So it’s 2017, and this is the year you’re finally going to get healthy, get in shape and lose those 10 pounds that seem to stick to you like glue. Sounds great, until gym prices give you a mild heart attack. Lucky for you, Denver is one active city with great places to work out outside, and the best part, they’re all free.
We know you all have gone to Red Rocks to work out with the swarm of attractive fit people who run the stairs for life, and have run gracefully around Wash Park and the Cherry Creek trails, so our list has some other ideas for you to consider and perhaps get away from the other resolutioners out there.
9. Lookout Mountain, Near Golden
Photo Courtesy Jeffco Colorado
Get a workout with a view. Bike or run up the winding road for an intense cardio session sure to leave you sore. Check out Buffalo Bill’s grave when you reach the top at 7,379 feet of elevation.
8. Platte River Trail, Denver
Cherry Creek Bike Path. Photo by Roman Tafoya.
See all of Denver, take a peek at the Rocky mountains and get one hell of a good workout with this 28.5 mile trail. Run or bike the path, stop along at the cafés, and even check out the Sheridan calisthenics equipment by Centennial Park. The trail has another outdoor gym just North of Evans.
READ: The Essential Bike Route of Denver’s Parks
7. La Alma Lincoln Park, Denver
Photo Courtesy La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association
La Alma Lincoln Park is a true gem. Downtown and near a light rail station, it’s easily accessible. The park has a small calisthenics area, two basketball courts, an amphitheater and a baseball diamond to cover all your fitness needs. The La Alma Recreation Center is also on site with a pool and gym equipment. The Platter River Trail, number eight on our list, runs right up to La Alma Lincoln Park on the west, and the Cherry Creek trail is just to the east.
READ: 19 Secret Parks in and Around Denver You Must Check Out
6. Mother Cabrini Shrine, Near Golden
Photo Courtesy Mother Cabrini Shrine Facebook
Visit a Colorado landmark and take a symbolic walk, or stair climb, on the Stairway of Prayer. 373 steps lead visitors on the path Mother Cabrini took to the top of the mountain.
5. Infinity Park, Glendale (Near Denver)
Photo Courtesy Infinity Park
Suicide drills, field lacing and calisthenics drills galore. Infinity Park’s turf is never muddy and frequently available for workouts when a rugby game isn’t going on.
4. Manitou Incline, Manitou Springs
The infamous Manitou Incline. Photo by Brittany Werges.
Take a short drive down to the Springs and hike this former cable car track. The hike up is only one mile but gains 2,000 feet in elevation. Be safe though, it can take responders three to four hours to reach you if you have a medical emergency.
READ: Everything You Need to Know to Survive the Manitou Springs Incline
3. White Ranch, Golden
Photo Courtesy Jeffco Colorado
Composed of 20 miles of trails and 5,224 acres, hikers, bikers, campers and horseback riders are welcomed to explore the vast open space, meadows, a canyon, rock formations and more.
2. Garfield Lake Park, Denver
Not only does Garfield Lake Park have a great view, but it also has a pretty extensive outdoor calisthenics gym that has a Swedish wall, pull up bars, pushup bars and more. The park loop is only .6 miles, but mix in some bodyweight exercises and there’s no need for a longer trail.
1. Mile High Stadium Outdoor Gym
Mile High Gym photo by Kyle Cooper.
Eleven workout stations dot the perimeter of the stadium for an entire body workout. The stadium is equipped with these circuits:
1. Body-Tuck
2. Leg-Flex
3. Heel-Flex
4. Body-Pull
5. Arm-Walk
6. Leg-Over
7. Push-Off
8. Stair Workout
9. Sit-Up
10. Vault-Over
11. Hop-Over
For a map of the workout circuit, click here.