Sense of Place

Hear the mountains calling? Just west of Boulder are acres of pine forest and small communities that beckon those looking for a close-to-nature lifestyle. The largest of these is Nederland, which is just 30 minutes from Boulder but with a decidedly funky high-country spirit. Popular with adventure seekers, “Ned” (as it's known to locals) sits at the gateway to the spectacular Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.

Spot Us Here: Riding the Carousel of Happiness with our kiddos, followed by coffee at Salto Coffee Works

Shhhh… Best-Kept Secret: Chipeta Park is a pretty and peaceful sanctuary next to Boulder Creek.

Claim to Fame: Frozen Dead Guy Days (yes, really!), a now-famous, tongue-in-cheek festival celebrating a Nederland man who was cryogenically frozen after his death in the late 1980s

Population: 1,300

Lay of the Land

Nederland is 16 miles from Boulder, up winding and dramatic Boulder Canyon (keep an eye out for rock climbers dangling from the canyon walls). Barker Meadow Reservoir sits at the mouth of the canyon on the town’s eastern side, and from its western banks, you can walk to downtown, which centers around East 1st Street. The Indian Peaks and James Peak wilderness areas provide a vast and wild playground to the north and west.

What Locals Love to Do

• Alpine ski, snowboard, or Nordic ski at Eldora, the local ski mountain, just five miles from town.
• Explore a world of outdoor adventure in the surrounding wilderness and scenic beauty in the James Peak Wilderness, Indian Peaks Wilderness and Roosevelt National Forest—all within a short drive.
• Ride the whimsical and wonderful hand-carved Carousel of Happiness, a restored 1910 carousel accompanied by a 1913 Wurlitzer organ.
• Drive the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, a spectacular and popular route for fall leaf-peeping and lined with trailheads and recreation areas.
• Fish or skip rocks at the placid Barker Meadow Reservoir, which is ringed in a shoreline hiking trail.
• Browse the rock and gift shops on 1st and 2nd Streets downtown, and grab a beer on the patio of a taphouse or pizzerias.
• Fuel up on tasty international cuisine at Indian, Thai, Mexican, and Italian restaurants around town.
• Soak up the town’s earliest history and see original mining equipment and mineral displays at the Nederland Mining Museum.
• Pick up fresh produce for the week at the convivial Nederland Farmers Market,.