Being active in Boulder is easy. With so much sun and so many places to go, it’s tempting to want to do it all, right now. But making time to move more slowly and take in the tiny details that make Boulder so beautiful offers great rewards. Let’s go for a walk.
Experiencing places on foot is fundamentally different than watching them whiz by on a bicycle. When we travel at 3 miles per hour, rather than 15 or 20, we see more, hear more, and feel more. And when we walk side by side with others, we find common ground. Come along with Boulder Walks as we cover the city one step at a time.
Walking To Connect
Boulder Walks brings neighbors and residents from around the city together to walk, learn, and exchange ideas. The City’s GO Boulder team developed the Boulder Walks program as part of the community engagement process for the Transportation Master Plan Update in 2014. In 2015, the city brought Denver-based Walk2Connect on board to expand the program, celebrating and encouraging walking as a great option for everyday transportation, activity, and awareness.
As a gold-level, walk-friendly community, Boulder boasts hundreds of miles of high-quality trails, paths and sidewalks, with underpasses and transit connections that make traversing busy streets a breeze. Boulder Walks events during Walk and Bike Month and throughout the year showcase special places, tour new transportation project areas, connect different parts of the pedestrian network, and engage residents in conversations about making walking easier and more fun for all.
Discovering Boulder’s Hidden Gems
Boulderites take great pride in making their neighborhoods their own. On a Boulder Walks journey through the city, you’ll discover quirky sharing stations, improvised artworks, ornamental gardens, and unexpected invitations to interact. Join our Little Free Libraries and Ice Cream tours or our After-Work Amble to the Farmer’s Market to explore Boulder neighborhoods with a bounty of hidden gems.
Boulder Walks events explore the delights of nature, too, offering opportunities to discover birds, flowers, and other wildlife. One of our signature walks is the Ridge to Ridge Ramble, an 11-mile walk from Dakota Ridge to Shanahan Ridge that took place June 10. This popular hike showcases neighborhood connections to trails and illustrates the city’s commitment to nature preservation.
We connect city sidewalks and dirt trails, alleyways and pocket parks, while sharing what makes places special. But it’s not just a one-way street: we want your ideas, too! This summer, join Boulder Walks outings to assess how certain public spaces already work or might be improved. We’ll be collecting community insights into places along the Walk 360 route — a four-segment, 25-mile loop around the city — and on other walks throughout the summer.
