Denver · With kids

Dinosaur halls, a planetarium and a hands-on discovery zone on the edge of City Park. Ages four to twelve, and half a day disappears easily.

Eighty acres in City Park with a lion enclosure and a working carousel. Ages two to ten; the free shuttle around the loop saves small legs.

Compact, indoors and next to the river, with a tiger exhibit that surprises people. Ages three to eight, and a decent rainy-afternoon fallback.

Ninety minutes north-west. Bear Lake is a flat half-mile loop that ages five upwards manage, and timed entry permits apply through the summer months.

A mile up, children dehydrate fast and burn faster. Keep the first day flat and low, push water constantly, and skip the mountains until day two.