
9 Weekend Road Trips You Can Take from Major US Cities
We mapped out the quickest getaways within driving distance of top American hubs, from California’s West Coast to New York’s East End.
The Denver Botanic Gardens fill more than 24 acres (10 hectares) with a diverse collection of plants from across the world, offering a natural haven in the middle of the Mile High City. The dynamic grounds showcase drought-resistant gardening techniques suited to the local climate as well internationally inspired gardens such as Japanese gardens and a tropical conservatory.
You can stroll the garden at your leisure or join one of the many tours that dive into different aspects of the park. Explore the tropical plant collection with a guided walk through the conservatory, learn the history of plants in North America with a tour dubbed, “a walk through tyme,” or tour the Old England portion of the garden on a midsummers eve tour.
The main gardens are located on York Street adjacent to Cheesman Park, 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from downtown Denver. Limited free parking is available and you can reach the location by public transportation (use route #24 or #10). The Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms (a native plant refuge and working farm) is located in Littleton, Colorado, 22 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of Denver.
The York Street gardens are open from 9am to 8pm in the summer and 9am to 5pm in the winter. Some areas and tours are only available in certain seasons so look ahead to ensure you will be able to visit your desired attractions. Throughout the summer the park hosts concerts and special events. During the winter holidays, the gardens celebrate with elaborate light displays.
To see a different side of the Denver Botanic Gardens make a trip to Chatfield Farms. Here, you can observe a working farm in action on docent-led tours. The farm demonstrates historic farming techniques as well as displaying modern-day agriculture. You can roam the farm on a self-guided tour that includes 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of nature trails, a butterfly house, Deer Creek Discovery children’s play area, and wildflower gardens.