Nederland

NileGuide Expert tip:

"Ned" is a sleepy town almost all the time -- except during Frozen Dead Guy Days and Fourth of July -- so plan extra time for parking and walking during these events.

Description:

• Fifteen miles west of Boulder is a small town called Nederland, a place 8236 feet above sea level and filled with small western town idiosyncrasies such as NedFest (a summer bluegrass festival held in a baseball diamond) and Frozen Dead Guy Days (a festival based around a cryogenically-frozen grandfather kept in a shack behind a Nederland resident's house, complete with coffin races and "Frozen Dead Guy" lookalike contests). Enjoy the 40-minute drive up Boulder Canyon Dr. and stop at Boulder Falls on the way. Nederland's open space provides excellent hiking, biking, running, and cross country ski trails, and is close to the Eldora Ski Area. Barker Reservoir is a great place to go fishing, and Nederland's Fourth of July fireworks are displayed over this body of water.