Overview
Lakewood is a city of about 160,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies in Jefferson County, immediately west of Denver and east of the Front Range foothills.
1 sights · 5 things to do · 6 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Lakewood
Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys
The Museum staff utilizes the collection of over 20,000 objects to stage four major exhibit changes each year. The exhibits range from vintage Star Wars toys to artisan dollhouses and exquisite antique dolls to well-love…
Heritage Lakewood at Belmar Park
Local history museum and park.
Bear Creek Lake Park
Offers sailing, camping and fishing with other recreational activities with 15 miles of dirt trails encompassing 2,600 acres.
Kendrick Lake Park
A park with a lake in the middle of it. Over a mile loop of paved trails around the park. Has playgrounds and also fishing.
William Frederick Hayden Park on Green Mountain
Bear Creek Greenbelt
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 18°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: May and Jul. (climate data from nearby Denver)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BJC Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Denver — 14 mi away. Directions
- DEN Denver International Airport, Denver — 25 mi away (major hub). Directions
See this Colorado travel map. Colorado is on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-07) in the winter and on Mountain Daylight Time (UTC-06) in the summer.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys, Heritage Lakewood at Belmar Park
- Lunch African Grill and Bar
- Afternoon Kendrick Lake Park, Bear Creek Greenbelt
- Dinner Star Thai
Day 2
- Morning Bear Creek Lake Park
- Lunch Danny Ray's
- Afternoon William Frederick Hayden Park on Green Mountain
- Dinner Carmine Lonardo's Specialty Meats & Deli
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Lakewood is the most populous city in Jefferson County and the third most populous city in the Denver Metropolitan Area.
- Lakewood municipal website
Get in
See this Colorado travel map. Colorado is on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-07) in the winter and on Mountain Daylight Time (UTC-06) in the summer.
By air
Go Denver International Airport (DEN)
One of the ten busiest airports in the world. The airport connects to Lakewood via the RTD commuter rail A line connecting to the RTD light rail W line.
By car
Lakewood is served eight major highways:
The colder weather months (Nov-Feb) often bring snow and ice to area roads. Visitors who park their cars should be prepared in case their car is "snowed in" by snow removal trucks. Also, pay strict attention to parking rules and snow emergencies to avoid being towed away at the car owner's expense. During the winter months, a snow brush, ice scraper, and plenty of windshield washer fluid is essential, and many natives opt to carry a shovel, some sand, and a bag of ice melt or road salt in the trunk just in case.
Renting
With Aurora's considerable sprawl, car rentals are the most convenient form of transportation for visitors. Local companies tend to offer better prices, but national chains might be more convenient as far as return policies and hours. Rental companies include most major car rental chains.
Get around
Public transit
Lakewood is served by the RTD light rail W line which connects to Denver and Golden.
Go Federal Center Station
RTD light rail W line, the RTD 3, 9, 16, 17, 51, 76, 99, 100, 116X, CV, EV, and GS bus lines, and the RTD GDFX FlexRide bus service.
See
See Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys (DMMDT)
The Museum staff utilizes the collection of over 20,000 objects to stage four major exhibit changes each year. The exhibits range from vintage Star Wars toys to artisan dollhouses and exquisite antique dolls to well-loved toy soldiers.
Do
Do William Frederick Hayden Park on Green Mountain
Reservoir
Lakewood has 3 reservoirs to visit. The largest one is Main then Smith then East.
Buy
Shop Belmar Shopping Center
Urban-styled outdoor shopping area with over 70 stores/businesses including Whole Foods, Target, DWS, Victoria's Secret, Coldwater Creek, etc. Dining options include Ted's Montana Grill, P.F. Chang's, & Jamba Juice. Entertainment options include a movie theater and a bowling alley. In the winter, there's an outside ice skating rink.
Eat
Eat African Grill and Bar
Restaurant offers a wide variety of cuisine from across Africa.
Eat Carmine Lonardo's Specialty Meats & Deli
A cozy Italian deli.
Eat Casa Bonita
A 52,000-sq-ft Mexican restaurant known more for the entertainment than for the food (it's famous enough that South Park devoted an entire episode to the place). It's an inexpensive option for families; the kids will love the cliff divers, trained "gorilla", video arcade and other entertainment.
Eat Danny Ray's
A crowd-pleasing local diner.
Eat Star Thai
Restaurant serving authentic Thai cuisine.
Eat White Fence Farm
Family-style chicken restaurant with petting zoo and live entertainment.
Nearby
Morrison
City / town · 8 listings · 6 mi away
Denver
City / town · 177 listings · 6 mi away
Arvada
City / town · 49 listings · 7 mi away
Englewood
City / town · 6 listings · 7 mi away
Golden
City / town · 32 listings · 7 mi away
Littleton
City / town · 3 listings · 9 mi away
Greenwood Village
City / town · 6 listings · 10 mi away
Westminster
City / town · 12 listings · 11 mi away
My experience
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