88 Things to do in Colorado in 2018

If you’re reading this, you already know that living in Colorado is pretty great. There’s always something to do, something to see, something to revel at— and you can drink a craft beer or smoke a joint while you’re doing most of them. Each new year signifies a new opportunity to explore the state and embrace the benefits of living here. Don’t spend your days off on the couch— make every moment worth it. To help inspire your inner adventurer, we’ve compiled a list of 88 things to do in Colorado in 2018. Check them off and thank us after another badass year in this badass state.

1. Enjoy the hard work of a pack by going dog sledding in a mountain town.
2. Learn how to be safe in the backcountry with Avalanche Training
3. Visit the Ice Castles in Dillion
4. Winery hopping in Colorado Wine country
5. Ski every day of the year
6. Go ice skating (weather permitting) in Evergreen at the largest Zamboni-groomed rink
7. See one of the Rockies fireworks games and get on the field
8. Dance to keep warm at one of the winter shows at Red Rocks
9. Show your own and see the newest styles at Denver Fashion Week
10. Slackline at the dedicated slackline park in Denver
11. Adventure on a hidden hike in Rocky Mountain National Park
12. See films that will probably win Oscars at the 41st Annual Denver Film Festival
13. Find tickets to attend Hamilton at the Buell Theatre in Denver

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14. Grab an Etuk ride around the city
15. Ride North America’s longest mountain roller coaster in Steamboat Springs
16. Laugh at the High Plains Comedy Festival
17. Walk or bike the 40 West ArtLine in Lakewood
18. Hike to Zapata Falls near the Great Sand Dunes or one of these hidden waterfalls 
19. Eat your way through the Slow Food Nations (if it returns to Denver)
20. See famous Chinese artist Ai WeiWei’s bronze sculptures in Civic Center Park
21. Join a team to be a rower in the annual Sloan’s Lake Dragon Boat Festival
22. Get a tattoo at the Tattoo Masquerade
23. Try a new video game experience at Head Games Virtual Reality arcade in Lakewood.
24. Compete in a Mud Run like the Tough Mudder
25. Go to a Hot Air Balloon Festival
26. Watch or compete in the Ouray Ice Festival
27. Party and enjoy winter sports at X-Games in Aspen
28. See inside buildings normally closed to the public during Doors Open Denver
29. Learn to throw an axe in Denver
30. Participate in the 24 hour Cotopaxi Adventure with your friends

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31. See a show at the new Levitt Pavilion
32. Go to all the National Parks and Monuments in Colorado
33. Go Surfing on the Platte River
34. Attend the Telluride Horror Film Festival or the Fire Festival
35. Do a bike tour of all of Denver’s best parks
36. Ski (or hike) St. Mary’s Glacier
37. Explore Eagle’s 100 Miles of Mountain Biking Trails
38. Go on an adventure in Colorado’s gold belt
39. Use a snorkel while skiing freshies at Silverton
40. Do a Colorado Trifecta – ski in the morning, hike in the afternoon and see a (Rockies, Avs, or Broncos) game in one day.
41. Explore The San Juan Hut System
42. Go off grid in one of these cabins
43. See the leaves change on an ATV
44. Go on the ultimate Colorado road trip
45. Get spooked in a Colorado Ghost Town
46. Spend a night in a tree house 
47. Dive into a hidden Colorado watering hole
48. Scuba dive in a Colorado lake

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49. Look through 70 years of fashion at the Dior exhibition for the Denver Art Museum
50. Feel the nostalgia at Manitou Springs penny arcade
51. Visit another country without leaving Colorado
52. Touch the Tiger Wall or dance in the Paint Mines Interpretive Park
53. Get lost in the Glenwood Caverns
54. Visit all the “parks”—South, Middle, and North—to see some inspiration for the TV show South Park
55. Try a new winter sport like ice racing
56. Catch some of the biggest fresh lake trout in Colorado during the winter by ice fishing in Grand County
57. Soak in some abstract art at a contemporary gallery like K Contemporary, ATC DEN or Black Book Gallery
58. Rent a campervan to camp with ease and style (and some kickass Instagram pictures)
59. Eat dinner, drink cocktails and watch movies at Alamo Drafthouse in Sloan’s Lake or Littleton
60. Pay tribute to Buffalo Bill at his grave
61. Check out Cano’s Castle in Antonito
62. Drive on the highest paved road in the country on Mount Evans
63. Get lost in the Mile High Flea Market
64. Have a fun day in Denver for less than $25
    

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65. Take a tour of the Celestial Seasonings Tea headquarters outside Boulder
66. Take a tour of the United States Mint to see how billions of coins are made
67. Take a tour of Hammond’s Candy Factory to satisfy your sweet tooth
68. Enjoy green chili served all different ways at the Chile & Frijoles Festival in Pueblo
69. Take yourself on a self-guided tour of the Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs
70. Eat a themed meal from the frontier days of the West at The Fort
71. Get up close and personal with a wolf
72. Feel the pull of the Wild West with ski joring in Leadville
73. Adventure to Bishop Castle, a one-man construction project 60 years in the making
74. Be in four places at once by putting each limb in a different state at the Four Corners Monument
75. Find out what the elevationists believe at the International Church of Cannabis in Denver
76. Go to a “First Friday” in all seven Denver art districts
77. Roller skate around the EXDO center in costume at one of Roll Denver’s themed nights
78. Drink a beer in all 348 breweries across the state (Colorado is second in number of craft breweries per state, behind California)
79. Attend Star Wars night with the Colorado Avalanche

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80. See the authentic Dead Sea Scrolls— a temporary traveling exhibition—at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
81. Drive to northeastern Colorado in the late summer to witness the sunflower season
82. Soak overnight at Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs
83. Hike to the Flagstaff Star in Boulder during December
84. Dress up in cosplay at the Denver Comic Con
85. Skydive from 16,000 feet over the Royal Gorge
86. Tour Denver via the RTD Light Rail
87. Read more 303 Magazine 
88. Thank your lucky stars that you live in Colorado