With fourteener season approaching, I’ve got a suggestion if you’re looking for a great hike to prepare your quads, hamstrings, knees and ankles for the rugged trails found on our highest peaks. And you can’t beat the convenience of the location.

Overlooking Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Mount Morrison tops out at nearly 7,900 feet with 2,000 feet of elevation gained in less than 2 miles. That means it’s steep and remarkably similar to conditions you’ll face on fourteeners — minus the high altitude, of course.

You may have admired it from the upper concourse at Red Rocks, longing to hike it despite posted “No trepassing” signs. The peak isn’t off limits, though. The trailhead is located at Red Rocks Park’s Entrance 4, located about a half mile west of Morrison. The trail to the summit ascends the mountain’s south ridge.

It is not an easy hike. Leave the kids at home. Dogs are prohibited.

“It����ap not a family-friendly hike,” said Kristoph Kinzli, a professor at Colorado School of Mines whom I met recently on the trail. “That����ap actually why it����ap great as a fourteener training hike. It����ap rugged, it����ap a difficult hike, you get a lot of loose rock. It����ap for avid hikers and mountaineers for training.”

Kinzli, an avid fourteener hiker who teaches civil and environmental engineering at Mines, hits that trail seven or eight times a year for training.

“It����ap fairly comparable to some of the elevation gain you get (on fourteeners) when you’re getting over 1,000 feet per mile,” Kinzli said. “There’s nothing else like that, real close to Denver. I’ve met people who do it to train for really big mountains, and they’ll do it three times back-to-back in the same day. I’ve seen people with massive packs who are training for Denali or (peaks) in South America.”

That morning, Chatfield High School held its graduation ceremony in the amphitheater. Halfway up the ridge, we could hear Pomp and Circumstance. On the way down, we heard the names of graduates being read as they received their diplomas.

Mount Morrison has some history, too. A cog railway to the summit opened in 1909, followed by similar sightseeing inclines on Lookout Mountain (1912) and South Table Mountain (1913). All three were defunct by 1920, though, in part because the automobile road to the top of Lookout was completed in 1913. The lower terminal of the Mount Morrison Incline was located near what is now the amphitheatre’s lower north parking lot. The amphitheatre opened in 1941.

The hiking trail is very steep at the bottom, a little less so in the middle sections and steep again at the top, passing through rock bands near the summit. Mount Blue Sky is visible to the west. Views to the east take in Red Rocks Park, the Dakota Ridge hogback, Green Mountain and downtown Denver in the distance.

Although the parking lot is located at the south end of Red Rocks Park, most of the trail is on Jefferson County Open Space land and is part of Matthews/Winters Park. shows the path of the trail with topographical lines.

The steepness of the trail is only one of its challenges. Much of the trail is strewn with loose rocks. Other sections take the hiker over loose sand and gravel, which can cause lots of slipping and sliding. Many will find the descent as challenging as the ascent. Trekking poles are highly recommended.

Mount Morrison is definitely not a casual hike, but casual hikes aren’t the best training for fourteeners.

“It����ap the best training around,” Kinzli said. “You’re not going to find anything steeper close to Denver.”

The parent organization of the Sundance Film Festival this week shared details about the titles appearing at Film on the Rocks, Boulder Creek Fest, and other major events as part of its co-sponsorship with various local programmers.

The movies offer “early opportunities for Colorado audiences to connect with (Sundance’s) legacy of independent storytelling through film, music, and poetry,” Sundance officials said.

“When we decided to move the festival to Colorado we also made the decision to host all of our pre-festival events in partnership with local organizations,” said Eugene Hernandez, festival director and head of public programming at Sundance, in a Thursday email to The Denver Post. “Because we felt like it was not only the right way to show up in partnership and in collaboration with the Colorado community but also it would be an opportunity to get to know the community better, get to know the arts organizations who we met during the search process.”

Sundance officials have spent many days in Colorado over the last couple of years as they scoped out Boulder for the fest’s new home. Hernandez said these summer co-presentations are a natural extension of that research and exploration, and that events will arrive monthly until the festival debuts in January.

“We will continue to create opportunities to engage local audiences in Boulder and throughout Colorado, whether it’s a screening or a talk or a workshop or an opportunity to get to know the audience better,” Hernandez said. “So we’re looking for the right opportunities. It could be a screening, it could be something else.”

Hernandez has been coming to Colorado since his first screening at Telluride Film Festival (“Brokeback Mountain,” which he watched twice in one weekend) and counts SeriesFest and the Denver Film Festival among his favorite events.

He was gratified to be welcomed to Colorado by other festival organizers, he said, including Boulder International Film Festival founders Kathy and Robin Beeck.

“There is already a well-cultivated arts scene here so to be invited in with such warmth, and to contribute to the creative alchemy here — it is really exciting for us,” he said. “We want audiences in Boulder, Denver and across Colorado to join us in person in January and each month as we countdown to the festival.”

Summer screenings for the Sundance co-presentations include “Andrea Gibson: Love Letter from the Afterlife,” a 20th anniversary celebration of “Little Miss Sunshine” in partnership with Denver Film’s Film on the Rocks, “Napoleon Dynamite” at the Boulder Creek Festival, “The Best Summer” at Outside Days, and “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions” in collaboration with Biennial of the Americas, MATTER and MCA Denver, according to the festival’s new agency of record for Colorado, Bloomerang PR. The agency was launched in January by PR and film-fest veteran Jenny Bloom.

The Sundance Film Festival is the independent movie world’s most important event in the U.S. It’s moving to Boulder from Park City, Utah, after a 42-year run there and is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in tax revenue to town during an otherwise quiet season, state economic development officials have said.

Details for each screening are below.

Boulder Creek Festival: “Napoleon Dynamite”
Screening of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival alumni feature
Saturday, May 23 at The Green in Boulder
Film Start: 7 p.m.

“BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions”
Screening of the 2025 SFF alumni feature
In partnership with Biennial of the Americas, MATTER and MCA Denver
Friday, May 29
Holiday Theater in Denver
Social: 5:30 p.m. | Film Start: 7:00 p.m.

Outside Days: “The Best Summer”
Screening of 2026 SFF alumni feature
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Auraria Campus King Center in Denver
Film Start: 2:00 p.m.

Sundance Film Festival Presents: “Andrea Gibson: Love Letter from the Afterlife”
Featuring the Colorado Symphony, Megan Falley, and special guests Sara Bareilles and Chris Pureka
In association with AEG
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison
Doors: 6:30 p.m. | Event Start: 7:30 p.m.

Film on the Rocks: “Little Miss Sunshine”
Screening of 2006 SFF alumni feature
In partnership with Denver Film
Monday, July 13, 2026
Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison
Doors: 6:30 p.m. | Pre-show: 7 p.m. | Film: 8:30 p.m.

For the 2026 schedule of Sundance Film Festival lead-up events, ticketing, and to sign up for the official Colorado email list for updates visit .

“We are beyond bummed,” the indie rock band posted on . “We’ve been working on this show for nearly a year and wanted nothing more than for it to happen on May 6.”

The concert has been rescheduled for May 12.

“Today, after consulting with their meteorological team, the venue, which is owned by the City of Denver, determined that incoming weather conditions would make it unsafe to move forward,” the band’s post said. “Their responsibility is not only fan safety, but also the safety of the staff, crew, and everyone required to load in and operate the show.”

A winter storm is expected to dump 3 to 9 inches across the Denver metro on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Wednesday seeing a concentration of wet, heavy snow.

“Based on the severity and timing of the storm, they concluded it would not be possible to safely move gear and people into the venue,” the post said. “Often these calls are made the day before or even the day of a show, but their weather advisors were adamant that this storm is imminent & serious enough to make that impossible.”

Ticket holders can request a refund in the AXS app or call AXS directly at 888-929-7849.

“It may not be ideal, but we’d much rather get to play this incredible venue a few days later than cancel outright,” the post read.

The season begins Monday, June 8, with Reiner’s 1987 fantasy-comedy classic “The Princess Bride” and ends Monday, Aug. 10, with 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” according to Denver Film; see the full list below.

The movie series, programmed by the nonprofit that runs the Denver Film Festival, will again feature five films, with $25 tickets per screening (the same price as last year) and $50 for VIP reserved seating near the front of the amphitheater. Group sales are available by contacting boxoffice@denverfilm.org.

Tickets are on sale now for Denver Film members, and to the public starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 1, via .

The biggest locally relevant show is the 20th anniversary celebration of “Little Miss Sunshine,” the 2006 indie hit that won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay (by Michael Arndt) and Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin). The quirky family dramedy featured a now-iconic soundtrack by Denver’s gypsy-punk-folk-mariachi act DeVotchKa, and having that band play the 20th anniversary seems like a fitting tribute to the title that helped turn DeVotchKa into an international touring force. (It’s also a notable collaboration between Denver Film and the Sundance Film Festival, which makes its Boulder debut in January.)

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment taking the stage at 7 p.m., followed by the film presentation at 8:30 p.m., according to Denver Film. As in recent years, all screenings will be emceed by local comedian and actor Janae Burris. Pre-show entertainment includes musical performances by School of Rock, The Reminders, Wheelchair Sports Camp, DeVotchKa and May Be Fern, as well as a special presentation by paleontologist and National Geographic Explorer Tyler Lyson, Denver Film said.

See full details, including Denver Film synopses and each show’s openers, below.

Film on the Rocks 2026 season

“The Princess Bride”
8:30 p.m. Monday, June 8

“In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can’t stop these true lovebirds from triumphing. Featuring a pre-show performance by School of Rock.”

“Sinners”
8 p.m. Monday, June 22

“Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Featuring a pre-show performance by The Reminders.”

“Little Miss Sunshine” 20th Anniversary
8:30 p.m. Monday, July 13

“Father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately trying to sell his motivational success program… with no success. Meanwhile, “pro-honesty” mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) lends support to her eccentric family, including her depressed brother (Steve Carell), fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his lover. Then there are the younger Hoovers – the seven-year-old, would-be beauty queen Olive (Abigail Breslin) and Dwayne (Paul Dano), a Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken a vow of silence. Topping off the family is the foul-mouthed grandfather (Alan Arkin), whose outrageous behavior recently got him evicted from his retirement home. When Olive is invited to compete in the “Little Miss Sunshine” pageant in far-off California, the family piles into their rusted-out VW bus to rally behind her – with riotously funny results. Featuring a pre-show opening performance by Wheelchair Sports Camp, followed by headliner DeVotchKa.”

“Bridesmaids” 15th Anniversary
8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3

“Annie’s (Kristen Wiig) life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke,  Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love. Featuring a pre-show performance by May Be Fern.”

“Jurassic Park”
8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10

“In Steven Spielberg’s massive blockbuster, paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are among a select group chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. While the park’s mastermind, billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), assures everyone that the facility is safe, they find out otherwise when various ferocious predators break free and go on the hunt. Featuring a pre-show presentation by Paleontologist and National Geographic Explorer Tyler Lyson.”

The bronze Works Progress Administration marker was installed near the intersection of West Alameda Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard to commemorate the 5,000 workers who extended Alameda Parkway to Red Rocks Amphitheatre during the Great Depression, according to Alameda Connects, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting the corridor.

The nonprofit’s executive director, Tom Quinn, noticed the plaque was missing from its red sandstone base and reported the apparent theft to Lakewood police on April 10. A theft investigation is underway, police spokesman John Romero said.

The bronze plaque is likely worth less than $50 as scrap metal, said Morgan Smith, a buyer at Rocky Mountain Recycling. It holds significantly more value as a historic artifact, Quinn said in a news release.

“This marker was intended as a permanent record of the New Deal legacy Franklin Roosevelt built and what social programs and public investment can achieve,” he said. “It is a somber reflection that trends indicate it was stripped for scrap by those for whom social safety nets were established to prevent this kind of desperate act.”

Brass is selling at slightly more than $3 a pound right now, Smith said, which is about the regular range, although perhaps slightly elevated because of its copper content, which is selling higher.

“So they’re doing thousands of dollars of damage to collect a few bucks,” Smith said of the potential thief.

He noted that if someone brought in the stolen historical marker or any other suspicious object to Rocky Mountain Recycling, the company would alert police, buy the item and collect the seller’s personal information.

“And usually, 99% of the time (the police) get here before the guy leaves,” he said.

In its 14th year as an institution at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the on Saturdays from May 30 through Aug. 29, except for July 4 and Aug. 22. Sessions take place from 7-8 a.m. Bilingual sessions are set for July 11 and July 18.

Reservations for brunch will be Walk-ins will be permitted when capacity allows.

Tickets for yoga sessions will be sold online beginning May 14. Due to high demand, purchasers must first pre-register through the Fair AXS system. Fair AXS is intended to eliminate competition with bots in ticket buying. “Everyone who registers has the same chance, and fans will be selected for the opportunity to buy tickets,” according to an .

Pre-registration opens May 6 at 10 a.m. and runs through May 10 at 10 p.m.

Six-ticket packages will cost $138, with single sessions priced at $23.

The long-running Mile High 420 Festival comes to Civic Center Park with rappers Juicy J, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, That Mexican OT and Trap Dickey. Meanwhile, Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s signature 420 on the Rocks concert will be headlined by Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, with support from Too Short, and Czarface. The latter is a supergroup featuring Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan and hip-hop duo 7L & Esoteric.

How will fans decide which one to attend? Ticket price might be a factor.

Though Mile High 420 Fest was traditionally a free event for adults 21 and up, organizers began charging for tickets in 2025. This year, it costs $30 for general admission entry or $185 for VIP, which includes access to a reserved lounge, private full bar, the front of the stage and a swag bag of 420 gifts. (Tickets available at .)

420 on the Rocks is pricier, with tickets starting at $199. (Tickets available at .)

Given that 420 falls on a Monday this year, timing could also play into decisions.

Mile High 420 Fest is typically a day party with a plume of smoke emerging from the crowd during a communal celebration around 4:20 p.m. The 2026 schedule has not yet been released, though the website says Juicy J performs at 4:20 p.m. From a logistics standpoint, it����ap also unclear how the festival plans to work around construction currently underway at Civic Center Park. (The festival has not responded to inquiries from The Denver Post about what attendees can expect.)

By contrast, the 420 on the Rocks show starts at 7 p.m. (doors at 5:30 p.m.), making it a nightcap to the day. Come to think of it, that means locals could potentially hit both parties — if their stash lasts that long.

Photos by Rebecca Slezak, Special to The Denver Post

Things heat up after that with concerts from newer names like Ethel Cain (April 12), Yungblud (May 11) and Big Thief (Oct. 6) to multi-night runs from Paul Simon (June 12-13), Rod Stewart (Jun 15-16), Avett Brothers (July 10-12) and Brandi Carlile (Sept. 11-13) — the latter of which was just announced last week.

But there are a few things you should know about the venue before hiking up its steep stairs and claiming your seat. For one, there are a couple of new additions, including a permanent (replacing the usual tented option) with more points of sale that Red Rocks officials hope will equate to shorter lines.

There’s also an expanded East Terrace with extra room for security checks. The latter was part of the amphitheater’s original 1936 plan by architect Burnham Hoyt, according to Denver Arts & Venues, the city agency that owns and operates Red Rocks.

The East Stairs Entrance, South Ramp Entrance, and part of Trading Post Road (between Ship Rock Road and West Alameda Parkway) just reopened after improvements, and the usual North Gate Entrances and the Trading Post remain the same; see for a map of the venue and updates on openings/closings.

Parking is free for most shows, and lots open two hours before scheduled concert start times. Carpooling is always a great idea, given the limited parking, but you’ll have a bit of a hike up to — and inside — the venue as part of the experience, so bring closed-toe shoes and water. This year, there’s no drop-off on the top circle road unless it’s for disabled patrons.

If you park your vehicle on the side of the road leading up to the lots, as many people do, be sure to remember the general area where you parked, or pin it on a map. Also use a flashlight on the way down, given the twisting roads and traffic. Be aware that cars are streaming by you, and they won’t stop if they can’t see you.

This year there’s no more Limo Lane, and all rideshare and anyone not staged by 8:30 p.m. inside the park (party bus shuttles, livery) will be directed to Lower South Lot 2 (a.k.a. the Jurassic Lot).

Arriving early gives you a better chance of snagging a spot in a close-in lot, such as Lower South Lot 1, where tailgaters congregate. There are pick-up and drop-off areas and accessible seats and shuttles available for disabled patrons around the Trading Post and at the top of the venue — including accessible parking in each of the parking lots. Any employee can point you in the right direction.

If you need to stop by the box office/will call window, take Entrance 2 and drive up West Alameda Parkway until you hit the brief squeeze point, where employees can answer questions about parking and traversal. The box office opens four hours before showtime.

AXS, Red Rocks’ and the city of Denver’s official ticketing company, requires all patrons to use AXS Mobile Delivery. Yes, that means NO paper tickets, so be prepared and don’t hold up the line as you fumble with your phone. Most shows are all-ages and kids under 2 don’t need a ticket, Arts & Venues said.

Red Rocks is located in the foothills at 6,450 foot elevation. Bring sunscreen, extra water, and weather gear in case the weather changes drastically, which is usually does. Text RRWEATHER to 67283 for day-of weather updates.

As with most outdoor venues these days, all possessions must fit under your seat, 18″ x 12″. Single-pocket bags no larger than 13″ by 15″ by 18″ are allowed. Glass and aluminum are banned, as is alcohol and recreational drugs (that includes cannabis), pets, camping gear, and weapons. Food is allowed if it’s stored in a clear, one-gallon bag, and non-alcoholic drinks can be in tow. Bathrooms at the bottom of the venue, on either side of the stairs, are the most crowded.

City officials recommend using the spiffed-up new facilities in the Visitor Center at the top of the venue, which will likely require a bit of a hike (but not be nearly as crowded). There’s also a new, permanent , and an expanded East Terrace with extra room for security checks.

The venue, located at 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, is a unique, world-famous, protected landmark. Blatantly littering, getting wasted and sitting in the wrong seat will not score you points with workers there, or your fellow music fans. Respect the legend!

Visit bit.ly/4sYTrPh for a full list of every Red Rocks show announced for this year, and for general information and tickets.

The rankings come from industry publications Pollstar and Billboard, which annually list the roughly 9,500-seat Morrison venue alongside much larger-capacity spots such as London’s O2 Arena (capacity 20,000) and New York’s Madison Square Garden (19,500). Both of those venues can fit about as many concertgoers as Denver’s Ball Arena.

The 2025 Red Rocks concert season saw more than 1.75 million paid fans attending 236 events, Pollstar Magazine said, making it the best-attended amphitheater for 2025. as the second most-attended venue in the U.S., only behind Madison Square Garden, according to the City of Denver’s Arts & Venues office, which owns and manages Red Rocks.

O2 Arena in London nabbed the first-place attendance spot with 2.5 million fans, Billboard reported, with Madison Square Garden and Madrid’s Movistar Arena landing on 1.8 million fans each.

“Red Rocks’ 1.72 million fans puts it in fourth place, in a virtual tie with The Sphere (Las Vegas) and Santiago’s Movistar Arena with 1.7 million fans,” according to an Arts & Venues statement. “Red Rocks will be visited by another 1.1 million unpaid tourists and others.”

City officials noted that Red Rocks is “the only venue making Billboard’s Top 10 that is outdoors and operational only part of the year, and is the only one with a capacity of fewer than 15,000 seats,” they said.

“It’s thanks to Red Rocks fans that the venue continues to post these fun statistics,” said Tad Bowman, venue director, in the statement. “For only operating part of the year and with a smaller capacity, the Red Rocks crew, our promoting partners and vendors all work pretty hard to get these results.”

That’s particularly notable with the high prices of concert tickets, with most shows at the venue costing a minimum of $50 to $75 per seat, and many more going for $100-plus per seat (to start). , however, that overall grosses and ticket sales dropped this year, “landing 6.1% short of the 2024 worldwide total, but it����ap still a massive $8.9 billion and 60.8% higher than 2019’s overall gross, the last full year prior to the pandemic.”

This year’s results add to an already stellar few years for Red Rocks, which has seen its concert season extended from March to November to fulfill demand for shows since 2021. Denver-based promoter AEG Presents Rocky Mountains books most of Red Rocks’ concerts and sells tickets through its AXS service — both owned by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz. The City of Denver has also signed multimillion-dollar contracts with AXS to make it the exclusive ticket seller for all city events.

Industry publications have rated Red Rocks highly in recent years, including last year for being the world’s most attended amphitheater, with roughly 1.6 million paid attendees in 2024, and for being the venue of the year in country and EDM publications.