Just a 20-mile drive west of downtown Denver, rugged and picturesque Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre (4600 Humboldt St., 303-295-4444?) is one of the most alluring - and popular - attractions in the region. The stunning landscape was once a gathering spot of Ute Indians, and by the late 19th century had been named Garden of the Angels, and then later Garden of the Titans. Today the park and its dramatic red sandstone boulders are a favorite hiking venue, and home to an dramatic open-air amphitheater that stages top-name concerts.

Concerts have, in fact, been a part of the Red Rocks legacy for more than a century - an early owner of the property produced concerts here as early as 1906. In the 1920s, the Denver Parks Department purchased the property, and soon enlisted the considerable manpower of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) - part of the WPA New Deal program - to building the elegantly simple yet visually mesmerizing concert venue that Red Rocks is today. In recent years, Red Rocks has hosted some of the most important rock acts in the world, plus plenty of shows with a strong gay following (i.e., the True Colors Tour with Cyndi Lauper, the B-52s, Rosie O'Donnell, Carson Kressley, etc.), REM, Abba, the Bee Gees, Tori Amos, the Dresden Dolls, Margaret Cho, Debbie Harry, Erasure, Ani DiFranco, the Indigo Girls - the list goes on and on.

All year, you can hike at the park - there's a simple 1.4-mile Trading Post Loop that's especially scenic.