Low-budget fun in the Mile High City

Denver and the Rocky Mountains are tailor-made for frugal vacations. Scenic campsites, decent fishing, hunting, rock climbing, rafting and hiking are all within an hour’s drive. And depending on the time of year, you can find free skiing, hotel rooms at deeply discounted prices, and breaks on meals at the Mile High City’s finest dining establishments.

GETTING AROUND:

City buses run between Denver International Airport and downtown for $10 each way, $18 roundtrip, with discounts for senior citizens and students up to the 12th grade. Generally, bus fare around town is $2 per trip, and day passes are $6; http://rtd-denver.com/.

Downtown, you can easily get by with a little stamina, good walking shoes and a free shuttle that runs up and down the 16th Street Mall from the gold-domed state Capitol to Union Station in the hip Lower Downtown neighborhood known as LoDo. (There’s also free Wi-Fi along the mall, if you need to look up any of this online.)

Dozens of miles of bike trails lace Denver and run to its suburbs in the foothills and plains. The city is working to have 500 loaner bicycles for visitors at no charge, starting at a few dozen bike stations around downtown, this summer, http://www.bikedenver.org/maps/.

FREE FUN:

PARKS — Denver has more than 200 parks, rivers and trail areas, public golf courses and recreation centers. In July, Sloan Lake northwest of downtown hosts an annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival: Teams of paddlers from across the nation race to the beat of drums in celebration of a centuries-old Chinese tradition. http://www.denvergov.org/parksandrecreation.

STATE CAPITOL — Climb to the gold-covered dome for a 360-degree view of Denver and the Rocky Mountains to the west. Or head outside to the west steps, where a brass cap marks the spot that’s exactly one mile above sea level. Reservations are advised; http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/Scrollpages/TourScroll.htm.

U.S. MINT — Tours of the U.S. Mint are offered free from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, excluding federal holidays. Reservations are required; http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?actionStartReservation.

DENVER ART MUSEUM — True, adult general-admission tickets are usually $10 for Colorado residents or $13 for everyone else. But on the first Saturday of every month, they’re free. The museum’s titanium-paneled addition designed by architect Daniel Libeskind is a work of art itself, jutting across 13th Avenue; http://www.denverartmuseum.org.

RUBY HILL RAIL YARD — Weather permitting, the Denver Parks and Recreation Department has been erecting rails in Ruby Hill Park for snowboarders and skiers to practice their tricks for free on what was traditionally a neighborhood sled hill; http://www.denvergov.org/parksandrecreation.

CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT:

If you’re visiting after baseball season starts in April, get a cheap seat at Coors Field to watch the Colorado Rockies. “Rockpile” tickets in center field are just $4 apiece, unless you’re age 12 and younger or age 55 and older, in which case you can get one for $1; http://www.coloradorockies.com.

After the game, visit the nearby El Chapultepec jazz club. The seats are weathered, space around the bar gets crowded, and the food is best left for after you’re well on the way to a hangover, but entry is free. There is a one-drink-per-set minimum, but once the bar is humming, who’s counting? El Chapultepec, 1962 Market St., 303-295-9126.