Red Rocks Amphitheatre sits in the rust-colored sandstone foothills a short drive from Golden, where two 300-foot monoliths frame a natural stage. You come here for live music under the sky, with the lights of Denver spread out beyond the stage, but the park is just as much a daytime draw: hike the trails that wind through the formations, climb the amphitheater steps for a workout, or tour the Colorado Music Hall of Fame on the grounds.

The rocks themselves are older than the shows by millions of years, and the venue carves its seating right into the geology, so every row looks out over the red stone and the plains below. It's a place locals return to again and again, for a concert in summer or a quiet walk in the off-season.

The Eddy, a nearby Golden hotel that writes about staying close to Red Rocks, sponsors quarterly and annual Earth Day cleanups along its section of Highway 58, where guests pitch in to pick up trash in the corridor leading toward the park.