Audio Tour
Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park
66miles
14stops
1h24m
Listen — all 14 stops free
1
Colorado Capitol's Golden Dome Departure
Mile 0 — Denver
The gold dome you can see belongs to the Colorado State Capitol, and it's covered in 200 ounces of 24-karat gold leaf.
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2
Colfax Avenue The Wickedest Street in America
Mile 2 — Denver
You're crossing Colfax Avenue, which stretches over twenty-six miles across the Denver metro area, making it one of the longest continuous commercial streets in the…
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3
The Suburban Prairie North of Denver
Mile 10
You're driving through what was open shortgrass prairie just sixty years ago.
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4
Flatirons Rising From Ancient Desert Sands
Mile 19 — Broomfield
Those dramatic rock slabs coming into view ahead are the Flatirons, and they started as sand dunes and river sediment in a desert that existed here 290 million years…
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5
Boulder Valley's Unusual Scientific Corridor
Mile 23
You're driving through one of the densest concentrations of federal science labs in the country outside of Washington D.C.
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6
NCAR Mesa Lab and I.M. Pei's Design
Mile 28 — Boulder
That striking building perched on the mesa ahead of you is the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory, designed by I.M. Pei and completed in 1967.
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7
Boulder: Where Science Meets the Mountains
Mile 29 — Boulder
You're entering Boulder, a city that holds more scientists and engineers per capita than almost any other American city.
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8
Left Hand Canyon and Hardscrabble Ranching
Mile 37
You're driving through a transition zone between the city of Boulder and the old agricultural communities that cling to the foothills.
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9
Lyons Red Sandstone Built a Campus
Mile 45 — Lyons
The red stone buildings you associate with the University of Colorado in Boulder came from right here.
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10
Where Two Creeks Carved a Disaster
Mile 49 — Lyons
You're at the confluence of the North and South St. Vrain Creeks, and in September 2013 this spot became a disaster zone.
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11
Climbing Through Altitudinal Life Zones
Mile 53 — Lyons
You're driving through one of the clearest demonstrations of altitudinal zonation in the Rocky Mountains.
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12
Ancient Canyon Walls Along South St Vrain
Mile 54 — Lyons
The rock faces you're passing through right now are some of the oldest exposed material on the continent — roughly 1.7 billion years old.
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13
Homesteaders and Hard Winters Up Here
Mile 59
You're now above seven thousand feet, moving through a narrow corridor that nineteenth century settlers found almost impossibly difficult to farm.
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14
Allenspark at the Southern Gateway
Mile 65 — Allenspark
You've reached Allenspark, elevation eight thousand five hundred feet, and your final stop.
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Listen — all 14 stops free
1
Colorado Capitol's Golden Dome Departure
Mile 0 — Denver
The gold dome you can see belongs to the Colorado State Capitol, and it's covered in 200 ounces of 24-karat gold leaf.
0:00
2
Colfax Avenue The Wickedest Street in America
Mile 2 — Denver
You're crossing Colfax Avenue, which stretches over twenty-six miles across the Denver metro area, making it one of the longest continuous commercial streets in the…
0:00
3
The Suburban Prairie North of Denver
Mile 10
You're driving through what was open shortgrass prairie just sixty years ago.
0:00
4
Flatirons Rising From Ancient Desert Sands
Mile 19 — Broomfield
Those dramatic rock slabs coming into view ahead are the Flatirons, and they started as sand dunes and river sediment in a desert that existed here 290 million years…
0:00
5
Boulder Valley's Unusual Scientific Corridor
Mile 23
You're driving through one of the densest concentrations of federal science labs in the country outside of Washington D.C.
0:00
6
NCAR Mesa Lab and I.M. Pei's Design
Mile 28 — Boulder
That striking building perched on the mesa ahead of you is the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory, designed by I.M. Pei and completed in 1967.
0:00
7
Boulder: Where Science Meets the Mountains
Mile 29 — Boulder
You're entering Boulder, a city that holds more scientists and engineers per capita than almost any other American city.
0:00
8
Left Hand Canyon and Hardscrabble Ranching
Mile 37
You're driving through a transition zone between the city of Boulder and the old agricultural communities that cling to the foothills.
0:00
9
Lyons Red Sandstone Built a Campus
Mile 45 — Lyons
The red stone buildings you associate with the University of Colorado in Boulder came from right here.
0:00
10
Where Two Creeks Carved a Disaster
Mile 49 — Lyons
You're at the confluence of the North and South St. Vrain Creeks, and in September 2013 this spot became a disaster zone.
0:00
11
Climbing Through Altitudinal Life Zones
Mile 53 — Lyons
You're driving through one of the clearest demonstrations of altitudinal zonation in the Rocky Mountains.
0:00
12
Ancient Canyon Walls Along South St Vrain
Mile 54 — Lyons
The rock faces you're passing through right now are some of the oldest exposed material on the continent — roughly 1.7 billion years old.
0:00
13
Homesteaders and Hard Winters Up Here
Mile 59
You're now above seven thousand feet, moving through a narrow corridor that nineteenth century settlers found almost impossibly difficult to farm.
0:00
14
Allenspark at the Southern Gateway
Mile 65 — Allenspark
You've reached Allenspark, elevation eight thousand five hundred feet, and your final stop.
0:00