National Parks Close to Denver, Colorado

Visiting a National Park during our annual vacations is of our favorite things to do. However, there are also times when I am visiting a new city for a different purpose (business, family, etc.), and I want to quickly visit a new park that I’ve never been to before.

This sense of adventure is why we started building out One-Day Trips. In fact, we even have one for Denver, where we travel up to see Rocky Mountain National Park and drive along Trail Ridge Road.

However, it got me thinking… “What other National Parks are around Denver?“. There was no super easy way to find out, so I decided to start digging into Google Maps, NPS.gov and our own database of parks to come up with a comprehensive list.

Denver has no National Parks within city limits, but every park we list on here is one that you can theoretically visit in one day, starting in Denver, Colorado.

Rocky Mountains National Park

First and foremost, when visiting Denver, the first national park to visit is the Rocky Mountains. It is fairly close to downtown, and is one of the most influential and iconic national parks in the country.

Rocky Mountains National Park – 69 miles, 1.5 hours

Rocky Mountain National Park is about an hour and a half north of Denver. I’ve taken a day to visit the park while in Denver on business, and it was totally worth it.

There are over 300 miles of trails within this national park, ranging from easy walks to challenging backcountry routes. The park also offers several scenic drives, including the famous Trail Ridge Road, which takes visitors to the highest point in the park, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. This road is closed in the winter, and during the summer requires a timed entry.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Also managed by the National Park System (NPS), the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is about 102 miles or 2 hours from Denver.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a protected area located in Teller County, Colorado, about 30 miles northwest of Colorado Springs. It is known for its fossilized trees and plants, which date back to the Eocene epoch (about 34-56 million years ago). The fossil beds at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument are some of the best preserved in the world, and provide a unique window into the flora and fauna of the ancient past.

National Forests Near Denver

However, national parks are not the only type of park that you can explore when visiting Denver. Here are some other types that are within quick driving distance from Denver, CO.

National Forests are gigantic tracts of land, and many parts of the forests may be closer to Denver than we actually list here. White Forest National Forest is the most popular out of these four, and in fact is the most-visited National Forest in the country.

• Pike National Forest – 42 miles, 1 hour
• White River National Forest – 60 miles, 1 hour
• Pawnee National Grassland – 100 miles, 1.75 hours
• Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest – 100 miles, 2.25 hours

Other Federal Lands

• Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge – 11 miles, 27 minutes
• Fort Logan National Cemetery – 35 miles, 46 minutes

State Parks Near Denver

When I visited Denver a few years ago, I took a drive up through Golden Gate Canyon and Red Rocks Park. These two parks were wonderful, and honestly felt like you were in the Rocky Mountain National Park, even though you technically weren’t.

• Cherry Creek State Park – 14 miles, 22 minutes
• St. Vrain State Park – 14 miles, 22 minutes
• Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater – 17 miles, 26 minutes
• Barr Lake State Park – 27 miles, 32 minutes
• Chatfield State Park – 28 miles, 32 minutes
• Roxborough State Park – 28 miles, 43 minutes
• Golden Gate Canyon State Park – 29 miles, 35 minutes
• Eldorado Canyon State Park – 30 miles, 42 minutes
• Saunton State Park – 39 miles, 50 minutes
• Castlewood Canyon State Park – 40 miles, 50 minutes
• Boyd Lake State Park – 53 miles, 53 minutes
• St. Mary’s Glacier – 45 miles, 1 hour
• Lory State Park – 76 miles, 1.5 hours
• Cheyenne Mountain State Park – 79 miles, 1.5 hours

Other Regional Parks Near Denver

• Lowell Ponds State Wildlife Area – 9 miles, 16 minutes
• Bear Creek Lake Park – 17 miles, 24 minutes
• Standley Lake Regional Park & Wildlife Refuge – 19 miles, 30 minutes

National Parks Just Too Far Away

Colorado and surrounding states have some of the most incredible National Parks, however, most are a little too far away to easily visit from Denver. Denver International Airport, however, is a great location to begin your vacation to see these wonderful parks.

• Great Sand Dunes National Park is also in Colorado, and is about 4 hours south of Denver. This is an amazing park that is classified as an International Dark Sky Park.
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is about 4.5 hours southwest of Denver.
• Arches National Park is just over the border into Utah, but is about 5.5 hours due west of Denver down I70.
• Canyonlands National Park is also about 5.5 hours due west from Denver, just over the boarder in Utah.
• Mesa Verde National Park is in Colorado, but it’s about 7 hours away from downtown Denver.