Denver in October (Boulder, Littleton, Castle Rock: rent, hotel, homes)

[DaveG99]

I live in Dallas and will be visiting Denver in mid October for a week. Is there snow in the mountains in October? Can you ski there during that time? Im just trying to figure out some things to do. We will be staying with some family in Littleton CO. I definetly want to do something in the mountains. Maybe rent some four wheelers and go riding in the mountains. Or do some hiking. and I want to see the city of course.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by DaveG99

I live in Dallas and will be visiting Denver in mid October for a week. Is there snow in the mountains in October? Can you ski there during that time? Im just trying to figure out some things to do. We will be staying with some family in Littleton CO. I definetly want to do something in the mountains. Maybe rent some four wheelers and go riding in the mountains. Or do some hiking. and I want to see the city of course.

Most ski areas open in November, for your planning purposes, the later the better. There will be some snow on the peaks. The 4 wheelers and hiking are for sure.

[DenverAztec]

Originally Posted by DaveG99

I live in Dallas and will be visiting Denver in mid October for a week. Is there snow in the mountains in October? Can you ski there during that time? Im just trying to figure out some things to do. We will be staying with some family in Littleton CO. I definetly want to do something in the mountains. Maybe rent some four wheelers and go riding in the mountains. Or do some hiking. and I want to see the city of course.

The higher you head up the hills, the more chance for snow you will find. I was just in Vail and in Rocky Mountain National park and there is still traces of snow from the last snow fall. However, nothing worth skiing on until late October to early November. You can drive just about anywhere in the hills to see the sites, except the high road and some of the mountain passes like Trail Ridge. They will be closed when you are due to snow. You can easily drive to Vail, Estes Park, Pikes Peak, Breckenridge all within a days trip.

If you go to Pikes Peak, be sure to check out the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Manitou and Colorado City while there. Also, Castle Rock has some incredible restaurants, like the Old Stone Church on 3rd and Pegasus.

If going north to Estes, check out Boulder, the Flat Irons and in Estes - the Stanley Hotel were the movie the Shinning was written about. You could see Breckenridge and Vail in a day but the historic victorian towns of Silver Plum and George Town are also cool to look at. Stop in Black Hawk or Central City for gambling.

Aspen, Snowmass, Marble, Red Stone, Glenwood is a two day trip but very much worth it. The Maroon Bells peaks and the mountain ranges surrounding Aspen are mesmerizing and once you see them, you will know why the rich have homes there. I recommend a stay in Glenwood for the prices or rooms, the huge natural spring pool and cheap eats and tour Aspen during the day.

I know tons more about the history of Denver and recommend checking out my recommendations and those of others on what to check out. Our downtown is lively, much more then most any TX city. Dallas and Houston's downtown slow to a crawl at night, not Denvers. We don't have the music scene like Austin but live bands can be found along Colfax and along Broadway. Must sees are the view from the top of the Hyatt, the Brown Palace, the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum, the 16th Street Mall, the Bascillica, Larimer Square, and drive through any of the 38 historic districts. Many streets like Swiss Ave in Dallas.

Hope this helps!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by DaveG99

I live in Dallas and will be visiting Denver in mid October for a week. Is there snow in the mountains in October? Can you ski there during that time? Im just trying to figure out some things to do. We will be staying with some family in Littleton CO. I definetly want to do something in the mountains. Maybe rent some four wheelers and go riding in the mountains. Or do some hiking. and I want to see the city of course.

There are a few ski areas that try to open by Halloween, with man (woman?)-made snow. So it's cold enough, but not necessarily snowy enough everywhere.

October is one of my fave months here; it's cooling down, and the leaves in the metro area are still usually on the trees. If there's not a lot of snow, you can def. hike in the mtns in Oct. The days are usually sunny and warm, the nights nippy. The leaves will most likely be off the Aspen in the mtns by most any time in Oct.

[MantaRay]

When I visited Denver, I went in October, and what I didn't know at the time was that it was the PERFECT time for seeing all the beautiful colors of fall on the trees on the way to Rocky Mountain National Park- the greens and reds and yellows. I'm definitely glad I visited in October. You may want to look up any festivals that may be going on too. We caught the Oktoberfest downtown and a little jazz concert/festival at Northfield Stapleton.

[BabyBoomers2]

The "Elk rut" in Rocky Mountain National Park may still be going on........what a sight! Wife and I went to the Park and seen the "rut". Absolutely stunning Bull Elks with huge racks!