Why Denver, the Mile High City, is a paradise for sports fans

Watching the ticker on the giant scoreboard’s noise meter click past 119 decibels amid the stomping of 70,000 NFL fans’ feet, I can’t help but think of the contrasting scene high on Mount Blue Sky a day earlier.

There on the Colorado mountain it was eerily quiet, with just the crunch of passing walking boots and snowy graupel peppering off my sunglasses the only sounds as I peered cautiously down the 700-foot sheer drop of the ‘Black Wall’ – the tallest vertical cliff in the state – to the mist-shrouded lake basin below.

I was at Lake Summit, perched almost 13,000 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, and the landscape of alpine tundra was as beautiful as it was barren.

Back at Empower Field at Mile High, the home of American Football’s storied Denver Broncos, it feels like a world away.

The noise made by the raucous fans as they stamp in unison is almost disorientating. They call it Rocky Mountain Thunder.

When plans to build the arena on the same footprint as the demolished original Mile High Stadium were first mooted in the 1990s, the supporters cried foul.

The old stadium was built from steel, and it literally bounced on its foundations when the Rocky Mountain Thunder rolled down from the stands to drown out play calls of opposing teams.

A modern concrete incarnation would just not be the same, the Broncos faithful insisted, and their view was important – as the proposal needed to be passed by referendum to unlock the public funds required for the build.

A compromise was reached. The modern-day home of the Broncos is made from concrete, but with a layer of steel placed on top, so the thunder continues to roll at every game.

I am there for the home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos triumph with a late comeback, delivering a rousing high point in a sun-soaked Sunday that began earlier in the morning with a hearty brunch at The Bindery and ends with a succulent Wagyu sirloin in the intimate surrounds of the A5 Steakhouse.

Colorado celebrates its 150th year of statehood in 2026. Denver’s foundation goes back slightly further, to 1858, when gold prospectors set up an encampment on the banks of the South Platte River near the city’s present-day Confluence Park.

I am there for a break that mixes sport with some outdoor adventure.

Denver is part of an exclusive club of US cities to have a professional team in every major league sport.

Early autumn, when I visit, is the sweet spot, with all of them in action at the same time, as their respective seasons either conclude or begin.

For me, that means I get to catch the Broncos begin their campaign at Empower Field two days after seeing the Colorado Rockies play out one of their final games of baseball’s regular season at the atmospheric Coors Field.

A cocktail at Poka Lola Social Club is the perfect pre-game warm up before watching the Rockies host the Seattle Mariners under the lights at their old-style, red brick ballpark home in the heart of downtown.

They lose, but that is OK, because the Rockies are quite used to losing, and defeat does not appear to overly dishearten their spirited fanbase.

Between the baseball and NFL games, I squeeze in a trip to see the city’s newest professional sports team – Denver Summit FC.

Formed at the start of 2026, the National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise are spending their first season in existence at a temporary home in Centennial Park in the southern suburbs.

The team has been enthusiastically embraced by Denverites and the number of young families in the crowd is notable as they cheer the Summit to a hard-fought victory over Seattle Reign.

For US sports fans with more time in the city, they could also tick off ice hockey’s Colorado Avalanche or basketball’s Denver Nuggets.

The names of all the city’s teams speak to two things the people of Denver take immense pride in – its rustic frontier history and its towering altitude.

On a stadium tour of Empower Field two days before the Broncos game, I’m struck by the not-so-subtle warning emblazoned in giant letters on a wall close to the visiting team’s locker room – “ELEV 5280’ ALTITUDE SICKNESS IS REAL”.

I can certainly feel some tightness in my lungs jogging along Cherry Creek trail as the sun rises early on my first morning in Denver.

The tranquil greenway that follows the babbling creek almost 50 miles southward to the district of Frankland is a great way to explore the city, and burn off the jet lag, either on foot or by bike.

It begins where the city itself began in the mid-19th Century, at the point the creek enters South Platte River at Confluence Park.

Nearby is Union Station and my hotel, Limelight Denver, is a short stroll from the platforms where settlers disembarked to begin their own Colorado adventures more than a century before.

The station is surrounded by a cluster of cafes, restaurants and shops and there is no shortage of options for post-run breakfasts during my stay. My favourites are Olive and Finch; the Pig Train; and Milk Market.

A bit further out is the Five Points neighbourhood and its River North Art District, locally known as RiNo.

Renowned for its colourful street graffiti and murals, RiNo is also home to some of the city’s best places to eat and a thriving craft brewery scene.

I lunch at the bustling Denver Central Market before taking a stroll amid the streetscape of vibrant artworks.

Feeling adventurous, I order a carrot flower ale as I stop in at Ratio Beerworks and follow it up with a blood orange radler at Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company a couple of blocks away.

The newly opened Soda Club proves the ideal spot for dinner.

Denver is having a bit of a culinary moment of late and now boasts eight Michelin-starred restaurants within the city limits.

High up above the clouds is no place for fine dining, however. And sustenance on my day tour of the Rocky Mountains the following day comes in the form of a robust turkey and salad sub.

On the way to Lake Summit, Jed, our genial guide with Aspire Tours, makes a stop at the famous Red Rocks park and amphitheatre.

Carved between two huge 300ft-tall sandstone rocks, the iconic venue is free to enter when there are no live performances on stage.

It is popular with fitness and yoga enthusiasts who use its 70 tiers of stone benches to work out amid a quite stunning backdrop.

Watching a group of runners embark on a leg-sapping sprint up the steepling gradient, I reflect on a scene that encapsulates so much of the character of Denver – a sports-loving city with a mountain-conquering mindset and a people who thrive at altitude.

How to book:

British Airways and United Airlines fly direct daily from London Heathrow to Denver. Rooms at Limelight Denver start from £150 per night, excluding taxes and fees, based on two sharing a Deluxe King room. Touchdowntrips.com offers game packages for the Denver Broncos. For information on all the city’s sports teams and more visit visitdenver.com