The Flatirons rise right behind Boulder, a college city of about 106,000 where the Great Plains meet the Rockies. It is fit, well educated and outdoorsy, and locals joke about the People's Republic of Boulder. Trails start at the edge of neighborhoods, Boulder Creek Path runs through the middle, and Pearl Street Mall is the pedestrian heart, with street performers, shops and cafes. Denver is about 30 miles away.
Visitors hike Chautauqua and Mount Sanitas, tour Celestial Seasonings, and use the town as a base for Rocky Mountain National Park. Breweries and a farmers market are easy ways to fill time, and the university keeps University Hill youthful. It is very expensive, with typical homes costing about a million dollars. Car break-ins and bike theft are common at trailheads. Altitude, sun, wildfire (the Marshall Fire is recent memory), flash floods and the occasional bear or mountain lion on trails are all worth planning for.
