Chautauqua Park: A History Of Togetherness

If you’re headed to Boulder, Colorado for the first time, there’s a pretty good chance that at least one person you talk to will say something like, ‘Oh, Boulder?! You HAVE to visit Chautauqua!’ And you could certainly be forgiven for wondering, ‘what on earth is Chautauqua?’ When you come to Boulder, the word ‘Chautauqua’ is used to refer to a fairly large area that stretches along the foothills of Boulder’s Flatirons mountains. It covers a few different areas, including Chautauqua Park, Chautauqua Trailhead, and the Colorado Chautauqua historic district. From Chautauqua Trailhead, you can access around 40 miles of hiking trails throughout the area.

An Historic Movement

The word ‘chautauqua’ is generally believed to come from the Iroquois language, and it can mean ‘two moccasins tied together’ and ‘a bag tied in the middle.’ In the early 1800s and 1900s, the term came to refer to family retreats which generally focused on music, culture, nature, activities, education, and occasionally religion. Boulder’s history as a town is intricately tangled with the history of the Colorado Chautauqua, and its ideals of land preservation and the importance of education remain constant even today.

The Chautauqua movement came to Boulder in 1898 with a group of Texans looking for an ideal vacation spot to beat the heat of a Texas summer. Through a collaboration with local residents, the Colorado Chautauqua came into being and soon developed into one of the most beautiful spots for a vacation in the United States. Boulder’s Chautauqua is the only Chautauqua that has been continuously operating since its founding to the west of the Mississippi River, and it received a National Historic Landmark designation in 2006.

Catalyst For Preservation

The Colorado Chautauqua was extremely important for this area as it was instrumental in kicking off open space preservation and local parks. On the day following the original grand opening of Chautauqua, the city of Boulder decided to purchase the eastern slope of the Flagstaff Mountains from the federal government, kicking off a continued passion for purchasing land for preservation that is still in effect today.

Hiking Adventures

Though there is a lot to do around Chautauqua, so far, I’ve only tried some of the more than 40 miles of hiking trails throughout the area. I like to head up the Enchanted Mesa side of the Chautauqua Historic Site (where you can access the trails), rather than the Chautauqua Trailhead, heading up Mesa Trail. Honestly, the main reason for that is the slope is not as steep (and frankly, I like the beginning of my hikes to be just a bit easier than the middle). Plus, Enchanted Mesa has some pretty spectacular views along that trail! Before moving to Colorado, I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand hiking at all. What I would have said is, ‘Why would anyone choose to go hiking? Isn’t that just walking outside? What’s the big deal?’ Well, today, hiking is one of my favorite activities. I try to take that time outdoors as often as I can, and I’m lucky to say I live in a place that offers as much natural beauty as Colorado! There’s no shortage of incredible scenery and magnificent views to take in all over Colorado, so I don’t need to travel far from home to see something amazing.

Now that I hike more often, I’ve seen parts of nature that I never knew existed, some of them just outside my own door. Though Chautauqua is certainly full of beautiful trails, the truth is that in Colorado, there is so much open space that you can explore hiking trails pretty much anywhere you are. In my past few visits to Chautauqua, I’ve tackled the Royal Arch trail (which is quite a feat, especially when there is still snow on the ground!), the Mesa trail, and parts of the Bluebell-Baird Trail. I am not ashamed to say that the Royal Arch trail nearly defeated me, and I went up with all my winter hiking gear out! I had hiking boots, spikes to put on over them for the ice, a warm coat, and both my hiking sticks. And I still slipped and fell several times during the climb up and down, unlike others who sprinted past in tennis shoes without seeming to have much trouble.

Maybe speeding up Royal Arch without any hiking accouterments is a special skill that only comes after living in Colorado for years, but either way, I sure enjoyed the ride! If you’re planning a visit to the Boulder area, I highly recommend checking out Chautauqua or any of the many trails in that region. Chautauqua typically offers a shuttle to get you to and from the park, since parking can be tight when it’s busy. As an added bonus, hiking outdoors is an inexpensive and fairly safe activity to partake in while the world still struggles with the coronavirus pandemic. Check out the city of Boulder’s website or the Chautauqua website for more information on what to expect when you’re out hiking in the area.