Colorado’s (Not So) Hidden Gem: Golden

Although we live only a short drive away from downtown Golden, we don’t visit frequently. I’m not sure why.

I think I first became familiar with “Golden Colorado” watching Coors Brewing television commercials in the 1970s and 1980s which ended with a tagline of being brewed with “pure Rocky Mountain spring water” in Golden Colorado. This introduction is ironic because Bill Coors had recently said, in 1974, “we make the best beer in the world, we don’t need marketing”. In fact, I think a can of Coors Banquet was my very first beer at the very much not legal drinking age of 14. I also remember a trip west with my family not that long before that first illegal sip of Coors and noticing all of the Coors signs hanging outside remote small-town taverns throughout the mountain west. So much for no marketing… but I digress.

Just 30 minutes from downtown Denver, Golden is a gem of a town at the edge of the foothills of the Colorado “front range” mountains. Last week, I made a visit to see and have lunch with a friend who lives there. And after lunch, I took the opportunity of having time on my hands to be a bit of a tourist close to home.

I started with taking in the bird’s eye view, climbing the relatively short and moderately steep (at the bottom) Olivine trail to the top of Table Rock Mountain. On a gorgeous fall Friday afternoon it was, surprisingly, quiet. While I passed a few groups or lone hikers each way up and down, I was alone at the top and was able to appreciate the views of Golden from above, Denver in the distance to the east and up and down the foothills to north and south in solitude.

Returning to town, I took a short walk back down the main drag, Washington Avenue, whose restaurants and shops were bustling with tourists and, what appeared to be, a parent’s weekend for the local college: the Colorado School of Mines. I returned to the creek side trail along the Clear Creek (having walked here pre-lunch with my friend) and visited the small (and free) Golden History Museum.

Although dinosaurs and native people roamed the hills and land which is now Golden for many years, it was “founded” in 1859. At that time, it was known as “Golden City” and it became the capitol of the Colorado Territory in 1862, only to have the capitol designation swiped by Denver when Colorado became a state in 1876. Golden became known as the “last flat place” before the Rockies and grew as it became a supply point for miners heading into the mountains. It was this growth that brought Coors Brewing to town in 1873.

Colorado School of Mines was founded in 1870 by Bishop George M. Randall and taught “chemistry, metallurgy, mineralogy, mining engineering, geology, botany, math and drawing” with a focus on assaying gold and silver. Today, the School of Mines continues to be focused on science and engineering with recent enrollments around 5,600 students (2021-2022).

Things to do in Golden.

In addition to the hike up Table Mountain (the Olivine trailhead is at the end of 19th Street), a visit to the history museum (and its adjacent pioneer park) and a walk along the Clear Creek Trail, here are some things to see and do in Golden:

1. Visit the Coors Brewery. Offered Thursday to Monday, you can learn about the brewery’s history and brewing process and sample the output. Reservations recommended and can be made up to 25 days in advance.
2. Visit the Mines Museum of Earth and Science at the Colorado School of Mines. I visited here once while doing a scavenger hunt race while staying here for a work retreat. It’s pretty cool. You can even gaze upon two rocks from the moon collected during the Apollo 17 mission.
3. Eat and shop along Washington Avenue. With lots of small shops and local restaurants, there’s a lot to do just on Golden’s main drag alone.
4. Visit the Colorado Railroad Museum. Just outside of Golden, the Sheldon Cooper and kid-friendly Colorado Railroad Museum covers history, features train rides and has more than 100 old trains.
5. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater. During warmer months, in nearby Morrison, one of the coolest places to catch a show is right next door to Golden. You can visit it or see a concert or movie in season.

For more ideas, click here for the Visit Golden website.

Sources:

1. https://www.visitgolden.com/plan-your-visit/history/
2. Golden History Museum.
3. https://www.mines.edu/about/history-and-traditions/
4. https://www.mines.edu