Boulder Walking Tours – Mapleton Hill

by Neil Kearney | Jul 9, 2015 | Visiting Boulder | 1 comment

When I visit a new place my most favorite thing to do is to walk and explore. By taking it slow you can get a deep sense of the flavor of the place, explore nooks and cranny’s that would be missed by car and take a good look at how people live. A few years back, in anticipation of a trip to San Francisco I bought a book that gave detailed walking tours highlighting the hidden staircases of San Francisco.  I only had time to do one of the walks but in doing so, I explored an area of town that I had never seen, stumbled on a great restaurant and at the end of the day felt very satisfied in the journey.

In that spirit I’ve created a few Boulder walking tours that highlight fun neighborhoods to walk through. The tours are detailed but feel free to explore on your own off the designated route. You may want to combine this walking tour with the Whittier Neighborhood walking tour.

This tour starts in the heart of downtown Boulder at Pearl Street and Broadway on the Pearl Street Mall and sets a course into the oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods in Boulder, Mapleton Hill.

I think the easiest way to do the tour is to download and print the PDF. You can do that by clicking this link: Boulder Walking Tours Mapleton Hill

Here are the directions if you don’t have ready access to a printer:

1. Begin on the Pearl Street Mall at the intersection of Broadway and Pearl Streets.
   

   Pearl Street Mall

   Head west (toward the mountains). The pedestrian mall will end in one block and when it does cross the street and stay to the north side of the street. Along this block you will see some good choices for dinner or lunch.

2. At 10^th Street take a right and start heading out of the commercial area into the residential areas. In one block
3. Take a left on Spruce and head west once again. It’s best to get to the north side of the street, especially when you cross 9^th Use the cross walk and head west on Spruce to 8^th. On this block you will start to see smaller examples of Victorian homes.
4. Take a right on 8^th Street for a quick jog to Pine Street. As you head up the hill you will find that the houses and lots begin to grow in size. Many of the homes you see are some of the 1,300 homes in Boulder that have been protected by the Historic Preservation program. This means that the owners need to keep the homes looking the same on the exterior.
5. Take a left on Pine Street and continue all the way to 4^th. Along this stretch you will see some beautiful large houses and some well-preserved smaller homes.
6. Take a right at the “T” at 4^th.
7. And then take the first right on Highland Avenue. As you walk east on Highland you will notice some of the largest and most expensive houses in town. Be sure to notice the peek-a-boo views of The Flatirons to the west.
8. At 8^th cross the street and head uphill (left) towards the old Mapleton School. It is now an early childhood center. Walk through the park at the back of the building and then continue to the left until you hit Mapleton Ave.
9. Head east on Mapleton. Mapleton Avenue is especially nice because of the center median. Stay on the south side of the street and enjoy your walk all the way down the hill to Broadway. On the right just before the steepest section you will see two of Boulders largest and most ornate homes.
10. Take a right on Broadway and continue back to your starting point.

The entire tour is approximately 1.5 miles.

Boulder Walking Tour – Whittier Neighborhood

by Neil Kearney | Jul 11, 2015 | Visiting Boulder

This self-guided Boulder walking tour is one of a series that I created for those who would like to explore Boulder by foot. You may want to combine this tour with the one for Mapleton Hill.

Download The Whittier Neighborhood Walking Tour in PDF

The following detailed directions will take you on a walking tour through the historic Whittier Neighborhood on the east end of Downtown Boulder. This neighborhood is just east of downtown and is one of Boulder’s oldest. The houses are generally smaller than on Mapleton Hill but the streets are charming, and the properties are well kept. You will find a mix of small cottages, larger Victorian houses and now there is a nice mix of modern homes as well. The tour is 2.75 miles in length including a half mile optional walk on Sunset Hill.

1. Begin on the Pearl Street Mall atthe intersection of (1) Broadway and Pearl Streets.
   

   Boulder County Courthouse From Pearl Street Mall

   Head east (away from the mountains) walking along the Pearl Street Mall.

2. At 14^th Street take a left. As you head north you will pass the historic Boulder Theatre, the Methodist Church (built in 1891) and the Shambhala Meditation Center. Stay on the right side of the street.
3. Take a right on Pine and walk directly in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. This section of town has Boulder’s oldest and most beautiful churches.
4. Take a left on 15^th and head up the hill. At Mapleton cross the street and head up the alley. At the end of the alley keep walking up the steep hill on the sidewalk. At the top of the sidewalk you will be on Sunset Hill. Continue straight and take a round trip walk down Sunset Street (optional .5 mile section). You will see an interesting mix of original houses and new houses that take advantage of the great view. Walk up the right side and back on the left side. If you are in a hurry you can skip this Sunset Hill walk.
5. Take a left (east) on High Street, and continue to the end of the street.
6. At the east end of the cul-de-sac take the hidden staircase that is just to the left of 1650 High Street. Follow the staircase down to Bluff Street and walk down to 22^nd where you can take a detour up Lovers Hill Park and take a rest on the quiet bench. Here you will find a good view of the red roofs of the CU campus and another quiet hilltop cul-de-sac.
7. When you are back down on Bluff continue east and then take a right on 23^rd
8. In one block take a right at Mapleton and head back west. Continue on Mapleton for five blocks.
9. Take a left at 18^th Street, here you will find Jessie Fitzpatrick Park one of Boulder’s pocket parks. As you cross Pine and Spruce you again fee the transition between residential and commercial.
10. Right on Pearl. As you hit Pearl you will be in the heart of the East Pearl retail district. Here you will find boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. Continue along Pearl until you reach your starting point again.