Boulder
A Colorado university city under the Flatirons, which bought the land around itself to stop it being built on.
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The Flatirons - five slabs of tilted sandstone standing against the foothills - are the backdrop to everything here, and the reason they are still undeveloped is a decision: in 1967 Boulder voters approved a sales tax to buy open space around the city, the first American city to do so, and the resulting greenbelt of well over sixteen thousand hectares now surrounds it and caps growth. Pearl Street's four blocks were pedestrianised in 1977 and function as the centre, with street performers. The University of Colorado is here, along with NIST, NOAA and NCAR - the last in a Pei building on a mesa above town, open to visitors with an exhibit floor.
What you actually see
- The Flatirons - tilted sandstone slabs above the city.
- A greenbelt bought by referendum - the first such tax in the country.
- Pearl Street Mall - pedestrianised since 1977.
- NCAR's Pei building - on the mesa, with a public exhibit floor.
When to go
May to October; trails are busy at weekends. A full day.
Honest expectations
Trailhead parking fills early and some sites charge non-residents. Altitude at 1,650 metres affects arrivals from sea level. It is expensive. Wildfire seasons have closed foothill trails.
Nearby
Rocky Mountain National Park is north-west; Denver is south-east.
What to pack for Boulder
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.