11 Best Downtowns In The Rockies
The towns of the Rockies are best known for what surrounds them: national parks, ski slopes, and endless trails. But look past the peaks and you will find downtowns that more than hold their own, walkable main streets lined with galleries, historic saloons, craft breweries, and real mountain-town character. These eleven are the best of the bunch.
Golden, British Columbia
Golden is situated in the Kootenay region of British Columbia and is a popular town for outdoor enthusiasts thanks to its close proximity to national parks and ski resorts. Enter the downtown area via the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge which, at 46 meters (about 150 feet), is the longest freestanding timber-frame bridge in Canada.
Learn more about the town's history at the Golden Museum and Archives, which tells the story of the region from the Indigenous peoples who first inhabited the land to the first Swiss mountain guides who arrived in Canada. Golden is also home to the Whitetooth Brewing Company, a Belgian-inspired small-batch craft brewery with a tasting room and patio that are perfect for a drink after exploring the town.
Banff, Alberta
Known as the gateway into the national park with which it shares a name, downtown Banff has just as much to offer. Its main street, Banff Avenue, serves up mountain views, particularly of Cascade Mountain, which towers over the town. The avenue is lined with restaurants, bars, outdoor-equipment stores, and other shops, among them The Spirit of Christmas, one of Canada's largest year-round Christmas stores.
Beyond easy access to the outdoors, shopping, and dining, Banff is also home to historic sites such as the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. The building itself is the oldest surviving federal building in any Canadian national park, and it holds a collection of more than 5,000 botanical and zoological specimens, letting guests experience native flora and fauna without leaving downtown.
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is often overshadowed by the popularity of Banff, but it has just as much to offer. Learn about the town's history as a coal-mining community at the Canmore Museum, which has rotating exhibits and hosts regular events. Canmore also has easy access to nature via the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk, a 1.3-kilometer (0.8-mile) boardwalk in downtown that suits hikers of all levels and offers views of the peaks surrounding town, such as Ha Ling Peak. In the summer months, Main Street becomes a pedestrian-only zone so that residents and visitors can enjoy the restaurants, bars, and shops downtown.
Kimberley, British Columbia
While it is located in British Columbia, the town of Kimberley adopted Bavarian influences in the 1970s in a bid to boost tourism after the closure of its mines. That influence shows in the Platzl, Kimberley's European-style, pedestrian-only outdoor mall, which features buildings with mock-chalet facades that add to the Bavarian atmosphere.
In the Platzl stands the Happy Hans Cuckoo Clock, touted as one of the world's largest freestanding cuckoo clocks at 22 feet tall. Drop in a Loonie and Happy Hans himself emerges from the clock, yodeling. To learn more about the town's mining history, visit the Kimberley Heritage Museum, which holds thousands of artifacts and historic photographs.
Whitefish, Montana
Located on the outskirts of Glacier National Park in Montana, Whitefish is known for its year-round popularity and cultural events. Every Tuesday night between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in summer, the Whitefish Farmers Market features locally grown produce, cheese, honey, and bread while local musicians perform. For a small town, Whitefish has diverse dining and drinking options, whether you want a casual gastropub like the Craggy Range Bar and Grill or an upscale, fine-dining spot like Herb & Omni.
The O'Shaughnessy Cultural Arts Center hosts a variety of shows year-round, including theater, music, dance, and film. With 326 seats, the venue is welcoming to everyone and accessible to patrons with disabilities, offering special seating, hearing-impaired devices, and large-print materials.
Park City, Utah
Park City's history as a mining town is preserved in the Park City Main Street Historic District. The buildings may look straight out of the town's mining past, but today they house galleries, restaurants, and boutiques. To learn more, visit the Park City Museum, which covers the town's beginnings in 1869, the rise of its silver mines, and its reinvention as a ski resort after silver prices dropped. Lovers of whiskey will enjoy the High West Saloon, the first ski-in, ski-out gastro-distillery in the continental United States, set in a historic livery stable and garage.
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is known for its proximity to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park, but the town itself retains a real Old West feel. The Jackson Town Square is famous for its Elk Antler Arches, built from thousands of antlers. At 6 p.m. nightly during summer, except Sundays, actors from the Jackson Hole Playhouse don the attire of gunslingers and cowboys and stage a shootout.
The Jackson Hole Playhouse occupies the oldest building in town and offers family-friendly shows where the servers are the performers. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a must-see, with its iconic neon sign of a bucking bronco. This cowboy-themed bar has a long history with country music, having hosted the likes of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.
Estes Park, Colorado
Situated on the banks of the Big Thompson River, Estes Park is a blend of outdoors and shopping. Walk the paved river walk to the George Hix Riverside Plaza, a relaxing outdoor spot to take in the view of the mountains surrounding town. Estes Park also delivers on shopping, with more than 300 boutiques, bars, restaurants, gift shops, and outdoor-apparel stores. One of the oldest is The Taffy Shop, in business since 1935; stop by in the morning to watch its vintage Model K Kiss wrapping machine in action.
Estes Park is also known for a lively arts scene. Earthwood Collections showcases the work of some 240 different artists, from pottery and jewelry to photographs, prints, paintings, art glass, metalwork, woodwork, and much more.
Aspen, Colorado
Aspen lies about 200 miles southwest of Denver and is known for year-round outdoor recreation, particularly skiing in winter thanks to its four nearby ski resorts. But Aspen also has a distinctive arts and culture scene. The Aspen Art Museum is a striking building in its own right, wrapped in a woven-wood screen facade.
Aspen has many historic buildings, such as the Wheeler Opera House, a venue for operas, concerts, and film screenings for well over a century. For a scenic spot in town, visit the John Denver Sanctuary, set beside the Roaring Fork River, an ideal place to relax or spend time with friends and family.
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride is a historic mountain town, and that history is preserved throughout its downtown. The Telluride Historical Museum is set in a restored miners' hospital from 1896. For more leisurely pursuits, Town Park offers year-round activities such as tennis, pickleball, and basketball, along with swimming pools, a skate park, and skating rinks. Stop into the New Sheridan Historic Bar, one of the oldest bars in the West, they say, with much of its interior unchanged since 1895. It is open daily, with live music on Thursday nights, and remains a popular spot among locals and visitors alike.
Taos, New Mexico
Taos sits in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, part of the larger Rocky Mountain system, and is known for having been continuously inhabited by Native Americans for over 1,000 years. The Taos Plaza is the heart of the town's historic district, hosting live music and farmers markets that locals favor.
The Taos Art Museum at Fechin House blends art, architecture, and history, displaying both the work of Nicolai Fechin, who lived in Taos for six years with his family, and exhibitions by local contemporary artists. For a taste of the region, visit La Cueva Cafe, a great spot to sample both authentic Mexican and New Mexican cuisine.
Downtowns Worth the Drive
The Rockies may be known for hiking, biking, and skiing, but these downtowns have something for everyone. Whether you want to explore a local art scene, dig into the history of towns preserved in time, or simply savor a good meal, you can do it here while gazing up at some of the most rugged mountains on the continent.
