Five Spots to Picnic in Boulder—and Teas to Pack in the Hamper
Here in Colorado we embrace our glorious outdoors during every season. As the sun shines more than 250 days a year, we head out on hikes in the depths of winter—even if that means putting on snowshoes or MICROspikes.
While every month here invites us into the great outdoors, only a handful persuade us to pack baskets with baguettes, hunks of cheese, savory tarts and wedges of pie—or banh mi sandwiches, pickled vegetables and slices of ube cake. And when the weather turns warm, that’s what we do—we dine al fresco.
Outdoor feasting often means a restaurant patio or rooftop, as well as our backyards and balconies. But it also means picnics—one of our favorite words! And fortunately for us, Boulder offers a wealth of fabulous spots to spread out that blanket, plop down those light camping chairs, and share meals. Nothing beats hanging out for dinner to the sound of leaves snapping in breezes, unobstructed mountain vistas and nothing but rich blue sky draped overhead.
Where to enjoy that sun-splashed early dinner? We’ve got ideas! And naturally, we offer suggestions for tea. After all, in our opinion any proper picnic will always involve the world’s greatest beverage.
Five Spots to Picnic in Boulder: The Colorado Chautauqua
Google Boulder, and chances are you’ll quickly come across a shot of Chautauqua. The 80-acre park, which also serves as the trailhead to more than 40 miles of hiking trails, has got to be one of the most enchanting and visually arresting parks in the United States.
Boulder’s Chautauqua grew out of a nationwide Chautauqua movement from the 19th century. Today, it’s the only continuously operated chautauqua west of the Mississippi with its original structures intact. It’s also one of only 28 National Historic Landmarks in Colorado.
Boulder’s glorious Flatirons foothills loom over the grassy park, offering stunning views of rugged grandeur while noshing on that quiche Lorraine. The park offers a playground, a dining hall and general store, skinny roads lined with historic cabins—even a performance venue.
But most importantly for picnickers, it includes vast grassy swaths studded with shade-delicious trees. It’s simply perfect.
Tea for a Picnic at Chautauqua: Boulder Boost (Organic)
Nothing says Boulder quite like Chautauqua. So naturally we encourage picnickers to pack along Boulder Boost for their hours spent basking in the sun beneath the towering Flatirons. This is one energetic tea, one we custom-designed for Boulder’s density of active people. Both the Madagascar vanilla black tea and the guayusa in the tasty blend contain caffeine. To that base we add green rooibos, a shrub from South Africa noted for its volume of electrolytes. These minerals are essential for human health, and quench thirst. It also contains tulsi, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, fennel and rose. Boost that Chautauqua picnic with this special bespoke blend! We offer it as part of our popular Colorful Colorado collection.
Five Spots to Picnic in Boulder: Flagstaff Mountain Summit West
From Chautauqua, the picnic experience involves gazing up at beautiful peaks. But from Flagstaff Mountain’s summit, the thrill comes from looking down at the charming city of Boulder.
This treasure, which involves a four-mile drive up a twisty-turny road from Boulder, includes a nature center, loads of parking, a variety of trails, a large covered area suitable for big groups (it’s popular for weddings) and many picnic tables tucked away in lovely nooks.
Our favorite area is called Artist Point, a scattering of picnic tables set in different, private spots amongst the conifers and boulders. No matter the picnic table you score, the views will wow. Do wander around a bit—some of the more grand settings involve short hikes along paths. Sure, that means lugging the picnic basket a little bit further, but you won’t have to walk more than 50 yards or so to reach the most remote picnic table. And it’ll be worth the effort.
Tea for a Picnic at Flagstaff Mountain Summit: Desert Rose (Organic)
This caffeine-free beauty is one of the selections in our Colorful Colorado collection, a series of wonderful teas in brightly-branded boxes. We tried to capture some of the essences of deserts—from the American Southwest to the Mediterranean—in this blend. So it’s got aromatic rose petals, herbal rosemary and sage, floral lavender and bright lemon balm. It’s a delicious, soothing tea, one you will appreciate while dining on top of a mountain.
Five Spots to Picnic in Boulder: Scott Carpenter Park
With a community pool, skateboard park, playground, acres of undulating grassy areas and Boulder Creek flanking one side of this beautiful park, Scott Carpenter Park near downtown Boulder stands as a city gem. A picnic anywhere at this sprawling park invites both relaxation and invigoration. It also sits beside the Boulder Creek Path, a meandering dedicated bike and pedestrian walkway that follows the creek all the way to the heart of downtown Boulder. For picnickers seeking a little bit of everything—including the music of a rushing stream—this one ranks high.
Tea for Picnic at Scott Carpenter Park: Blueberry Lavender Bliss
Hanging out in Scott Carpenter Park will precipitate much in the way of bliss. And so our luscious Blueberry Lavender Bliss blend is the perfect beverage accompaniment to a picnic in the festive park. This tea begins with black tea. Then we add blueberry, lavender, ginger, calendula, cornflower and cocoa nibs. The combination brews into a rich, floral drink. And it leans into the power of lavender, with its famous soothing properties that help relieve stress and headaches, among other things. Lavender bliss!
Five Spots to Picnic in Boulder: Dakota Ridge Park
Many of Boulder’s best picnic spots include views of the Flatirons. At north Boulder’s vast Dakota Ridge park, however, the experience is more about the rolling foothills that extend north of the city. It’s a fabulous spot for a picnic, complete with a novel playground with a dinosaur theme and access to trails into those foothills. Trees do not fill much of the park, which means shade is scarce. On a blazing afternoon, it might not be the best choice. But otherwise, Dakota Ridge delivers a different side of Boulder’s natural inheritance, one you’ll savor as you polish off the last chocolate chip cookie in the picnic hamper.
Tea for Picnic at Dakota Ridge Park: Paradise Peach
Farmers in Colorado’s Western Slope grow some of the best peaches in the world, in our opinion. Given our state’s peach bragging rights, we felt a peach-centric tea was a must. And so we developed Paradise Peach, a combination of peach, hibiscus, rosehip, apple and orange.
Five Spots to Picnic in Boulder: South Mesa Trailhead
This locals’ favorite serves as the south terminus of the Mesa Trail, a 7-mile trail that runs north-south from Chautauqua Park to this bustling trailhead. The trail is a Boulder treasure, passing through wildflower meadows and conifer forests as it winds its way along the eastern flank of the Flatirons. The setting gives picnickers the option to take breaks from the chicken salad sandwiches and strawberry shortcake, and head out on stimulating jaunts with spectacular views. It also beckons picnickers to dine beside South Boulder Creek, a broad, fast-moving stream that adds to the environmental advantages of this spot. In addition to picnic tables, the trailhead supports grills and restrooms. In addition, this spectacle of natural wonder is just down the street from Eldorado Canyon State Park, a grand, cliff-walled park famous among rock climbers for its vertical challenges. We think South Mesa Trailhead is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon nibbling, chatting and sipping tea.
Tea for Picnic at South Mesa Trailhead: Rocky Mountain Huckleberry
Huckleberries don’t grow along South Boulder Creek, the fetching stream that flanks the picnic area at the South Mesa Trailhead. We wish they did! Bring the next best thing—a tea redolent with huckleberry flavor. This standout blend combines black tea from Sri Lanka with rosehips, freeze-dried raspberries, raspberry leaf and huckleberry. Sit back beside the rushing water, finish off that scone and sip a chilled version of Rocky Mountain Huckleberry. We offer this beauty as part of our Colorful Colorado collection.
