Denver, Rocky Mountain lodging

Question

We are a family group ranging in age from 8 to 70 years old planing an early June trip of 7 days to Denver area.

We plan to do Meow Wolf and zoo in Denver, Red Rocks, and 2 days visiting Rocky Mountains.

We'd like to rent a house outside Denver.

I found a wonderful VRBO in Arvada. Does it make sense to rent near Arvada or is there a better area?

Thank you!

Answer

Arvada is a solid choice for a VRBO rental when visiting the Denver area. It’s a safe, suburban area with easy access to highways, shopping, and dining. From Arvada, you can reach downtown Denver in roughly 20-25 minutes without heavy traffic, which makes it convenient for visits to Meow Wolf, the Denver Zoo, and Red Rocks. It also provides a quieter, more residential setting for a family group spanning multiple generations.

However, depending on your priorities—especially access to the Rocky Mountains for your 2-day excursions—you might consider other areas that balance city access with proximity to nature:

Golden: Located just south of Arvada, Golden is charming, closer to the foothills, and gives you a head start for mountain day trips. It has scenic streets, local breweries, and is only 20 minutes from Red Rocks.
Lakewood: A bit larger and more urban than Arvada, Lakewood provides easy highway access to both Denver attractions and the westbound route into the Rockies. It’s roughly the same distance to downtown Denver.
Evergreen: About 30-40 minutes from Denver, Evergreen puts you in the foothills. It’s ideal if you want a more mountainous setting and faster access to hiking and scenic drives, but you’ll trade longer drives to downtown attractions.

Practical considerations:

Traffic: Morning and evening commutes into Denver can be congested, so leaving earlier is advisable if you want to reach city attractions efficiently.
Mountain access: If your main priority is day trips to Rocky Mountain National Park or other mountain areas, closer foothills towns like Golden, Evergreen, or Morrison might save you time.
Family comfort: Arvada has suburban space, quiet streets, and family-friendly amenities. For a large age range in your group, this might be ideal.

Overall, Arvada works well for a mix of city and mountain activities, especially if you value a comfortable suburban base and don’t mind 20-30 minute drives to most destinations. If the focus shifts more toward mountain scenery and hiking, consider Golden or Evergreen for a more scenic, convenient foothills experience.

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