Discover Boulder Scavenger Hunt
Discover the city beneath the Flatirons with a scavenger hunt across Boulder. Browse the buskers and fountains of the Pearl Street Mall, walk the leafy University of Colorado campus, follow the Boulder Creek Path and look up at the tilted slabs of the Flatirons over every rooftop. Boulder mixes mountain-town energy, a college buzz and a famously outdoorsy spirit, made for a great group photo on every corner.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Pearl Street Mall
Navigate to the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder and check in along the pedestrian bricks.
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2
Boulder Creek Path
Walk south to the Boulder Creek Path and check in beside the water.
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3
University of Colorado
Walk to the University of Colorado Boulder campus and check in near the Norlin Quad or the sandstone buildings.
Challenges (17)
Boulder kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Boulder backdrop (the Flatirons over the rooftops, a Pearl Street busker, a leafy campus corner) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Pearl Street Mall
Navigate to the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder and check in along the pedestrian bricks.
Pearl Street busker pose
The Pearl Street Mall is famous for its street performers, flowerbeds and the kid-magnet climbing rocks. Take a group photo with a busker, a flower planter or the rocks behind your team.
Trivia: Boulder founded
Boulder began as a supply town for gold prospectors heading into the mountains. In what year was it founded (the prospectors arrived in late this year)?
Answer: 1858
Flatirons view
The Flatirons are the tilted sandstone slabs that are the symbol of Boulder. Find a spot with a clear view of them and take a group photo with the slabs rising behind you.
Trivia: the Flatirons shape
The Flatirons got their name because the angled slabs reminded early settlers of a household object heated on a stove. What everyday object?
Answers: flatiron / flat iron / iron / clothes iron / flatirons
Checkpoint: Boulder Creek Path
Walk south to the Boulder Creek Path and check in beside the water.
Boulder Creek pose
The Boulder Creek Path follows the rushing creek through the heart of the city, lined with cottonwoods and tube floaters in summer. Take a group photo on the path with the creek behind you.
Dushanbe Teahouse spot
The hand-painted Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a gift from Boulder's sister city in Tajikistan, sits beside the creek. Take a group photo in front of its colourful carved facade.
Checkpoint: University of Colorado
Walk to the University of Colorado Boulder campus and check in near the Norlin Quad or the sandstone buildings.
CU campus pose
The University of Colorado campus is built in a distinctive Tuscan style of rough sandstone walls and red-tile roofs. Take a group photo with the team in front of a campus building or the quad.
Trivia: CU Boulder opened
The University of Colorado officially opened to its first students in Boulder. In what year did it open (1877)?
Answer: 1877
Boulder foodie classic
Boulder takes food and drink seriously. Find a local favourite (a craft beer or kombucha, a farm-to-table bite, a famous bakery pastry) and take a group photo with everyone tucking in at the same time.
Boulder bike town moment
Boulder is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US. Find a rack of bikes, a bike lane or a cyclist and take a fun group photo celebrating Boulder's two-wheeled spirit.
Chautauqua meadow view
Chautauqua Park sits at the foot of the Flatirons with open meadows and the historic auditorium. Find a Flatirons overlook (Chautauqua or another viewpoint) and take a group photo with the slabs towering above.
Local Boulder tip
Convince a local Boulder resident to share a tip about the city (a trail, a teahouse, a brewery). Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Boulder finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Boulder spot (the Flatirons at golden hour, the Pearl Street Mall, the creek path) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from beneath the Flatirons!
Frequently asked questions
Three to four hours covers the Pearl Street Mall, downtown, the Boulder Creek Path and the edge of the CU campus at a relaxed pace. The core route is flat and very walkable; Chautauqua Park and the Flatirons trailheads are a short rideshare southwest if you want to add a mountain finale.
The Pearl Street Mall in the middle of downtown is the natural starting point. The four-block pedestrian mall is full of street performers, shops and patios, parking garages sit a block away, and you can walk to Boulder Creek and the university from there.
Yes. The route works for any age. Kids love the buskers and climbing rocks on the Pearl Street Mall, the tube floaters on Boulder Creek in summer and spotting the Flatirons. The mall and creek path are flat and stroller-friendly.
No. The Flatirons are visible from all over town, so most challenges just frame them in the background. If your group wants to get closer, Chautauqua Park has easy meadow trails at the base with no real climb. Serious scrambling on the slabs is for experienced climbers only and is not part of the hunt.
It is an ornate, hand-painted teahouse that the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, gave to Boulder as a sister-city gift. It was built in Tajikistan, shipped over in pieces and reassembled by Boulder Creek. It is one of the quirkiest stops on the hunt and a lovely place to pause for tea.