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Northglenn, Colorado

Northglenn City Hall, CO
Northglenn City Hall. Photo: Jeffrey Beall

With the city’s broad collection of restaurants and lodging, Northglenn is a great stopover point if you’re heading to Denver. That is if you can resist the urge to explore the city itself. With over 500 acres of park systems, hiking trails, and magnificent lakeside views, you’ll find yourself wanting to stay a bit longer.

The city of Northglenn is a Home Rule Municipality. It is located in Adams and Weld counties and is a part of the Denver Metropolitan Area. It sits at an elevation of 5,377 feet and as of 2020, it had a population of 39,210 occupying its 7.5 square miles of geographic area.

History

Northglenn Colorado City Hall
Northglenn City Hall. Photo by: City of Northglenn

The area of Adams County where Northglenn currently sits used to be largely used for agricultural endeavors. Perl-Mack Company drew up a master plan for a community to have specially designated commercial, educational, industrial, and recreational areas around a regional shopping complex. Development of the city began in 1959 and by 1962, it attracted more than 10,000 residents.

The city was incorporated in April 1969 after successfully opposing the annexation attempted by the city of Thornton. Over 25,o00 residents voted for government officials that same year. Northglenn continued to rapidly expand and almost doubled in size with additional land annexations.

Main Attractions

Boondocks Food and Fun, Colorado
Boondocks Food and Fun, Colorado. Photo by: facebook.com/BoondocksColorado

Boondocks Food & Fun – Enjoy this paradise filled with games and adventures perfect for family and friends. Facilities include bumper boats, an arcade, laser tag, a kiddie cove, and bowling lanes. After a thrilling day, you can grab a bite at their Back Porch Grill.

Go-karting at Boondocks is available on an outdoor track. There’s a Rookie Track and Jr Racer area as an option as well, both dependent on height. Other attractions include two decorated 18-hole mini golf courses, an arcade with all the classics, and a 100,000-gallon pool to cool off in.

Denver Escape Room – Denver Escape Room offers an adventure game where participants are placed in a room to solve problems, find clues, and escape within a set time limit. It’s a great time for family and friends where teamwork is the best weapon. They have three rooms with different themes and engaging storylines that will get your adrenaline pumping.

Recreation

E. B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park in Northglenn, Colorado
E. B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park. Photo by: Jeffrey Beall

Camping –

  • Pepper Pod campground is 30 minutes northeast of Northglenn and has 36 sites for RVs and tents. They offer full hookups, laundry, and showers on-site.
  • Barr Lake RV Park sits right outside Barr Lake State Park, about a 30-minute drive from town. It’s a large park with almost 120 sites, a basketball court, a general store, and a restaurant to enjoy.

Fishing –

  • Croke Reservoir is a great local spot for fishing. Make sure to check the fishing rules and regulations before doing so.
  • There is a small body of water within E. B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park is known as Webster Lake. Fishing is allowed here from pedal boats or the shore.
Pedal boats in a pond in Northglenn
Pond in a local Northglenn community park. Photo by: facebook.com/cityofnorthglenn

Hiking – 

  • Eastlake #3 Park and Nature Preserve is in nearby Thornton and has a paved trail perfect for walking, biking, or rollerblading.
  • Platte River trailhead is nearby and winds through the suburbs for 7.1 miles.
  • The city has compiled a comprehensive list detailing over 35 miles of Greenway trails that run through the area.

Public Parks – E. B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park is a recipient of America’s Crown Community Award by American City & County Magazine for its redesign and rehabilitation. It was also chosen as the Best of Metro North 2010 for having the top children’s playground in the area. Its features include play structures, swings, two hopscotch courts, a four-square court, a basketball court, and climbing rocks.

Special Events

Car show cars in Northglenn CO
4th of July Festival car show in Northglenn, CO. Photo by: facebook.com/cityofnorthglenn

Jul – 4th of July Fest – Celebrate the summer holiday with a car show, rubber duck derby, live music, and fireworks at E. B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park.

Aug – Dancing through the Decades – Get your best decades outfit on and head out to Northglenn Festival Field for a night of dancing to hits from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. There will be food and drinks available for purchase.

Sep – Pirate Fest – The city hosted its first-ever Northglenn Pirate Fest in September 2017 as its own daring way of celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day. Entry is free and participants can enjoy food from various booths with a toast of tasty pirate drinks like beer, mead, and rum. Activities include sword fighting, archery, bounce houses, and a historical reenactment section.

Oct – Safe Street Halloween – The road along Centennial Park turns into a Halloween haven for families to safely enjoy the night. Local organizations will have booths set up for trick-or-treaters as well as inflatable attractions and meet-and-greets with Ghostbuster characters.

While there are no hotels in Northglenn, neighboring Thornton has a few accommodations worth checking out.

Activities near Northglenn

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