Denver’s relationship with the sun and sunsets is no secret unless you’ve sworn off social media completely for the last decade or so. The capital city of Colorado hosts some excellent places to catch a sunset in and around town, from picturesque spots at parks to elevated rooftop bars.
If you’re in town looking for an ideal location to catch the next sunset, check out these recommendations:
Lookout Mountain
Located a manageable 30-minute drive west of Denver, catching a sunset while perched atop Lookout Mountain is a majestic, quintessential Colorado experience. The view from the top of the mountain that faces east offers a complete view of the ever-changing Denver skyline with the sprawling eastern plains as a backdrop.
It’s an especially arresting view when the area is illuminated by the setting sun. Note that there are lots to see and do here other than catching the sunset. The area provides access to rugged mountain trails, Buffalo Bill’s grave site, and the Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve.
Cheesman Park
Catching a sunset while picnicking on the lawns of Cheesman Park is an ideal way to spend a summer night in Denver. Featuring vast green spaces and a neoclassical pavilion, this is a park that’s big enough to enjoy the sunset without feeling rushed or crowded.
Coors Field
Seeing the Rockies play at Coors Field under a big, golden sunset is a phenomenal experience from the vantage point of almost every spot in the stadium. However, the uncontested best place to see the sunset from Coors Field is The Rooftop, a 38,000-square-foot area located above the right field that offers astounding panoramic views, adult beverages, snacks, and meals.
Meadow at City Park
If you’ve ever seen perfectly aligned pictures of Denver’s skyline pressed up against the sun-drenched Front Range mountains in the background, the chances are high that they were snapped here from this spot. The Meadow at City Park is a garden that overlooks City Park’s Ferril Lake, Downtown Denver, and the mountains far to the west.
Denver has become a popular, complicated place, but catching the sunset here will help you enjoy the city from a serene, slowed-down distance.
54thirty Rooftop
The highest open-air rooftop bar in the city delivers phenomenal drinks and some of the best sunset views in the state. Sat high atop the 20th floor of the Le Méridien hotel on California Street, this chic restaurant and bar offer dishes inspired by exotic locations from across the globe, tasty high-end cocktails, and luminous, panoramic sunset views.
These are just a few of the countless places in and near Denver to sit and watch the sunset, but the selections mentioned here made the list because of something special attached to the place or experience (there is only one place in Denver to see a Rockies game live a and sunset simultaneously, for example).
Denver is a place that’s growing more popular by the day, but the options mentioned here typically have more than enough space to watch sunsets without feeling too crowded.
Flatirons on Green Mountain in Boulder