While Natalie and Carter went camping with my parents for the weekend, Brian and I flew to Boulder to see Dead and Company play two amazing shows at Folsom Field. We weren’t planning on heading to Folsom Field until around five to check out Shakedown and meet up with friends, which meant we had two days in Boulder to check out the city and do some exploring.
On our first day in Boulder, we shopped, listen to music, and ate along Pearl Street Mall, explored downtown Boulder a bit, stopped at Chautauqua Park to see the majestic Flatirons, and drove up to Panorama Point on Flagstaff Mountain.
Located just southwest of downtown Boulder and just north of the Flatirons, Flagstaff Mountain offers climbing and hiking trails with sweeping views of the Boulder Valley. At its summit, Flagstaff Mountain rises 6,983 feet above the City below and provides breathtaking scenic vistas, a stone amphitheater, a nature center, and several trails to choose from.
I was itching to some some hiking, but we were only in for the weekend, we didn’t come prepared to hike, and it was REALLY hot. So instead we took a drive up the winding Flagstaff Road, oohing and ahhing over the rock formations, boulders, and views. After about half a mile, we reached Panorama Point.
The Panorama Point Overlook is one of Flagstaff Mountain’s vista points. The Panorama Point Overlook has a small fee-based parking lot, a few picnic tables, and an observation area with interpretive panels about the view and the history of the area. Standing at the railing, the entire Boulder Valley stretches out below, and you can see the Boulder Campus of Colorado University, the downtown business district, and an abundance of trees and park lands.
I can’t wait to come back next year with the kids next year to do some hiking at Flagstaff Mountain!
While we drove up to Panorama Point, if you have more time, you can hike the Panorama Point Loop Trail that leaves just a few blocks from downtown Boulder.
Know Before You Go
- The Panorama Point Overlook is located on Flagstaff Mountain Road in Boulder, Colorado 80302.
- To reach Panorama Point from Boulder, follow Baseline Road west. At Chautauqua Park, Baseline Road becomes Flagstaff Road and begins to climb the mountain, hugging it’s curves.
- The overlook and the small fee parking lot is wheelchair-accessible and sites approximately 0.5 miles up Flagstaff Road.
- There are no restrooms at the overlook but there are a few picnic tables and two grills available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Don’t forget to buy a parking pass at the bottom of the mountain. Boulder is very generous with its parking tickets.
- Dogs are welcome but they must be leashed and picked up after.
