DOG-FRIENDLY PARKS IN DENVER, CO

Mile-high elevation shapes everything in this Front Range metropolis where mountain views dominate the western horizon. At 5,280 feet, the thin air and intense sun affect newcomers adjusting to altitude. The semiarid climate brings 300 days of sunshine but also dramatic temperature swings—70-degree winter afternoons can precede overnight blizzards that dump feet of snow before melting within days.