Hip Preservation Clinic

A Guide to Boulder, Colorado

Boulder-Colorado

Getting to Boulder & Enjoying It While You’re Here

Injuries can be stressful and painful, which is why the team set up this page. We hope to ease potential anxieties by providing helpful details about Boulder, CO. Below, you’ll find a curated guide to Boulder crafted with care by members of our team.

The CU Sports Medicine Clinic &
Boulder Community Hospital

CU SPORTS MEDICINE HIP PRESERVATION CLINIC

2150 Stadium Dr, Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 315-9900

FOOTHILLS
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

4747 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, Co 80303
(303) 415-7000

Best of Boulder: Staff Picks

Jess’ Picks

Favorite Restaurant

Rincon Argentino: amazing empanadas and alfajores. The chef uses fresh, high quality ingredients, there is open air seating, service is fast and it is very inexpensive.

Favorite Bar

Shamane’s Bakery and Cafe: the best french pastries and homemade donuts coupled with great sandwiches, coffee AND it’s woman owned/operated.

Best Hike Or Bike Ride

Walker Ranch Loop! Scenic 8 mile loop featuring a river, waterfall, high plains. The drive up offers views of the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I also love the Hessie and Fourth of July trailheads. Beautiful access to Diamond Lake and S Arapahoe Peak. Great spot for foraging berries, mushrooms and offers a great payout in alpine lakes.

Advice

Bring a lot of layers (puffy layer and a raincoat)!

Omer’s Picks

Favorite Restaurant

Sherpa’s Adventurers Restaurant & Bar – Best Nepalese/Indian food in a casual, quintessentially-Boulder atmosphere, just minutes away from Pearl St.

Favorite Beverage

Spruce Confections – The locals spot. Great coffee. Off-the-beaten-path, awesome house-baked pastries and the best breakfast croissant.

Breakfast / Branch

A Boulder classic with its unique vibe, great food and coffee. walnutcafe.com

Best Hike Or Bike Ride

Bear Peak trail – With 2,800 feet of elevation gain in less than 3 miles this is a true Boulder grinder to test one’s abilities on the way up, and on the fly down, with outstanding summit 360 degrees views.

Favorite Activity

Drive through Eldorado Canyon State Park, just 10 minutes south of Boulder and watch climbers from all over the world ascending these majestic, hundreds of feet tall, cliffs over the raging river. Find a quiet spot for a short walk or a picnic (during summer/fall a weekend visit would require a reservation). Check out the upcoming events in the Chautauqua Auditorium/Park.

Robyn’s Picks

Favorite Restaurant

Pasta Jay’s: “Low-key Italian eatery serving thin-crust pizzas, ample portions & pastas made from family recipes…” and Dushanbe Teahouse: “Ornate landmark shipped piece by piece from Tajikistan & rebuilt creekside, with teas & light bites…

Favorite Bar

Under the Sun Pub and Pizza on Broadway is a brewpub, also Caffe Sole, Pekoe and Trident.

Best Hike Or Bike Ride

Mt. Sanitas, Mesa Trail, Royal Arch Trail, or drive up to Flagstaff

Favorite Activity

Nederland (I know, it’s not Boulder) is a cute town with good restaurants, a nice drive and the Carousel of Happiness is there

Rebecca’s Picks

Favorite Restaurant

Modern Market, healthy and delicious options for a quick lunch.

Favorite Bar

Avery Brewery, nice outdoor seating great for grabbing a beer after a hike.

Best Hike Or Bike Ride

Green Mountain West Trail, easy/moderate hike with great views that can be done with visitors.

Favorite Activity

Boulder Comedy Show (open mic), a great chance to listen to some amateur local comedians.

Kaleigh’s Picks

Favorite Restaurant

Leaf for great vegetarian/vegan food, Pizzeria Locale for date night, Zeal or River and Woods for brunch, Flower Child for nutritious efficiency and Frasca for a splurge.

Favorite Bar

Ampersand Coffee has a popup in Full Cycle Bikes & Colorado Multisport, and a stand-alone location close to Gunbarrel. Their pour-overs are my favorite, and the friendly staff is always willing to make a great recommendation! I love supporting their brand because they’re fair trade, organic, and support women’s empowerment. 

For an inventive cocktail or mocktail, I love Upstairs Cocktail Lounge (above The Kitchen)

Best Hike Or Bike Ride

I always get a great sweat in at Mecha (Boulder location), and am learning to boulder at Movement (Boulder location). My favorite trail at the moment is Kohler-Mesa – straightforward 4 mile loop, 900 ft of elevation gain, dog friendly and easy street parking.

Favorite Activity

Outside of work, I volunteer at TRU Hospice and Palliative Care. TRU has a thrift shop on Arapahoe that can be fun to poke around. Bonus: the proceeds support a great cause. 🙂 Boulder Book Store on Pearl Street is another favorite – it’s a 20,000 sq. ft independent bookstore that spans three floors!

Where to Stay

Below is a non-exhaustive list of accommodations. We recommend finding accommodations that are accessible, without steps (or with an elevator), and include a stationary bike. We recognize that budgets vary widely, and while we’ve listed some options below, there may be more affordable options available. If patients opt to rent a short term stay (Airbnb, VRBO, other hotel not listed below, etc.), please ensure there are no stairs, there is adequate parking, and the shower is wide enough for a shower seat. Patients should not step up and into a bathtub.

Residence Inn

Residence Inn by Marriott (Boulder Canyon Boulevard)

As the testimonial below attests, the Residence Inn is an ADA-friendly location with excellent staff and amenities for recovering from surgery.

“The Residence Inn Boulder Canyon Boulevard was the perfect place for us to spend 7 weeks. [Patient name redacted] had an accessible room which was invaluable, and [care team names redacted] were on the other side of the connecting room. The accessible room’s shower was a roll-in shower. We were able to fit in the shower bench that we’d purchased (in addition to the raised toilet seat, which we found imperative). Both rooms had a small kitchenette which was great for making our own meals during our stay. There is an abundance of good restaurants in the vicinity, but for cost reasons, it is nice to have the option to make your own meals. Also, breakfast is included with your stay and is served in the lobby every morning. There is a gym which was great as we had access to the stationary bike required for rehab in between the scope and PAO. There is an ice machine next to the gym which was very useful for icing. There is underground parking available at a cost. The location is perfect - Boulder Community Hospital, the clinic and the physical therapy clinic were within a few miles. The hotel is also walking distance to Boulder Creek path and to the UC Boulder campus, and not too far from Pearl Street for restaurants and shopping.

I can’t say enough about the staff at the Residence Inn Boulder Canyon Blvd. They all treated us as if we were in our home away from home, making us feel very comfortable knowing we were there for [patient’s name redacted] procedures. Calynn Gwin, the assistant general manager was incredible, extremely professional and caring. The fact they still had the same staff one year later says a lot about this hotel. Bailey, Jeff, Joe the bartender… they all were fantastic.”

St Julien

St Julien Hotel & Spa

Luxury, boutique hotel with incredible views and a full-service spa, indoor pool and restaurant. Close to the clinic, Boulder Community Hospital and Pearl Street.

Featuring 201 spacious and comfortable guest rooms, including six two-room suites; all accommodations at St Julien Hotel & Spa are beautifully appointed with over-sized bathrooms featuring slate flooring and granite counters, and soothing textures and colors that create a sense of calm and relaxation.

For special rates, please call the main St. Julien Room Reservations line at (720) 406-9696 and ask for the CU Corporate Rate.

Physical Therapy Resources for Out of Town Patients

The clinical team has worked in close partnership with the physical therapy team to develop comprehensive physical therapy programming. For patients traveling from out of town, we’ve partnered with physical therapy providers who will meet you at your temporary lodging (hotel, Airbnb, etc.). We highly recommend Lindsay Donath PT and/or Sue Torrence PT. Both Lindsay and Sue offer house visits for locals as well, a service popular with PAO patients.

“Hi! Today marks my 5 year PAO anniversary. Thank you for giving me this life back as it continues to just get better and better!”
— Aiden Ryan (PAO)