National Center for Atmospheric Research
Managed by National Science Foundation
452 acres6.1 mi of trail
Bear Canyon - NCARN.C.A.R. TrailN.C.A.R. - Bear ConnectorN.C.A.R. - Table Mesa+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Lee Coursey · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Boulder
28% of Boulder’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 90 miles of mapped trail cross Boulder, 3.4 per square mile of land. 28% of Boulder’s land is conserved, about 4,820 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #9 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
4,820 acres · of 26.9 sq mi of land
Trails
90 mi
3.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,276 ac
40 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
192 mi
53 mi lanes · 88 mi paths
Highest peak
6,204 ft
Table Mountain
Lakes & rivers
17
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Boulder?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Boulder have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Boulder is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #9 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Boulder’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (90 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land40 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,276 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CO 97% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 95%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Boulder ranks #3 on Outdoors.
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Boulder’s 28% is ahead of 94% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is National Center for Atmospheric Research, with 6.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Harlow Platts Community Park
Park
52 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Chautauqua Park
Managed by The Colorado Chautauqua Association
36 acres0.9 mi of trail
Enchanted Mesa TrailBluebell Hiking Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tantra Park
Park
22 acres0.9 mi of trail
Tantra Park Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Arapahoe Ridge Park
Park
8 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Foothills Community Park
Managed by City of Boulder
65 acres0.5 mi of trail
Foothills South
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tom Watson Park
Managed by City of Boulder
32 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
East Boulder Community Park
Park
54 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 54 parks & preserves
National Center for Atmospheric Research452 acres · 6.1 mi of trail · National Science Foundation
DirectionsHarlow Platts Community Park52 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsChautauqua Park36 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · The Colorado Chautauqua Association
DirectionsTantra Park22 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsArapahoe Ridge Park8 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFoothills Community Park65 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Boulder
DirectionsTom Watson Park32 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Boulder
DirectionsEast Boulder Community Park54 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsEaton Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Scott Carpenter Park18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDakota Ridge Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Norlin Quadrangle2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMaxwell Lake Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Boulder
Fredrick Law Olmsted, Jr. Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Boulder
DirectionsCrestview Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Boulder
Elmer's Two Mile Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTwin Lakes4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Central Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSalberg Center and Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Boulder
DirectionsTantra Environmental Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Boulder
DirectionsGreenleaf Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEdward Sell Smith Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Catalpa Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Boulder
The Peoples' Crossing1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Boulder
DirectionsNorth Boulder Park11 acres
DirectionsMartin Park10 acres
DirectionsPrimos Park9 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsAdmiral Arleigh A. Burke Park9 acres
DirectionsEast Mapleton Ball Fields8 acres
DirectionsEben G. Fine Park8 acres
DirectionsElks Park7 acres
DirectionsHoward Hueston Park6 acres
Parkside Park5 acres
DirectionsMeadow Glen Park5 acres · City of Boulder
Keewaydin Meadows Park5 acres
DirectionsColumbine Park5 acres
DirectionsShanahan Ridge Park4 acres
Christensen Park4 acres · City of Boulder
Park East Park3 acres
DirectionsBear Creek Park3 acres
DirectionsBeach Park3 acres
DirectionsWinding Trail Village3 acres
DirectionsArrowwood Park3 acres · City of Boulder
Emma Gomez Martinez Park2 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsHoliday Park2 acres
DirectionsBill Bower Park2 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsTantra Sledding Hill2 acres
DirectionsSombrero Marsh Park1 acres
DirectionsPine View Park1 acres · City of Boulder
Melody Park1 acres · City of Boulder
Haertling Sculpture Park1 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsAndrews Arboretum1 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsCanyon Pointe Park1 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsSinton Park1 acres · City of Boulder
DirectionsWho protects it
4,820 conserved acres
28% of Boulder’s land. Who manages Boulder’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city4,544 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits483 ac
County350 ac
Private owners81 ac
Not recorded9 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,864 acLocal Park · 1,152 acUnknown Easement · 520 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 458 acOther Easement · 304 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 297 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 173 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Boulder City Parks Local Park | Town or city | 1,055 | Open |
| National Center for Atmospheric Research Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 458 | Open |
| Wells - East Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 376 | Open |
| Parsons - Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 235 | Open |
| Van Vleet - North Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 186 | Unknown |
| Erni - South Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 166 | Open |
| Boulder Land, Irrigation, and Power Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 163 | Open |
| Abbey, Benedictine Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Boulder Valley Ranch - 103 Corp. Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 156 | Open |
| I.B.M. Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 153 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
174 places to go in Boulder
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Boulder
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Boulder
Lap PoolIn Scott Carpenter Park
DirectionsLeisure PoolIn Scott Carpenter Park
DirectionsLeisure PoolIn Scott Carpenter Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Boulder
Arrowwood ParkIn Arrowwood Park
DirectionsChild Play Area
DirectionsCrestview PlaygroundIn Crestview Park
DirectionsKeewaydin Meadows PlaygroundIn Keewaydin Meadows Park
DirectionsSleepy Bear PlaygroundIn Chautauqua Park
DirectionsSplash PadIn Scott Carpenter Park
DirectionsTantra ParkIn Tantra Park
DirectionsThe Bounce PlaceHours: Mon–Sun 9 am – 6 pm · Fee
Directions106 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Boulder
East Boulder Dog ParkIn East Boulder Community Park
DirectionsFoothills Community Dog ParkIn Foothills Community Park
DirectionsFoothills Community Dog ParkIn Foothills Community Park
DirectionsHSBV Agility Yard
DirectionsHSBV Play Yard
DirectionsValmont Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 4 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Boulder
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Boulder
Spectator Plaza
DirectionsTour Stop 10In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 20In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 30In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 40In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 50In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 60In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 70In Chautauqua Park
Directions2 more scenic views
Tour Stop 80In Chautauqua Park
DirectionsTour Stop 90
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Boulder
Table Mountain6,204 ft elevation · In National Center for Atmospheric Research
DirectionsTwo Tree Hill5,981 ft elevation · In National Center for Atmospheric Research
DirectionsShanahan Hill5,735 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Boulder
Harlow Platts Disc Golf CourseIn Harlow Platts Community Park
DirectionsValmont Disc Golf CourseCity of Boulder
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Boulder
Centennial Community Garden
DirectionsFoothills Community GardenIn Foothills Community Park
DirectionsFoothills Community GardenIn Foothills Community Park
DirectionsFortune Community Garden
DirectionsGoss Grove Community Garden
DirectionsHawthorn Community GardensGrowing Gardens
DirectionsHickory Community Garden
DirectionsHoliday Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 30.0 miHorses · 18.3 miUnpaved · 58.0 mi
Wonderland Hill2.2 mi
Hogback Ridge Trail1.8 mi
Eagle Trail1.5 mi
Mesa Trail1.4 mi
Shanahan - South Fork Trail1.3 mi
Red Rocks Spur Trail1.2 mi
Wonderland Lake Trail1.0 mi
Four Pines Trail1.0 mi
Cobalt Trail1.0 mi
Foothills South0.9 mi
15 more trails
Tantra Park Path
0.8 miOld Kiln
0.8 miFoothills North Trail
0.8 miHidden Valley
0.8 miShanahan - North Fork Trail
0.7 miN.C.A.R. Trail
0.7 miBear Canyon - NCAR
0.7 miMiddle Fork Shanahan Trail
0.7 miIBM Connector Trail
0.6 miLongmont-to-Boulder (LOBO) Regional Trail
0.6 miEnchanted Mesa Trail
0.6 miNorth Sky Trail
0.6 miBoulder Reservoir Dam (South)
0.6 miGolden Meadow Trail
0.6 miN.C.A.R. - Bear Connector
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Boulder ReservoirreservoirCoot LakeEvert Pierson Kids' Fishing PondlakeGoose Creek PondpondHSBV PondpondKitt PondpondKohler ReservoirreservoirMaxwell LakepondMaxwell ReservoirreservoirMesa ReservoirreservoirSale LakereservoirTantra LakeThe Honey HoleVarsity LakereservoirViele LakereservoirWonderland LakereservoirSouth Boulder Creek
Biking & sports
192 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
53 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
88 mi
off-road bike paths
52 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Boulder Valley RanchBike route
2.8 miLongmont-to-Boulder (LOBO) Regional TrailBike route
1.2 miB360Bike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
101Tennis
45Basketball
34Baseball
24Beach volleyball
19Soccer
14Football
4Volleyball
4Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →22 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 11 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Chautauqua AuditoriumBuilding · listed 1974
About itSquires-Tourtellot HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itHighland SchoolBuilding · listed 1978
About itWoodward-Baird HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itCarnegie LibraryBuilding · listed 1979
About itNorlin Quadrangle Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itDowntown Boulder Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itUS Post Office-Boulder MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itNorthern Colorado Power Company SubstationBuilding · listed 1986
About itHotel BoulderadoBuilding · listed 1994
About it10 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Boulder: April and June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 47 | 56 | 62 | 71 | 82 | 88 | 86 | 79 | 66 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 2.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Boulder →
Next door
Boulder and its neighbors
Boulder has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 28% | 3.4 | 40 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Gunbarrel | 56% | 2.4 | 161 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Pine Brook Hill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Niwot | 39% | 3.7 | 31 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Boulder
Where can I hike in Boulder?
The longest trail networks: National Center for Atmospheric Research, 6.1 miles; Harlow Platts Community Park, 1.7 miles; Chautauqua Park, 0.9 miles; Tantra Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Boulder is conserved land?
28% of its land, against a typical 7% for a Colorado town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Boulder’s trails?
National Center for Atmospheric Research and Harlow Platts Community Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Boulder?
192 miles of bike routes are on the map: 53 of painted or protected lanes, 88 of off-road paths and 52 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Boulder Valley Ranch, Longmont-to-Boulder (LOBO) Regional Trail and B360.
Is there public land near Boulder?
116,977 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Boulder or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,276 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Boulder have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 of 159 in Colorado. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Boulder neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →