Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Denver and Boulder

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Rocky Mountain National Park

Pets are prohibited on all park trails, tundra and meadows, and in the visitor centres. This is the whole park, all year. Dogs on a lead of six feet or less are allowed only along established roads, in parking areas and in established campgrounds and picnic areas. The park points dog owners to trails in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest, the multi-use trails around Estes Park and Larimer County Open Space.

Boulder trails

No Boulder hotel is listed yet, but it's an easy day out. Boulder says 89 per cent of its Open Space and Mountain Parks trails are open to dogs on a lead, and dogs must be on a lead getting out of the car at every trailhead. Some trails require leads from 1 May to 31 July and from 15 August to 1 December. Off-lead is only for dogs wearing a Voice and Sight tag, and we haven't confirmed how visitors get one, so plan on a lead and check the city's Dog Regulations Map.

Denver airport

Denver International has pet relief rooms after security in the centre cores of the A, B and C gates, with artificial turf and sinks, and an outdoor relief area before security outside door 200 on the west side of the Jeppesen Terminal. Pets other than service animals stay in their carriers inside the terminal. Wag Hotels runs the only on-airport boarding, daycare and grooming.

Airport train

RTD's commuter rail rule, which covers the A Line to the airport, is that crated pets stay on the floor out of the aisle or on your lap, never on seats. A big dog that can't travel in a crate should plan on a car or a rideshare. The bus and light rail wording isn't confirmed, so check RTD before you rely on either.

Altitude and sun

Denver sits at 5,280 feet. The city's visitor advice is to drink roughly double your usual water in the dry air, expect 25 per cent less protection from the sun, and pack for big swings between warm days and chilly evenings, especially in spring and autumn. That advice is written for people, so carry water for the dog too.

Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks

In Garden of the Gods park, dogs are welcome on a lead of six feet at most at all times, and well-behaved dogs can go into the Visitor and Nature Center except the indoor dining area and carpeted areas. At Red Rocks, leashed dogs are welcome in the amphitheatre during non-event hours. During events it's ADA service animals only.

Fees

Check whether the fee is per stay or per night. Per stay: USD 50 at The Oxford, The Maven and The Rally, USD 75 at Limelight Denver, USD 100 at The Mining Exchange, USD 125 at Grand Hyatt and The Eddy, USD 150 at Halcyon per pet and at Clayton, USD 200 at Garden of the Gods Resort. Per night: USD 50 at The Crawford and Le Méridien, USD 100 per pet at The Broadmoor. Cheyenne Mountain Resort doesn't publish its fee, so ask when booking.

Patios and restaurants

Most hotels here publish nothing on restaurant or bar access, so ask by name. The Rally says dogs are welcome on the outdoor patios of Union Station's restaurants, and The Eddy in Golden lists Mountain Toad Brewery, Golden City Brewery, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. and New Terrain Brewing as dog-friendly stops. We haven't confirmed a citywide patio rule, so check with each place.

Best walks

In Denver, The Rally points guests to the Cherry Creek Trail, a short walk from LoDo, and to Civic Center Park downtown, and Halcyon sends dog owners to Washington Park for its winding trails. Those are the hotels' own suggestions, and the city's official off-leash park list isn't confirmed, so check it before you unclip. In Golden, The Eddy has a dog park three minutes' walk away. In Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods is open to dogs on a six-foot lead, The Broadmoor has three lawns with pet stations, and The Mining Exchange directs guests to Antlers Dog Park. In Boulder, 89 per cent of Open Space and Mountain Parks trails take dogs on a lead.

When to go

Rocky Mountain National Park's trail ban is year round, so no month fixes that. On Boulder's open space, some trails require leads from 1 May to 31 July and from 15 August to 1 December to protect ground-nesting birds and bears. Denver's visitor advice warns of big swings between warm days and chilly evenings in spring and autumn, with strong sun and dry air at 5,280 feet in any season, so bring layers and more water than you think you need.