this vacation on the road.

Here are a few Northern Colorado stops you won’t want to miss. In addition, staff from the City of Aurora will be on site during convention week if you want some guidance.

Food + Shopping

If you’re looking for a list of local restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters or (heaven forbid) hospitals or urgent care, this list from the Gaylord has got you covered.

A few highlights worth noting:

  • Stanley Marketplace: Shops selling local goods, a variety of restaurants (think former food trucks), and a handicap-accessible playground that’s fun for everyone (11.8 miles from the Gaylord)
  • The Shops at Northfield: A mall that includes shops, several restaurants, movie theater, bowling alley and comedy club (11.8 miles from the Gaylord)
  • Cherry Creek Shopping Center: Home to shops, restaurants, a dine-in movie theater, and the Denver Museum of Nature + Science (16 miles from the Gaylord)

Nature Attractions + Outdoor Excursions

Enjoy God’s creation on the water, on a hike or admiring His amazing creatures.

Museums

Homeschoolers and history buffs rejoice! Make it an educational trip with a visit to a local museum.

Sports

Get the sporty members of your team or family excited, and come a few days early. A few pro-sporting events are taking place right before Connection. Here’s what’s happening:

Day trips

Keep your super low rate at the Gaylord while exploring all that Northern Colorado has to offer.

Boulder

(50 minutes from the Gaylord)

Boulder is a perfect balance of urban and outdoors. Known for its stellar food scene, an always-exciting downtown and more outdoor activities than you can count, the city is just 30 minutes northwest of Denver, where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains.

Colorado Springs

(1 hour from the Gaylord)

Colorado Springs, Colo., has been a famous resort town since the 1870s. It is the second largest city in Colorado and the seat of El Paso County. Located only an hour south of Denver near the base of Pikes Peak—a soaring mountain whose summit is famous for inspiring Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” in 1893— Colorado Springs is much more than a mere mountain escape. It’s also the home of many different Christian ministries and churches (Compassion International, Biblica and Focus on the Family, just to name a few). It’s only here that you can live your childhood dreams and grab an ice cream from Adventure in Odyssey’s Whit’s End Soda Shoppe!

Idaho Springs + Georgetown

(1 hour from the Gaylord)

Idaho Springs: The former mining town is home to the Argo Gold Mill and several interesting, interactive tours. Outdoor activities include rafting, hiking trails, hot springs and more. The mountain town is 30 miles west of downtown Denver, making it a locals’ favorite.

Georgetown: Just 45 minutes west of Denver and sitting at 8,530 feet is the charming hamlet of Georgetown. Step back in time to an era of days gone by as you explore its stately Victorian buildings and silver-mining history—all surrounded by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

Winter Park

(1 hour, 40 minutes from the Gaylord)

Winter Park is the closest major ski resort near Denver, just 67 miles away. You’ll feel remotely tucked away in this corner of the Rockies. With easy access to 765,000 acres of public land, Winter Park is home to endless adventures and an unparalleled Colorado experience.

Head to the Rocky Mountains

Perhaps a little more than a quick day trip, here are the closest towns where you can soak up that mountain life.

Estes Park

(1 hour and 40 minutes from the Gaylord)

Known as the base camp for Rocky Mountain National Park, the mountain village of Estes Park offers all the modern amenities you need with the mountain flare and hometown hospitality you’re looking for. In the summer and fall, camping, hiking, cycling, rock climbing and water sports, such as stand-up paddle boarding and whitewater rafting, are available in Estes Park and nearby areas.

Breckenridge

(2 hours from the Gaylord)

Breckenridge is in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and filled with history and energy. The town is vibrant with shops, restaurants, arts and culture, and of course, there is their world-renowned ski resort in the backyard.

Cruise to a nearby state

Cheyenne, Wyo.

(2 hours from the Gaylord)

The town of Cheyenne is a drivable distance from the Gaylord Hotel and gets you into the home state of our own Randy Remington. There’s plenty to see in town, with a painted boot tour, a trolley that gives Wild West history tours and Wild West gunfight shows nightly in town starting in June (just a few days after Connection ends).

Learn more about nearby things to do