Looking for the best things to do in Lakewood? Denver’s western neighbor sits right at the foothills, pairing easy mountain access with a walkable downtown district and big regional parks. Locals point to the shops and events at Belmar, hiking on Green Mountain, and recreation at Bear Creek Lake Park.
Things to do in Lakewood
Belmar
Lakewood’s walkable downtown-style district — shops, restaurants, a cinema, seasonal events and a plaza with an ice rink in winter.
Green Mountain & the Foothills
William F. Hayden Park on Green Mountain for hiking and biking with sweeping city-and-mountain views — plus quick access to Red Rocks and the foothills.
Bear Creek Lake & Crown Hill
Bear Creek Lake Park for swimming, paddling, camping and trails, and Crown Hill Park’s lake and wildlife refuge.
40 West Arts District
Murals and galleries along the West Colfax creative corridor.
Things to do in Lakewood at night
Belmar’s restaurants, bars and cinema anchor the evening, with Denver’s nightlife and Red Rocks concerts both a short drive away.
Free things to do in Lakewood
- Hiking Green Mountain
- Crown Hill Park and its trails
- The 40 West murals and Belmar plaza
What Lakewood locals actually recommend
The best foothills trails, Belmar spots, quiet lake corners — that comes from people who live here. On Neighborhood Nurturers’ Lakewood community, real neighbors answer “what should I actually do this weekend?” Join your Lakewood neighbors free →
Fitting it into a day in Lakewood
The best days here mix the well-known spots with the places only locals frequent. What sets Lakewood apart is how close everything sits together. Start near Bear Creek Lake Park, work in one of the spots from this guide, and you are minutes from Green Mountain (William F. Hayden Park) if you want to keep going. Locals often round out a full day out with a detour to the Belmar plaza or a quieter stop at Crown Hill Park. Because the distances are short, you can improvise as you go rather than lock the whole day down in advance.
Bear Creek Lake Park and Green Mountain
The two outdoor anchors, and the reason most people visit Lakewood at all. Bear Creek Lake Park is the full day out – Big Soda Lake with a swim beach, camping loops, trails and open water. ⚠️ Rangers cap entry once the parking lots fill, which on a summer weekend happens early, so arrive in the morning.
Green Mountain (William F. Hayden Park) is the hiking and mountain-biking option, with singletrack and Front Range views – and the sunset from it is one of the better free things in the Denver metro. ⚠️ Trailhead lots fill by mid-morning at weekends. Our parks guide covers both properly.
Belmar – the walkable evening
Lakewood’s purpose-built downtown, and the answer for anything that is not outdoors. A walkable grid of restaurants, shops and a cinema around a central plaza that hosts concerts in summer and becomes an ice rink in winter. Park once and you have an entire evening on foot – unusual in a suburb built around driving. See our Belmar guide.
Casa Bonita – 6715 W Colfax Ave
★★ The one genuinely singular attraction in Lakewood. Restored by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park in a multimillion-dollar overhaul and now reopened, with cliff divers, puppet shows and a 30-foot indoor waterfall. It is an entertainment destination that serves Mexican food rather than a restaurant, and there is nothing else like it anywhere. ⚠️ Access has run on reservations and ticketing rather than walk-ins – check the current system first.
The recreation centres
More central to daily life here than visitors expect, and heavily searched locally. Carmody Recreation Center and the Green Mountain Recreation Center carry pools, courts and fitness space – and in a climate with a real winter they hold up a substantial part of the year, particularly for families.
What is a short drive away
Being honest about Lakewood’s geography is more useful than overselling it. The city sits where the Denver plain meets the foothills, which puts a great deal within fifteen to twenty-five minutes: Golden to the west for a historic Colorado main street, the Jefferson County Open Space trail network, and Denver itself to the east for a major-city restaurant, museum and music scene.
That proximity is genuinely the point of living here rather than a weakness – but a visitor planning a trip should know that Lakewood is a good base rather than a dense destination in itself.
A good day in Lakewood
Morning: Green Mountain early for the hike, or Bear Creek Lake Park before the lots fill.
Lunch: green chile somewhere along West Colfax – see our Mexican guide for what to order.
Afternoon: a walk at Belmar Park, then the Belmar district.
Evening: dinner and a film at Belmar – or Casa Bonita if you booked it, which is a whole evening on its own.
Practical notes
Altitude and sun are real above 5,000 feet – more water than you think, and sunscreen even in winter.
Parking is the constraint outdoors, not capacity. Early beats everything.
Summer afternoon thunderstorms in the foothills are a genuine hazard on exposed trails – start early and be down by early afternoon.
You will drive everywhere except Belmar.
What are Lakewood neighbors saying right now?
A guide can tell you what is durable. It cannot tell you which trailhead lot is already full, what just opened at Belmar, or how long the Casa Bonita wait is this week. That lives with the people who are here. See what Lakewood neighbors are posting right now, and create a free account to ask them yourself.
How much time Lakewood actually needs
Useful planning framing rather than padding an itinerary. For a visitor, Lakewood is a half-day to a day – Green Mountain or Bear Creek in the morning, green chile for lunch, Belmar in the evening covers it comfortably, with Casa Bonita as a separate evening if you managed to book it. It is not a multi-day destination and saying so is more helpful than pretending.
Where the city genuinely earns more time is as a base. Sitting where the plain meets the foothills, it puts Golden, the Jefferson County Open Space trail network and central Denver all within roughly fifteen to twenty-five minutes, with cheaper accommodation and far easier parking than staying in the city. Anyone spending a week in the Denver area with hiking on the agenda would do well to stay here rather than downtown, using Lakewood for the mornings and evenings and driving out for the days.
Free things worth knowing about
A useful share of what Lakewood offers costs nothing at all. Green Mountain is free to walk, and the sunset from it is genuinely one of the better free experiences in the Denver metro. Belmar Park, Crown Hill Park and Kendrick Lake Park are all free, all have water and loop trails, and all work for an hour rather than a day. The Belmar plaza is free to sit in, and the summer concert programme there does not charge. Even Bear Creek Lake Park, which does carry an entry fee by vehicle, is inexpensive for what it is.
That matters more here than it might elsewhere, because Lakewood’s cost of living runs about 35% above the national average and the paid attractions are limited. The city’s real appeal is outdoor and it is largely free – which is why residents tend to describe the trail access rather than any venue when asked what they like about living here.
More Lakewood guides
Lakewood rewards people who dig a little deeper. These related guides map the same neighborhoods from different starting points: Free things to do in Lakewood, Best restaurants in Lakewood, undefined Lakewood — enough to plan a whole day or two.
Get a local’s take
Guides are a starting point; the current, on-the-ground details come from people who live in Lakewood. Hours shift, favorites change, and residents always know what is genuinely worth it now. Ask Lakewood neighbors directly or join your town community free to hear from real locals.
Frequently asked questions
What are the top things to do in Lakewood, CO?
Shop and dine at Belmar, hike Green Mountain for city-and-mountain views, enjoy Bear Creek Lake Park’s beach and trails, explore Crown Hill Park, and check out the 40 West Arts District — with Red Rocks and the foothills minutes away.
What is Lakewood, Colorado known for?
Its foothills location and quick mountain access, the walkable Belmar district, big parks like Bear Creek Lake, and being one of Denver’s largest, most convenient western suburbs.
What are free things to do in Lakewood?
Hiking Green Mountain, Crown Hill Park and its trails, and the 40 West murals and Belmar plaza are all free.
Is Lakewood worth visiting near Denver?
Yes — for the foothills hiking, Bear Creek Lake, and Belmar, plus its proximity to Red Rocks, it’s a great outdoor-and-downtown stop just west of Denver.