Denver's rich history includes gold mining, claim jumping, whiskey barrels, Civil War armies and railroads. Today, the Mile High City blends urban and outdoors, combining 33 city skyscrapers with some of the best public parks in the United States. The Trust for Public Land ranked Denver 7th out of the 60 largest U.S. cities for its public parks in 2014. Credit: VISIT DENVER

Originally a gold mining camp on the South Platte River, Denver became a city over claim jumping, gold, and a barrel of whiskey split three ways. In 1858, General William Larimer laid out the city of Denver on land that had been claimed by another gold miner. Two bordering cities were also established, and tensions between the three grew. One night in the spring of 1859, the three cities agreed to join together to form the city of Denver for the price of a barrel of whiskey to be shared.

But building Denver wasn't always as easy as sharing a barrel of whiskey. During the Civil War, Confederates from Texas marched on Colorado in the hopes of seizing both glory and gold. Unprepared, Denver managed to cobble together an army of volunteers who, against all odds, despite their lack of training and fewer numbers, managed to defeat the Confederates at the Battle of Glorieta Pass.

After saving the state for the Union, disaster struck Denver. Fire burned much of the business district to the ground; a flash flood in South Denver killed 20 residents and caused a million dollars in damage; an Indian war broke out, cutting supply lines and leaving Denver with only six weeks of food. In spite of it all, Denver rose and stayed strong, even building its own railroad when the Union Pacific bypassed Colorado on its transcontinental route.

Today, with a population of 634,265, Denver is the 23rd most populous city in the United States. Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Mile High City's altitude means that there is less water vapor in the air – and that the sky is actually bluer in Colorado.

The Mile High City is nestled in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Planes, just east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Like a number of Colorado cities, Denver had its start as a mining town during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. The high altitude means thinner air, stronger sunlight, and a bluer sky. Denver is home to 205 parks amounting to over 4,000 acres of traditional parks and parkways, plus more than 200 golf courses. Photo credit: VISIT DENVER/Stan Obert

Staying Healthy
Denver's nickname, the Mile High City, is more accurate than you might think: the thirteenth step on the Capitol Building has an elevation of exactly 5,280 feet. The state's highest point is Mount Elbert, measuring in at over 14,000 feet. The lowest altitude is the Arikaree River at 3,315 feet – still higher than the average elevation of most states. On average, Colorado has the highest elevation of all 50 states. The state's higher altitude means thinner air and more sun exposure, so plan and prepare accordingly. Drink plenty of water – even before you leave for Denver. The extra hydration should help your body adjust to the altitude more easily. Additionally, increase your potassium. Altitude can affect your electrolyte and salt levels, and potassium intake can help restore these to normal. The air is thinner and contains less water vapor in Colorado, which means there is less oxygen. The sun shines 25 percent brighter and stronger 300 days of the year in Denver.

Civic Center Park, just south of the central business district at E. Broadway Ave. & Colfax, is bordered by the State Capitol, the City and County Building and the Denver Art Museum. The park's classical architecture is the work of Edward Bennett, seen in such elements as the Greek amphitheater, the Colonnade and the Voorhies Memorial Seal Pond. The park opened in 1919. Its central location and green space make it ideal for festivals and events throughout the year. The park also boasts 25,000 square feet of formal gardens, fountains, statues and a war memorial. Photo credit: VISIT DENVER/Evan Semon.

 

The Denver City and County Building, completed in 1932, was the final piece in architect Edward Bennett's 1917 master plan and marked the end of Denver's City Beautiful era. Bennett and architect Daniel Burnham co-authored the 1909 Plan of Chicago as well. The building sits on the western edge of the Civic Center, showcasing two curved wings with Ionic columns and a carillon clock tower topped with a golden eagle. Thirty-nine architects worked on the building's design. Each year around the holidays, the building lights up festively. Photo credit: Colorado Tourism/Matt Inden/Miles

In Denver: Parks and Notable Buildings
Denver has the largest city park system in the nation, with 205 parks within the city limits connected by bike and walking trails. Home to different events throughout the year, Civic Center Park is a 12 acre outdoor urban park a short walk from the Colorado Convention Center. A complete and intact specimen of the City Beautiful era design, this historic urban oasis was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in October 2012. The park officially opened in 1919, but Denver's then-Mayor Robert Speer's ideas and inspiration began as early as 1904 with city beautification efforts, emphasizing civic beauty and public improvements. Civic Center Park's design shows Denver as a welcoming outdoor community.

At the western edge of the Park is the Denver City and County Building, which is artfully illuminated every year for the holidays. The City and County Building was completed in 1932 as part of the thirty-year process to define the park area as the heart of the city's government as well as its cultural center. The completion of this Beaux-Arts Neoclassical style building marked the end of the City Beautiful design era in Denver. The building's fa?????ade has two curved wings with Ionic columns and a carillon clock tower topped with a golden eagle. The staircase leads to a three-story temple front entry with Corinthian columns made of granite from Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Pat Bowlen, the owner of the Denver Broncos, commissioned sculptures of five broncos, one mare and one colt running uphill in an alpine setting for the south side of Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Sergio Benvenuti sculpted the works in Florence. The water feature pumps 850 gpm and is slightly heated to allow steam to rise from the water as it does in nature. If you skip out a little early from the ASLA Expo on Sunday, Nov. 23, the Denver Broncos play the Miami Dolphins. Game time is 2:25. If you prefer hockey, the Avalanche play Carolina on Sat. Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Pepsi Center, aka "The Can." The L.A. Lakers also face off against the Nuggets on Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Pepsi Center. Photo credit: VISIT DENVER/Greg Throw

It took 39 architects to complete this building. Free tours are available. At the eastern end of the park, symmetrically aligned with the City and County Building, is the Colorado State Capitol Building. The Capitol interior is made of Beulah red marble and Colorado Yule marble wainscoting. The exterior is Colorado gray granite from Gunnison County. The three-story dome, completed in 1908, was made of granite colored cast iron coated in 24-carat gold leaf. Tours of the Capitol Building are free, available on weekdays and include an optional 99-step climb to the top of the dome. If the tour is unavailable, visitors can still stand on the 13th step of the Capitol Building stairs, where the elevation is exactly one mile high.

The dome of the Colorado State Capitol Building reflects the gold rush founding of the city: a coating of 24-carat gold leaf. The stairs leading to the entrance lend Denver its nickname. The elevation at the 13th step is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level. Tours of the Capitol Building are available for free on weekdays, and include an optional 99-step climb to the top of the dome. Photo credit: VISIT DENVER/Stan Obert

The Denver Botanic Gardens contains over 40 gardens, such as the Rooftop Alpine Garden, seen here, with over 700 species of Colorado native plants. Visitors can explore the gardens at their leisure. During the ASLA Expo, the Botanic Gardens will be hosting the outdoor sculpture exhibit "Chihuly'. https://www.botanicgardens.org/ Photo credit: VISIT DENVER/Evan Semon

In Denver: Nature & Art
The Denver Botanic Gardens are home to over 700 species of Colorado native plants as well as drought tolerant plants from all over the world. The Botanic Gardens contains 42 different gardens such as the Japanese Garden, Oak Grove, and the Rooftop Alpine Garden. Visitors during ASLA weekend may be able to spot Dombeya elegans (Pink Shrub Dombeya), Prunus subhirtella "Autumnalis' (winter flowering cherry), or Viburnum Iantana ("Wayfaring' tree) in bloom, among other plants. Through November 30, the Botanic Gardens is hosting "Chihuly', an outdoor exhibition of glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, who is recognized for bringing the perception of glass as an artistic medium from craft to the level of fine art. Access to the exhibition is included with day admission; however, "Chihuly Nights', when the glass sculptures are artfully illuminated after dark, is an additional cost.

Just across from Civic Center Park is the Denver Art Museum. The Museum is home to 10 permanent collections including Asian Art, American Western Art, and Photography. There will be 18 temporary exhibitions on display during the ASLA weekend. Additionally, there is an architecture tour daily at 10:15 a.m., included with the price of admission. This tour focuses on the unique architecture of the Frederic C. Hamilton Building, designed by Davis Partnership Architects with Studio Daniel Libeskind. The building opened in October of 2006. Distinctive for its sharp angles and titanium panels, Libeskind's design was inspired by both the Rocky Mountains and the people of Denver. The North Building of the Denver Art Museum, connected to the Hamilton building via an aboveground glass tunnel, was the first permanent location where all the collections could be stored under one roof.

An extension to the Denver Art Museum (2006), the Frederic Hamilton Building houses modern and contemporary art collections, and the oceanic and African art displays. Davis Partnership Architects was the architect of record, with Studio Daniel Libeskind collaborating. The duo also did the landscape architecture. There are more than a million reflective glass tiles on the building's exterior. The Hamilton Building connects via glass tunnel to the fortress-like North Building on the right. Photo credit: VISIT DENVER/Jeff Wells, Frederic Hamilton Building

This seven-story building opened in 1971 and was designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti. This is the only completed structure in the United States designed by Ponti. The reflective glass tiles installed on the exterior complement the windows and roofline of the building, emphasizing its appearance as a castle-like structure.

There is one Denver sight that can be seen without even leaving the Convention Center: the Big Blue Bear, whose proper name is "I See What You Mean." Created by local artist Lawrence Argent, the 40-foot tall Big Blue Bear has been peeking into the Center's lobby since 2005. The bear is made from fiberglass and steel alloy. That the bear is blue was serendipitous. It was originally designed to be a sandy brown color, but when a rendering of the bear was printed, it erroneously came out blue, and, as they say, the rest is history.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, 17 miles southwest of Denver, has been a music venue since 1906, and has held regular concerts since 1947. The Beatles, Bill Cosby, John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, Elton John and Coldplay are among the stars that have taken the stage here. The Park has a Visitor Center as well as hiking trails, and the Amphitheatre is available for touring, as long as there are no concerts taking place. https://redrocksonline.com/ Photo credit: Colorado Tourism/Matt Inden/Miles

In Denver: Sports
Denver is home to seven professional sports teams: the Colorado Rockies (baseball), the Denver Broncos (football), the Denver Nuggets (basketball), the Colorado Avalanche (hockey), Colorado Rapids (soccer), and the Colorado Mammoth and the Denver Outlaws (both lacrosse). During the ASLA annual meeting, you can catch the Avalanche against the Washington Capitals on November 20, or against the Carolina Hurricanes on November 22 at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, November 21, and the L.A. Lakers on Sunday, November 23, at the Pepsi Center. The Broncos will be hosting the Miami Dolphins at Sports Authority Field on November 23. Tours of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum, located at Sports Authority Field, are also available.

Around Denver: The Great Outdoors
Looking for an actual bear instead? Colorado is known for its beautiful mountain scenery and wildlife. The state has nearly 10,000 miles of fishing streams, over 2,800 lakes, over 1,000 mountain peaks with elevations of two miles or higher, and 15 "fourteeners": peaks with elevations of 14,000 feet or higher.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park, 20 miles outside of Denver, is the only naturally occurring acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world. It has been a music venue since 1906, and there are guided tours available. The park opened in 1941 and was once listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Visitors can explore prehistory on two hiking and biking trails where fossils are visible in the rocks nearby. Or, visitors can rock out to one of many concerts hosted in the Amphitheatre. To find concert information, visit redrocksonline.com.

Rocky Mountain National Park, an hour and three-quarters car trip northwest of Denver, is 415 square miles of parklands and one of Colorado's four National Parks. There are 300 miles of hiking trails on which visitors can expect to see wildlife and abundant nature. The nearest town, Estes Park, is home to the Stanley Hotel, the famous setting of Stephen King's The Shining. Wildlife is so plentiful that elk often wander the downtown. Photo credit: Colorado Tourism/Matt Inden/Miles

The Garden of the Gods is a park in Colorado Springs, about an hour south of Denver by car, with magnificent red rock formations rising up as much as 300 feet. Visitors can find a variety of outdoor activities including guided walks, horseback riding and 15 miles of biking and hiking trails. In fact, a hike up to famed Pikes Peak in the Garden of the Gods inspired Katharine Lee Bates to pen "America the Beautiful" in 1893. In addition to purple mountains majesty and amber waves of grain, the park boasts 300 million years of geologic history. In 2011, the American Planning Association designated the Garden of the Gods as one of America's top Ten Great Public Spaces.

The cityscape of Denver is placed against a backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Visitors seeking a closer experience with the mountains should visit Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes. One of Colorado's four national parks, it is 70 miles outside of Denver. Visitors can hike along 300 miles of hiking trails, fish, view wildlife and otherwise enjoy nature. In November, visitors are most likely to see mule deer bucks seeking does and hear bighorn rams head-butting each other. If it snows - and it probably will, as the National Park averages 4-9 inches of snow in November - skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, winter hikes, and other winter activities are available throughout the 415 square mile park. 2015 marks the National Park's centennial, but the celebrations have already started and will continue throughout the year. While in Estes Park, fans of the horror genre should stop for a tour or overnight stay in the Stanley Hotel at 333 E. Wonderview Ave. The hotel was the backdrop for Stephen King's The Shining. Built in 1909, the Stanley Hotel is rumored to be home to at least four benevolent ghosts. The 155-room hotel offers haunted and historical tours for both guests and nonguests. Visually striking for its Georgian architecture, the recently restored hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places as well as one of 250 Historic Hotels of America.

Between Colorado's outdoor beauty and Denver's parks and museums, it seems impossible to see it all on one trip. Denver's downtown thrives, as do the local shopping centers, restaurants, and performing arts. There are miles of things to see and do in the Mile High City.