Denver’s fitness culture lives at the intersection of studio sweat and mountain miles. From an infrared Pilates studio stocked with Bala bangles to a lakeside hike and a Colorado gear brand rethinking ultralight camping, these local standouts keep Denver moving.

Read More: Top of the Town 2026

5280 July 2026
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Jump Ahead:

Toast the 2026 Top of the Town Editors’ and Readers’ Choice winners at our annual 5280 Top of the Town bash, presented by Kaiser Permanente. Join us on Thursday, July 16, at Cherry Creek North for an evening of delicious bites and drinks, live entertainment, giveaways, and more. 

Fitness Studio/Gym: Sundrop Pilates

People exercising at Sundrop Pilates
Photo by Kasitimbay Photography, courtesy of Sundrop Pilates
  • Address: 5461 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater

After failing the bar exam by half a point, Madison Romer channeled her drive into studying for a retake while simultaneously launching a Pilates studio. Sundrop Pilates, a subdued, effortlessly chic infrared mat Pilates studio in Edgewater, offers two class formats: Hot, which is a slower flow rooted in traditional Pilates, and Heavy, a higher-intensity offering with cardio bursts and beefier weights.

No matter which option you choose, your sweat sesh will take place in a room heated via infrared light to 90 to 100 degrees and illuminated by a backlit Himalayan salt wall. The theory is that because infrared light warms your body directly, it allows you to push harder since you aren’t battling heavy humidity; meanwhile, the deep-tissue penetration stimulates adenosine triphosphate production to speed up your recovery. From the custom mats to the Bala equipment, every detail sets the tone for an elevated practice.  —Jessica Giles

Readers’ Choice: Viv Cycle

Two women on stationary bikes at Viv Cycle
Photo courtesy of Viv Cycle
  • Address: 3611 Walnut St.

Don’t let the name fool you: Viv Cycle is the complete package when it comes to fitness. From spin classes to Pilates to yoga, you can find a workout style that fits your vibe—starting with a free class and then a reduced fee for the next five. —Alex Gribb

Golf Course

Readers’ Choice: Foothills Golf Course

Golfers practice putting on a green outside a contemporary golf clubhouse with expansive glass windows, set against a stunning sunset sky.
Courtesy of Foothills Golf Course
  • Address: 3901 S. Carr St., Lakewood

One of the closest golf courses to Denver is also one of the most inclusive. Foothills offers three pristine courses tailored to every golfer: a par-three course for beginners, an executive nine for the post-work crowd, and a championship 18-hole course for the sticks. Plus, there’s a recently renovated clubhouse for everyone. —Sahale Greenwood 

Hike Within 90 Minutes of Denver: Bay to Bay Trail at Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth Reservoir
Photo by Brendan Bombaci, courtesy of Larimer County Natural Resources
  • Address: 4780 W. County Road 38 East, Fort Collins

What’s not to love about a hike that offers trophy views without the uphill battle? Fresh off its one-year anniversary, the Bay to Bay Trail at Horsetooth Reservoir is the newest addition to Larimer County’s trail system, offering shoreline hiking and biking with less than 300 feet of elevation gain. The 1.8-mile trail (one way) traces the edge of the reservoir in a mostly mellow route, making it an ideal pick for beginners or anyone craving a scenic excuse to end up in the water.

From the Blue Sky trailhead ($10 day-use fee), stay high on a bluffy path from which you can spot paddleboarders and wakesurfers in the drink below and raptors riding thermals overhead. Follow the shoreline to reach South Bay and take a dip at the swimmer’s beach or claim a picnic bench before retracing your steps. —Malia Logan

Read More: The 15 Best Lakes Around Denver

Readers’ Choice: Rainbow Lake Trail

Four hikers on the Rainbow Lake Trail
Photo by Andrew Maguire, courtesy of the Town of Frisco
  • Address: 464 Temple Trail, Frisco

It’s easy to see why Frisco’s Rainbow Lake Trail is beloved by our readers: The 2.7-mile hike offers stunning views of Mt. Royal and Rainbow Lake just an hour and a half outside of Denver. (In fact, it’s so popular that we recommend getting there sooner in the day rather than later.) —AG

Gear Brand: Big Agnes

Two people in a Big Agnes tent
Photo by Noah Wetzel, courtesy of Big Agnes
  • Address: 735 Oak St., Steamboat Springs

Before Big Agnes, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, sleeping pads had a way of wandering off. Sleeping bags were constricting, and tents were dark. Shelters were lightweight or livable, but never both. The small mountain-town company made a business out of solving such backcountry indignities. “In those early years, we didn’t have a whole bunch of experience and there were no guardrails, and so the things we would do, other bigger brands wouldn’t attempt because of the chance of failure,” says president Bill Gamber, who launched Big Agnes in Steamboat Springs in 2001 with a line of sleeping bags that had sleeves to contain sleeping pads. (That tech, now called the Pad Cinch System, is still in use today.)

The innovations that followed would help to define modern camping: plush-but-packable Air Core sleeping pads; the ultralight Fly Creek and wildly popular Copper Spur tents, which proved that lightweight shelters could still feel roomy and comfortable; and MTNGlo tents with stitched-in ambient lighting years before campsite coziness became an Instagram aesthetic. Throughout it all, Big Agnes maintained a stubborn refusal to embrace the sufferfest mentality that seemed to define backpacking. A quarter-century in, Big Agnes still behaves less like an industry incumbent than a Steamboat garage brand obsessed with improving backcountry sleep and rethinking campsite comfort. —Maren Horjus

Readers’ Choice: Topo Designs

  • Address: Multiple locations

This colorful, sustainability-minded gear and apparel brand has mastered the art of making people excited to get outside. Their collaboration streak—from partnerships with the Denver Broncos to Otterbox—is also absurdly strong, demonstrating an impressive ability to pair great design with cultural relevance. —SG

Outdoor Gear Store

Inside Feral
Photo courtesy of Feral

Readers’ Choice: Feral

  • Address: 3936 Tennyson St., Denver (Berkeley)

Feral knows that secondhand means twice the love. This outdoor retailer on Tennyson Street, which offers new gear as well, will take your gently used recreation clothing for its resale section, which is worth searching through if you’re looking for affordable ways to style yourself for your next adventure. —SG

Park

Readers’ Choice: Washington Park

  • Address: 701 S. Franklin St., Denver (Washington Park)

Denver’s superlative green space represents 155 acres of recreation area in the city’s urban core, including two lakes and two flower gardens, one of which is an homage to President George Washington’s gardens at Mount Vernon. —SG

Ski Resort

Two skiers at Aspen Snowmass
Photo by Jeremy Swanson, courtesy of Aspen Snowmass

Readers’ Choice: Snowmass

  • Address: 120 Carriage Way, Snowmass Village

Expansive groomers full of groovy rollers plus comfy après decks with great food plus a wealth of ski-in/ski-out accommodations plus views of the Maroon Bells? We say that adds up to a perfect family ski trip. —SG

Read More: The Colorado Ski Resort Guide

Yoga Studio

A group of people doing yoga at Rooted Heart
Photo courtesy of Rooted Heart Yoga Wellness

Readers’ Choice: Rooted Heart Yoga & Wellness

  • Address: 1409 N. Ogden St., Denver (Capitol Hill)

Located in Capitol Hill, Rooted Heart hosts classes at various expertise levels and price points, including a donation-based public class. The studio is also participating in Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s annual Yoga on the Rocks series this summer. —AG