Walk Map
View the Caltopo walking map here or view the turn-by-turn text directions.
Walk Details
- TIME: 9-11:00 a.m.
- PACE: Conversational (1.5-2 miles per hour)
- TERRAIN: Sidewalks, paved multi-use paths, cobblestone paths
- DISTANCE: 2.22 miles
- ELEVATION GAIN: 70’
- Stroller, ambulatory walker, and motorized-wheelchair friendly.
Schedule and Planning
Meet in Lot 440, easily accessible by bus, bike, walking or driving.
- If driving, parking costs are $1 per hour.
- There are two nearby BCycle stations, one at Folsom Street and Colorado Avenue, the other off Regent Drive near Fiske Planetarium.
- Both the clockwise and counter-clockwise RTD HOP bus routes stop at Folsom Street and Colorado Avenue. Additional RTD routes travel Broadway with stops at the Regent Drive intersection, a short distance from this Walk Tour starting point.
Walk Description
Why are 38,000 students currently attending the University of Colorado Boulder? Worldwide, why are prospective students, graduate and undergraduate, and their families drawn here? Join the next Boulder Walk Tour in the Joy of Walking series to find out! Whether you’ve lived in Boulder for years or are new to the area, there’s something for everyone to learn and see on this tour of one of our community’s most prominent institutions.
Established in 1876 with a Tuscan Vernacular style using local sandstone and red tile roofs, CU Boulder has delivered five Nobel laureates and nine MacArthur fellows, and is the highest public-university NASA award recipient. CU Boulder is known for its solid science and engineering programs, having sent instruments to every planet in our solar system.
At the feet of the iconic Boulder Flatirons, come along for a stroll through the main campus of the University of Colorado Boulder. Discover why it is ranked as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States.1 Situated between U.S. Route 36 (28th Street) and Colorado State Highway 93 (Broadway), CU Boulder Main Campus consists of academic and residential buildings, and research and sports facilities.
The loop begins at the east entrance to the main campus and moves through multiple areas of the main campus: Leeds; Farrand and Imig; Memorial Center and Arts; Shakespeare and the Sciences; Norlin and Macky; Los Seis and Sports; and Physics, Math, and Engineering. The pace of the walk will be steady and continuous as we take in the beautiful architecture and other sights.
This CU Main Campus stroll highlights only a fraction of the university’s notable academic and research buildings, administrative offices, athletic facilities, libraries and housing, but is a great start for any architecture, academia, landscaping or history buff.
Notes:
- Dress for the weather and bring a camera, water bottle, and sunscreen for a stroll through one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.
- For food and drinks before and after, there is a gyro restaurant off-campus nearby. There will be fresh coffee and snacks available in Farrand Market at the beginning of the loop.
- Bike, BCycle, walk, drive, or take the Hop or Skip RTD bus route for this campus stroll.
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome on 6' or shorter leashes.
- There are no restrooms at the starting point or publicly available.
- Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, "America's most beautiful college campuses", Travel+Leisure (September 2011); "The 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America", Condé Nast Traveler (August 6, 2018).
Questions?
Contact Ericka Amador, Senior Transportation Planner at the City of Boulder: amadore@bouldercolorado.gov
Joy of Walking: Boulder Guided Walks Series
Joy of Walking is a series of themed guided walks in various neighborhoods around the city. Learn about little free libraries, architecture, history and more on these family-friendly walks guided by a Boulder Walks walk leader.