Quick Trip: Exploring Colorado for a Red Rocks Concert!

Eric and I made a quick trip to explore Colorado and celebrate our 9 year anniversary at a Red Rocks Concert! We spent about 48 hours out there and it was such a nice break from the daily grind. The main reason we landed on CO for this trip is because I just happened to see that one of our current favorite artists, Maren Morris, was performing at Red Rocks Amphitheater on our anniversary!

I’m going to focus most of the post on tips for going to a Red Rocks Amphitheater concert. I’ll also share tidbits about the other highlights of our quick trip exploring Colorado for a Red Rocks concert like lodging, restaurants, and places to explore in the area.

Where to Stay for a REd Rocks Concert

We flew into the Denver International Airport and rented a car to drive from there. We arrived in CO mid-morning, the day before our Maren Morris concert, so we took our time driving and exploring on our way to our inn for the next two nights. We stayed at the Highland Haven Creekside Inn about 20 minutes west of Red Rocks Amphitheater, in Evergreen, Colorado.

Evergreen is about 40 minutes away from Denver, but it’s a quick 20 minutes away from Morrison, CO where the Red Rocks Amphitheater is located. We really liked getting out, away from Denver and we didn’t have any issues with traffic until we left after the concert.

We loved this creekside inn! I will say it is more geared toward romantic/adult getaways, but we saw families there, too. They have a really cool tree house suite that looked so fun! We had an excellent experience staying here.

The rooms were beautifully appointed, clean, and cozy. The property itself was very welcoming, and the staff are top notch. Eric and I love staying at B&B’s, so the selling point for the Highland Have Creekside Inn was that they served breakfast each morning! It was delicious each day!

Tip #1 – Visit Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater Before Concert

Red Rocks Amphitheater and Park is in route to Highland Haven, so we made a stop there to see what all the fuss was about and get a better idea of what to expect for the concert the following night. I’d highly recommend visiting the park prior to going for a concert. Visit this page here to learn more about their hours for event days and non-event days.

It’s free to walk around (no vendors are open during the day) and hike in the park (there are trails). I think it’s neat to see the amphitheater in daylight hours because you can really appreciate the beauty and landscape all around the amphitheater. You can also find your seats, take some good quality photos, and navigate the parking lots and area prior to dealing with traffic congestion from the concert. Once you get there for a concert, they typically aren’t opening doors until late evening when it’s already dark.

Tip #2 – Park in Upper North Lot & Arrive Early

Our concert was on a Wednesday night. We got to the amphitheater around 5pm and we had no issues getting into the lot we wanted, which was the Upper North Lot. This is a prime parking lot for accessing the amphitheater without a hike. The later you arrive, the further you’ll be from the venue. The advantage to parking farther away is that you will be closer to the exits. So, keep all of this in mind as you plan where to park.

TIP #3 – Take Full Advantage of Tailgate Time!

We enjoyed “tailgating” and people-watching for a couple of hours prior to getting in line to get in for the concert. We did bring our own drinks and snacks to enjoy during the tailgate timeframe, but one thing we saw others doing (who’d done this a time or two) was bring in full pizzas or meals to-go from their favorite restaurants! Don’t quote me, but I think you can even have a pizza delivered to the parking lot. This would be a great way to pass the time and enjoy your meal al-fresco!

We felt a little silly because our rented car didn’t have a hatch-back or truck tailgate, and we (obviously) didn’t have any lawn chairs to hang out in. So, we kind of just hung around… LOL! We chit-chatted with neighbors, walked around a bit, watched as deer ventured down to the area looking for food, etc. Another advantage of parking in Upper North Lot is that they have nice bathrooms!

I’d also remind you that marijuana is legal is Colorado (although it’s not legal in public spaces), so do expect to see, smell, and generally be around it at Red Rocks, especially if you’re there for a concert. They do have strict smoking policies in the seating areas vs. public areas… you can find out more here.

Tip #4 – Layer Clothing and Bring a Blanket

We went in the middle of October to the Maren Morris concert at the Red Rocks Theater. It was lovely, weather-wise, during the day, but it got quite chilly once the sun set and we were in the amphitheater. We ended up buying a cheap blanket at Wal-Mart on our way to the concert and that made a world of difference because the amphitheater seating is concrete and cold! We just laid it down under our bums and it really helped.

I’d also recommend layering your clothes depending on the time of year you’re going, and what the concert atmosphere will be like. If you’re going to be up and dancing quite a bit, you’ll probably be fine with less, but if it’s a sit-and-listen show, I’d have a jacket.

Other Highlights from Our Quick Trip to Colorado

We had the day to adventure when we arrived before we needed to check in at the Highland Haven, so we we ventured over to Idaho Springs, CO. This is a cool town that is about a half an hour away from Evergreen. There are shops, breweries, restaurants, etc. It was fun to grab lunch, do a hard cider tasting, and visit a few of the shops!

I would highly recommend visiting Morrison, CO when you go. We only drove through there on our way to the concert and I was bummed we didn’t spend more time in that area. It’s a really cool little town, and obviously draws many tourists because it is situated so close to the amphitheater.

We spent the day of the concert checking out Evergreen. This is a beautiful town, and Evergreen Lake is beautiful to walk around. We enjoyed moseying around town, checking out the coffee shops and boutique shops that were open. We had a fantastic lunch at The Wildflower Cafe! That evening, after chatting with another couple, who were local to the area, at the Inn’s happy hour, they suggested we try The Lariat Lodge for supper. We were not disappointed! I tried my first elk burger there and it was so good!

Consider Marking the Occasion with Professional Photos

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this was our 9 year anniversary trip. I had seen another couple I know who’d visited the area a few months ahead of us post about getting their photos taken professionally when they were out there and I thought that was a fantastic idea! I got more information and we did it ourselves!

If you’re celebrating a special occasion or just need some updated photos, why not take advantage of the scenery and get professional photos taken? This is an excellent way to mark the occasion and remember it for years to come! We used Modera Imagery for ours and had a great experience with them. Here are a few of ours from our shoot.

Although this was a short and sweet trip to celebrate our anniversary, we sure packed in a lot of fun! Let me know if you have other questions about visiting the area or going to a Red Rocks Concert. Have you been before? I want to go back already!

 

 

 

 

 

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