REI

Top choice in Denver


The flagship store of this outdoor-equipment super-supplier is an essential stop if you are heading to the mountains or just cruising through Confluence. In addition to top gear for camping, cycling, climbing and skiing, it has a rental department, maps and the Pinnacle, a 47ft-high indoor structure of simulated red sandstone for climbing and rappelling.

There’s also a desk of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Information Center, where you can get information on state and national parks, and an on-site Starbucks, in case you need some caffeine to accompany the adrenaline. There's even a play area on the top floor for the kids.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Denver attractions

1. Confluence Park

0.08 MILES

Where Cherry Creek and South Platte River meet is the nexus and plexus of Denver's sunshine-loving culture. Thousands of outdoorsy Denverites flock here…

2. National Velvet

0.22 MILES

This much-maligned public pile of 'art' by John McEnroe appears to be a big red lingam-inspired mound of beans or sandbags. It lights up at night.

3. Commons Park

0.27 MILES

Affording views of downtown Denver and the Rockies, this spacious, hilly patch of green has bike paths, benches and plenty of people-watching. A lyrical…

4. Downtown Aquarium

0.29 MILES

Denver’s old Ocean Journey Aquarium was sold in 2003 to a business that specializes in aquarium-themed restaurants. So it is that Downtown Aquarium is…

5. Millennium Bridge

0.32 MILES

Allow us to be geeky for a second: this is the world’s first cable-stayed bridge using a post-tensioned structural construction. If the technical jargon…

6. Elitch Gardens

0.34 MILES

If you’re finding all the museums a bit too serious, loosen up at this amusement park near downtown Denver – your kids will love you for it. There's a…

7. Museum of Contemporary Art

0.36 MILES

This four-story museum was built with interaction and engagement in mind, and Denver’s home for contemporary art can be provocative, confusing or…

8. Union Station

0.55 MILES

Gorgeously restored, historic Union Station is Denver's main transportation hub, used by RTD light-rail lines, commuter buses and Amtrak. But it's way…