Check out these seven tips, resources and deals for students in Boulder!

10 Essential Tips to Enjoy and Protect Boulder Open Space

Before you head outdoors on our 155 miles of open space trails, remember our 10 essential tips for enjoying and protecting Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks system. Read our Open Space tips.

Colorado Chautauqua

Get Around Town

Travel around Boulder and the Metro Denver area for free! Boulder’s local HOP bus and all local and regional RTD services run free fare for youth ages 19 and under.

A person putting a bike onto a bike rack on a bright orange bus.

Did you know your transit pass gets you discounts at participating shops and restaurants? Students can also use their university-issued CollegePass to travel on local, regional and airport transit services for free.

Planning to park instead? Check out the University of Colorado Boulder Student Parking Resources.

White and yellow flowers in bloom on the Pearl Street Mall

Have Recreation Fun Off-Campus

Get your recreation on by exploring the fun off-campus. Golf at Flatirons Golf Course, play disc golf and bike on a 42-acre terrain park at Valmont Park, and swim or paddle at Boulder Reservoir.

For our younger community members, there are also “day off” camps for when school is not in session. These day camps include games, arts and crafts, swimming, and lots of fun activities for youth!

People walking with bikes at Valmont Bike Park dirt trail

Boulder’s Child-Friendly Map

Made by kids, for kids. View the child-friendly map online or pick up a print copy outside the Growing Boulder office at the north side of the Boulder Main Library.

Children interacting with blocks for cars and houses and trees on a sculpted diorama of a suburban landscape

Family Resource Schools

The Family Resource Schools program, a partnership between the City of Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District, is dedicated to supporting families’ capacity to raise healthy, well-functioning, and successful children through a broad array of prevention and early intervention services.

people hanging out by the creek during boulder creek fest facing south

Get Involved in Your City

Whether you’ve lived in Boulder your whole life or are new to town, we welcome students as part of our community! A great way to get started is to attend upcoming community events:

  • Fall 2025: Voicing Boulder, a new art project where participants are encouraged to submit videos or photographs of meaningful places, objects or scenes around Boulder, paired with short written or audio reflections that describe their desires for the city’s future as part of an ongoing planning process.
  • Aug. 11 to Sept. 2 | Answer a few questions online to help shape potential policies on the future of housing choice and opportunity, an inclusive local economy, natural hazard resilience and more. We’ve taken what we’ve heard from the community about the vision for the future of the Boulder Valley – help us develop strategies and policies to get us there. 
  • Sept. 7: What’s Up Boulder, a community event with free dessert on Sunday, Sept. 7, to learn about any and all city resources and help shape the place you live!
  • Sept. 9 | From Vision to Action: Plotting the Course for Boulder’s Future, a hands-on workshop where you will explore different potential land use strategies for the comprehensive plan — and help decide which ideas best move us toward the community’s shared goals.

Find ways to participate in local government, volunteer or apply for jobs, and sign up to stay in the loop about local news.

Child Friendly Cities Initiative Launch: child speaking in microphone.
Youth announcing the launch of Child Friendly Cities Initiative at the Boulder Bandshell; Courtesy Darcy Kitching. 

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