Apollo and me at Chautauqua Park in Denver
Travel

Dog-Friendly Denver Travel Guide

Hey, traveling dog people! We’re so happy to present you with another pawsome guide: our dog-friendly Denver travel guide to one of our favorite cities: Denver, CO.

Dog-Friendly Denver

Denver is another top dog-friendly city in the United States. From beautiful dog parks in the mountains to dozens of dog-friendly breweries and restaurants to stunning hikes just minutes away, Denver is a haven for dogs and dog-parents alike. So, naturally, we had to share with y’all the ultimate travel guide to dog-friendly Denver.

Best Dog-Friendly Hotels

Like we’ve said in the past, please reach out to any hotel prior to booking to see if they can accommodate you and your pup outside of their standard pet policy. Kindness goes a long way. Below are the best dog-friendly Denver hotels:

  • the Curtis Hotel Denver by Doubletree Hilton – an incredible hotel right smack in the middle of LoDo, the Curtis has two dog-friendly floors and awesome amenities. Each floor is individually themed and each room is themed depending one what floor they are on. Make sure to book the “Scooby Package” which covers your pet fees, as well as gives you and your pups some swag. Pet policy allows for two pets of any weight.
  • Kimpton Hotel Monaco Denver – we love Kimpton hotels because they don’t have any breed, weight, size, or number of pet restrictions. They also don’t have any pet fees, dogs are welcomed just like their humans! The Monaco is perfectly located
  • Magnolia Denver – another amazing hotel in Denver that doesn’t have any weight/breed restrictions and doesn’t charge a pet deposit. Magnolia is located in Downtown, making it the perfect spot for your first time in the city.
  • Crawford Hotel Denver – located literally in Union Station, the Crawford is a great hotel if you don’t want to rent a car. Take the A-Line straight from the airport to your hotel! They are very dog-friendly but do charge a $50 pet fee per night.
  • Born Hotel – another Kimpton hotel, which means a dog-friendly haven. Born is perfect for travelers looking for a bit more luxury in their life, without the extreme price tag. They are located right next to Union Station, so another great spot if you won’t have a car!

Best Dog-Friendly Restaurants and Bars

Disclaimer: we dropped the ball on this one. We were so excited to try all of the amazing food at some of these dog-friendly Denver restaurants that we forgot to take decent pictures that weren’t of the beer. Sorry, y’all!

Dog-friendly patio at Forest Room 5 in Denver.
Photo by Forest Room 5
  • Bigsby Folly — wine lovers rejoice! This phenomenal winery/restaurant is named after the owner’s late pup, Bigsby, who you can find on the logo. The wine is incredible, food is delightful and they have a great dog-friendly patio.
  • The Watering Bowl — you might have guessed by the name, but this spot caters to your dog. At a little over 7,000 square-feet and completely closed in, the Watering Bowl allows pups to run off-leash while their owners enjoy a cold one!
  • Stella’s Gourmet Coffee and Such — because who doesn’t need a coffee shop while traveling? Stella’s has an amazing dog-friendly patio and even has treats in-stock for those hungry puppers.
  • Ugly Dog Sports Cafe — if you’re traveling during football season, there’s a chance you’ll have to (cough, dog-dad, cough) find a dog-friendly spot to watch the game. Well, thanks to Ugly Dog, you won’t have to leave fido in the hotel! They even have an outdoor dog-park for the pups to play in while dog-dad cries watches his team lose.
  • Forest Room 5 — y’all, we can’t rave enough about this patio. It’s made to feel like you’re sitting around a campfire in the mountains, with your pup. It’s especially nice on those cold Denver days when all you want is to sit by a fire.

Best Dog-Friendly Breweries

  • Apollo sitting at the dog-friendly patio at Avery Brewing Co
  • Apollo sitting inside the dog-friendly taproom at Gunbarrel Brewing Co
  • Flight of four small Gunbarrel Brewing beers.
  • Apollo sitting inside the dog-friendly taproom at Bruz Beers
  • Apollo posing witht he Four Noses Brewing Co mural.
  • 4 Noses Brewing Co — perfectly named after their four doggos/one hell of an Irish trip, this Denver brewery serves up cold and innovative brews all year long. Pups are allowed inside their taproom, making it a must-visit spot.
  • Upslope Brewing Co — while technically in Boulder, Denver is so large that we had to include a few of our favorite spots outside the city limits. Upslope allows pups inside their warm and cozy taproom, which is totally worth the drive to taste some of their award-winning beer.
  • Odell Brewing Co RiNo — with so many breweries in RiNo, it was hard to pick favorites. However, Odell’s delicious beer and gorgeous patio landed them on this list. Dogs are not allowed inside, but their cozy outdoor area has fireplaces and comfy seats to keep everyone warm and happy.
  • Beyond the Mountain Brewing — another one for Boulder! Beyond the Mountain allows pups in their taproom. Coming from Austin (cough, the live music capital of the world, cough), we fell in love with their live-music theme and original brews. Do yourself a favor and buy a bag of pretzels while you’re there, you’re gonna need them.
  • Bruz Beers — a small-ish brewery, Bruz allows pups inside and on their dog-friendly patio. They have a pair of sweet brew dogs who are usually hanging out inside, so your pup will have some friends to play while you drink.
  • Bootstrap Brewing Co — another brewery totally worth the drive, Boostrap serves up innovative brews (hello, Backfire Chili) in their tropical-themed taproom, which, you guessed it, allows pups inside. The staff was so friendly and welcoming, and the beer surprisingly refreshing, so we may or may not have gone back a handful of times. 10/10 would recommend you do the same.
  • Gunbarrel Brewing Co — probably the coolest brewery we visited on our trip, Gunbarrel has everything a beer-lover could ask for. From their giant, dog-friendly taproom to their full tap list to an arcade (childhood dreams complete), it’s no wonder they are a crowd favorite.
  • Avery Brewing Co — okay, okay, last Boulder one, I promise. While Avery doesn’t allow pups inside, their incredible turfed patio definitely makes up for it. Plus, they have a huge tap list with a lot of beers only available at this location, so grab your pup and stop on by. Keep in mind, we only recommend this one on those gorgeous Colorado days as the patio is uncovered.

Best Dog-Friendly Activities

Apollo standing on a peak at the stunning Westminster Hills Dog Park
Westminster Hills Dog Park
  • Go Hiking
    • Chief Mountain Trail — an incredible and fairly easy hike, the top will grant you stunning 360-views of the mountains and then some.
    • Chautauqua Park — before hitting up the Boulder breweries, make sure to stop by this stunning park. They have a wide range of trail options and offers up some gorgeous scenery the entire way up.
    • Red Rocks Park — while we don’t recommend taking your pup to a show, the park is a completely different story and still allows you to waltz upon those famous red rocks.
  • 16th Street Mall — located smack in the middle of LoDo, this outdoor mall is pedestrian-only (except for a few buses), making it the perfect afternoon stroll with your pup. Most of the patios are dog-friendly, and even some of the stores will allow fido inside, just be sure to ask first.
  • Cheesman Park — if you’re from Austin, take this as the “Zilker Park” of Denver. This huge park is one of the best off-leash areas in town, making it the perfect place to tire the pup out before hitting up a few breweries.
  • Westminster Hills Dog Park — probably the best dog park we’ve ever been to. I mean, it’s acres upon acres of off-leash, fenced-in park in the doggone mountains! Need I say more?

Don’t forget to check out our ultimate dog-friendly packing list for your upcoming trip.

And stay tuned for some special tips and tricks for dog-friendly plane travel!

Warm wags,
GGW Momma