by Brian Hoovler

Created on: December 10, 2009

While Denver is commonly thought of as a winter retreat, it is a city that is just as fun in the summer. There are many activities that you can participate in if you choose to visit the city in the summer months. Here is a guide to just a few of the things that you can do on your summer travels to the Mile-High City.

For the outdoor lovers, Denver boasts over 200 parks, ranging in size from small neighborhood parks to City Park, a giant 314 acre park located on the northern side of the city. City Park plays host to a range of events, including free jazz concerts and a boathouse where visitors can rent paddle boats for a trip around Ferril Lake.

For the more rugged outdoors person, the mountains around Denver play host to numerous mountain parks including  Red Rocks Park, which is home to Red Rock Amphitheatre, a historic musical site.

For those interested in the performing arts, Denver has numerous opera houses, including the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Buell Theatre and the Boettcher Concert Hall, all of which are housed in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. There are regular performances in each of the halls, all of which are arranged by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

If sports appeals to you, Denver is one of only three cities in the US that is home to a professional team from each of the eight major sports leagues in the US. If you are an NFL fan, the Denver Broncos play at Invesco Field at Mile High and you might be able to catch a preseason game. If you're more into the national past time, the Colorado Rockies play at Coors Park, while the Colorado Rapids, the city's MLS franchise, play at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. And for those who are more interested in the more obscure professional sports, the Major League Lacrosse Denver Outlaws share Invesco Field at Mile High. The NBA's Denver Nuggest also play in the Mile-High City, their home venue being Pepsi Center.

On the political side of things, Denver played host to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The convention was held in the Pepsi Center, and political afficionados can revel in the history of Barack Obama's nomination as the Democratic candidate for the 2008 election.

For anyone looking at any kind of activity in Denver during the summer, the average temperatures between June and August hover between 82 and 86 degrees. Rainfall in summer months averages between 1.5 and 2 inches depending on the month, usually in sporadic showers.

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