I just moved to Colorado! Suggestions?

Hello tw! I finally moved to Denver from the PNW. Don’t call me an invader, my mom is from Colorado and my grandparents have been here too so I’ve been visiting since I was young and have seen the explosion of Californians myself.

I’m looking for any locals suggestions on food spots (bonfire burritos seems to not be a truck anymore), good off-roading trails near Denver, and anything else you think is worth checking out.

I also like shooting so if there are some cool places to do that not too far from Denver, or if anybody wants a buddy to go with, LMK!

thanks!

 

Welcome! As sad as it is, I’m a 45 year old native who also enjoys food and shooting, but I really don’t have any suggestions . I don’t off road at all, but I know Colorado has some good places to do it, or that’s what I’ve been told.

 

What ever you do in the Mts. in your free time, don’t forget about the return home and the I -70 parking lot. And when you pass through the Tunnel, remember me, I worked on the 2nd bore.

 

I will always remember you sir

 

Man, now I’ve got to carry a 40oz with me all the time. Just in case I go through the tunnel, I can pour some out and whisper “ for spitdog”.

 

Please do! That was back in the 70’s so I don’t have much time left. Back in those days we needed to pull over at Idaho springs for a wizz cuz some of the guys would pack colt 45 malt liquor. Stay young fellas.

 

Hahaha will do sir! Making me crave a cold crisp 40ozer rn

 

Congrats, you are now living in the best place on earth. I moved away about 5 years ago and have missed it ever since. There's tons to do in the front range, and even more in the ranges beyond.

I wanted to relay a word of caution when it comes to shooting. Most of the forests are open to recreational shooting, but I recommend being exceptionally cautious and courteous when it comes to partaking in this privilege, so it is preserved for future generations. Make sure to follow all rules and clean up ALL of your shooting trash. Targets, brass, shells... anything that future visitors might find. And don't shoot near other people if you can avoid it. A lot of folks don't like guns, and they are moving to CO in droves. Much of this is irrational, but it is quite reasonable to expect gunshy people to dislike the sound of nearby gunfire, and to raise all hell if there are bullets whizzing overhead. Several years ago, a guy was camping with his grandkids, and was shot to death in his tent by a stray bullet, probably from miles away.

Even biodegradable clay pigeons are objectionable to some crowds, so choose your shooting spots carefully. There are TONS of established public ranges around, and when I lived there, they were very lightly used. There's a great free one south of BV, for example, and I've always had it to myself when I stopped by on weekdays. Another option is south of Baily, but I think they charge a fee. There's a public shooting pit near Buffalo Creek, but it was kind of a shit show, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's already been shut down. Honestly if you want to shoot regularly, there are tons of indoor ranges in the metro area, and most of them are really good, and affordable with monthly memberships.

I'll share a story of shame as an example. Several years ago I went up Argentine pass with a friend visiting from out of state. This is an out-and-back trail, because the far side of the pass is closed to vehicular traffic. On our way down from the summit, we set up to do some plinking at Waldorf, using the tailings pile as a backstop, but generally shooting in the direction of the pass from which we had descended. We figured we had the whole mountain to ourselves, having been there all day and having explored the extent of the trail system without seeing another soul. But while we were cleaning up, a group of dirt bikers emerged at the top of the tailings pile, just above where we had been shooting! I can only conclude that they had illegally driven up and over the pass from the back side, but whatever the case was, I had clearly exercised poor judgement in choosing where to shoot.

To be clear, we had not actually been shooting at other people--we were shooting at a tall backstop quite some time before they arrived. But seeing them materialize from an unsafe direction made me realize my mistake, and I've learned from that, and am now even more careful in deciding where to do my plinking. I'm sharing this in hopes of inspiring others to be slightly more proactive in range safety as well.

Anyway, the way to beat the traffic is to come home Monday morning instead of Sunday night. Don't let the summers slip away. Stop for BBQ in Idaho Springs. Join an indoor range near where you work if you really want to hone your shooting skills. And enjoy living in the best place on earth!

 

@ColoradoTJ

 

PNW to CO?

I thought people try the other way around

indoor ranges are garbage

 

Thank you for the good information! I will be cleaning up my shells and targets for sure. I’ll Prbly check out Buffalo creek if it’s stilll open. I am really enjoying it here!

 

That’s kind of a generalization on both fronts but ok lol.
PNW is super fun, but the people aren’t as nice IMO and the rain does get really old after a while.

 

The scenery is way better in the PNW, the fishing is better and there is the ocean. Denver is practically in Kansas, it's an hour plus drive with no traffic to get far enough west to actually be in a decent part of Colorado.

 

Why'd you walk out?

 

How long have you lived in the PNW? Because traffic on highway 542, 2, 20, and just I-5 is pretty comparable to the weekend traffic here. That’s why I work over weekends and go adventuring during the week. Denver is on the edge of the Rockies. Maybe you live in Aurora bud and to that I am sorry

 

Lolol

 

About twenty years off and on. Traffic definitely got way worse but I did my best to live and work where I could avoid all the major highways. Working on the weekends is definitely key to avoiding the crowds here and there. Colorado is probably in the top ten states I'd want to live in but it's not the top for sure.

 

I grew up in WA so I’ve seen it change over the 25 years I’ve been alive. Glad you recognized traffic is not dandy in WA. It’s just going to get much much worse. The spot has been blown lol