5280 Magazine

For over 30 years, 5280 magazine has served its readers as an essential guide to life in the Mile-High City and beyond. Throughout those three decades, the publication has stayed true to its original mission: proudly locally owned and strongly committed to delivering award-winning journalism that tells Denver’s story with authority and style. Each month, 5280 covers the greatest and latest in dining, culture, wellness, travel, and adventure content.

5280 Magazine

Picking Winners

ALAN PRENDERGAST

Where The Wildflowers Are • Southwestern Colorado is known for its vibrant wildflowers, but you don’t have to go that far to peep native blooms.

Sweeter Sixteenth • The 16th Street renovation is nearing completion. Now, its reputation needs a makeover.

A Bird In Hand

Cherry On Top • How to score the perfect piece to complete your living room at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

A Fish Tale

Food For The Soul • One of Denver’s most tenacious restaurant families continues to share the love at the newest incarnation of their Southern and Caribbean restaurant.

MAKING MOVES • A brief history of the nearly 40 years members of the Dickerson family have been cooking in Five Points.

Stuck In Time • Millions of years ago, a volcano created what has become one of Colorado’s most beautiful—and least accessible—landscapes. We traveled to Wheeler Geologic Area and learned what it takes to reach the City of Gnomes.

TOP OF THE TOWN • From a flirtatious romance-only bookstore and an ethereal distillery to a vast indoor playground and a reborn ghost ski park, our 30 editors’ choice winners expand Denver’s scene while staying true to what’s always made the city exceptional.

HURTS SOOOO GOOD • Our guide to understanding (and maybe even joining) the preponderance of Coloradans who find fulfillment in incredibly difficult, and sometimes physically painful, outdoor pursuits—aka Type II fun.

CLASSIFYING ENJOYMENT • Breaking down the Fun Scale in the Centennial State.

EARN YOUR SPURS • Why Boulder-based rock climber Matt Samet digs Type II Fun.

THEM’S THE BREAKS • When Type II Fun turns into Type III Fun—with disastrous results.

STEP BY STEP • Why Littleton-based mountaineer Luis Benitez digs Type II Fun.

THE SUFFER SPECTRUM • Colorado’s most epic opportunities for Type II Fun, ranked by the agony they deliver.

HIGHS & LOWS • Inside the mental roller coaster of running an ultramarathon.

CONFIDENCE BOOSTER • We spoke with Pagosa Springs–based outdoor survival instructor Jessie Krebs, an Air Force veteran and owner of OWLS Skills, about the benefits of Type II Fun, how to prepare for challenging adventures, and why sometimes it’s important to simply take a breath.

BEGINNER’S GUIDE • Combining relatively easy Type II Fun with always enjoyable Type I Fun (in this case, après) can help nudge newbies into the wild.

AROUND THE RIVERBEND • Why Glenwood Springs–based whitewater kayaker Darcy Gaechter digs Type II Fun.

LONGING FOR LONGS • Heeding the siren song of a Front Range fourteener.

RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME • The Mountain States Legal Foundation has been using the courts to keep big government at bay for nearly 50 years. Now, with Trump in power, do conservatives still need the Lakewoodbased law firm?

Dining Guide

THE OVERSIMPLIFIED GUIDE TO: Finding Dispersed Campsites • Scoring a reservation at a national or state park in the summer is harder than snagging a seat at Casa Bonita. But there are plenty of free first-come, first-served slices of backcountry available during the busy season, says Heather Balogh Rochfort, the Carbondale-based author of Sleeping Bags to S’mores: Camping Basics —if you...