A locals-approved itinerary for a unique, sports-centric experience in the Mile High City.
Denver, CO is known as the Mile High City because it sits 5,280 feet above sea level. Think you're in shape and could run a 5K in the morning with no stretching? Good luck in Denver. But for those who are used to the altitude, Denver is a launching point for fantastic sports in the whole state -- situated at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is three hours or less from some of the best outdoor sports towns in the United States: Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, and the crown jewel, Vail. Three hundred and sixty five days of the year, you can get your fair share of hiking, skiing, snowboarding and various other outdoor adventuring in and around the greater Denver and Rocky Mountain areas.
The city itself has undergone an intense transformation over the last four decades. It grew 20 percent from 2010 to 2020 and it's now nearly the size of Seattle with a total population of around 700,000. That has meant big-time expansion for its food, arts, and yes, sports scenes.
Entering the 1990s, Denver and Colorado only had two professional teams: the Denver Broncos, who didn't win a Super Bowl until 1998, and the Nuggets, who only won their first NBA title in 2023. Now, Denver is also home to the Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids and a new NWSL expansion team coming next year. And they've been wildly successful -- every major professional team in Denver has won a championship in the last 25 years except for the Rockies who lost to the Red Sox in the 2007 World Series. You'll also find the University of Denver Pioneers here, who have won 10 NCAA Division I hockey championships -- the most in the country. Partially as a result of its sports success, Denver has evolved into a bustling city that offers much more than just the great outdoors.
It's impossible to cover every great thing Denver and the surrounding areas have to do, but here's my list of some of my favorites for sports fans. If you're looking for more outdoorsy things to mix into your trip, check out this article.