5280 Magazine May 2024

Envision what’s next.

KEN CARYL

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Contents

54

Home Away From Home

How to make your dream of owning a Colorado mountain property a reality.

BY MICHELLE JOHNSON & JESSICA LARUSSO

64

The New Way To Play

Golf is suddenly more popular than ever in Colorado, thanks to a renewed focus on embracing fun in the fairways.

BY SPENCER CAMPBELL

74

Summit Push

Over the past 30 years, the nonprofit Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has helped build sustainable routes up 36 of the state’s highest peaks—but one of its latest undertakings could be its steepest challenge yet.

BY LINDSEY B. KING

80

Top Dentists

Keep your mouth happy with 5280’s comprehensive list of more than 900 of the best dentists in Denver and beyond.

Courtesy of Chris Wheeler/Great Divide Pictures

RainDance National golf course in Weld County embraces the region’s agricultural roots.

Time travel requires no passport.

Step into a city steeped in history. A place that tells tales of countless travelers who came before. Where you can feel a moment, forever transform into a memory. It’s just one of the things that makes The City Di erent, but there’s still so much waiting to be uncovered.

Uncover your different at VISITSANTAFE.COM

FROM THE EDITOR

18 Appreciating how—and why—fourteener trails exist as we enter peak-bagging season.

COMPASS

21 CULTURE

A Colorado Springs nonprofit makes baile folklórico accessible to everyone.

22 SHOPPING

Four artisans at local farmers’ markets selling goods you can’t eat.

24 ADVENTURE

A guide to Rocky Mountain National Park’s reservation system.

26 HISTORY

After a half-century, the Los Seis de Boulder bombings remain an open wound for Colorado’s Chicano community.

28 INTERSECTIONS

Where to shop, eat, and celebrate at Westwood’s 50-year-old Far East Center.

42 EAT & DRINK

31 WHAT’S HOT

In RiNo, beloved homemade pasta emporium Dio Mio gets a glow-up with new small plates and an expanded bar.

32 TREND

Three izakayalike pubs with Japanese and pan-Asian eats.

34 REVIEW

While the namesake fare at Le French’s newest location can hit or miss, the West African dishes are always delicious.

90 DINING GUIDE

COLUMN

38 ENVIRONMENT

In 2023, state officials cracked down on red swamp crawfish to protect native species—then changed the rules. Are the new regulations working?

Five tips to go from the couch to the finish line in time for next year’s Denver Colfax Marathon.

Ben MARKETING DIRECTOR Piniel Simegn SENIOR ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

Angie Lund, Molly Swanson ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

Craig Hitchcock, Heather Lowe, Kara Noone

ADVERTISING & MARKETING COORDINATOR

Tamara Curry MARKETING COORDINATOR

Thomas

Megan Skolak CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Chelsea Conrad

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

Shundra Jackson

SENIOR GRAPHIC & UI DESIGNER

Caitlin Brooks

AUDIENCE GROWTH COORDINATOR

Greta Kotova

Alyssa Chutka

Alan Centofante

CIRCULATION CONSULTANTS

Meg Clark, Greg Wolfe

ADMINISTRATION

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

Derek Noyes

OFFICE MANAGER

Todd A. Black

BILLING & COLLECTIONS MANAGER

Jessica McHeard

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & DINING GUIDE

Letters to the editor must include your name, address, and a daytime phone number (all of which can be withheld from publication upon request). Letters may be submitted via regular mail or email (letters@5280.com). To have a restaurant considered for our Dining Guide, contact us by phone or email (dining@5280.com) to receive a submission form. We also encourage you to contact us if your experience at a restaurant differs significantly from our listing. Information for this section should be subm itted at least six weeks before the issue’s cover date.

WRITER’S GUIDELINES

Writer’s guidelines can be found online at 5280.com/writers-guidelines. To suggest a story idea, email us at news@5280.com.

ADVERTISING

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Peaks Season

Bierstadt, Bross, Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron, Quandary, and Huron: Those are the named 14,000-foot mountains

I’ve summited in Colorado over the years. It’s a short list—made shorter by the fact that my climbing partner and I were turned around by blowing snow 250 feet shy of bagging Mt. Sherman. I’m also aware that some people would disqualify 14,238-foot Mt. Cameron, arguing that it’s not a stand-alone fourteener but a subpeak of Mt. Lincoln. And I technically didn’t reach the tip-top of Mt. Bross because its loftiest height is closed to the public. (I count it anyway.)

Still, I feel pretty good about my high-alpine accomplishments—and I plan to notch a few more summits this summer. It was only a few months ago, though, that I learned the history behind the trails (“Summit Push,” page 74) that I’ve, admittedly, taken for granted as I’ve huffed and puffed my way to the crests of Colorado.

Considering there are roughly 300,000 hiker use days on the state’s highest peaks each year, I assume I’m not the only trekker who had no idea that as recently as the mid-’90s, there was only a trio of official fourteener trails. Yes, only three—despite the fact that there are 58 named mountains that rise higher than 14,000 feet in the Centennial State. Where did all the well-defined, well-constructed paths

I’ve been using come from? Turns out that a Golden-based nonprofit called the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) has, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, built standard routes on 36 fourteeners since its inception 30 years ago.

CFI hasn’t necessarily done this to facilitate recreation, although the trails certainly do that. Instead, the organization constructs hiking paths to save the fourteeners from, well, me and everyone else. Our footfalls, if we’re not careful, can easily erode delicate soil and kill rare alpine tundra plants after

just a few wayward steps. So, before you hit the trailhead this season—I’ve got my sights set on Mt. Massive or Mt. Elbert and Longs Peak—think about not only doing your part to protect the fourteeners, but also about giving a little hat-tip to the metro-area nonprofit that has already done a lot of the hard work for you.

On the last page of every issue of 5280, you’ll find our Act Like A Local column. Each month, the tongue-in-cheek page serves as a how-to guide, in five oversimplified steps, for navigating a quintessential aspect of life as a Coloradan—such as picking Palisade peaches or training for a marathon (page 168). And for nearly a year, Simone Massoni, an illustrator based in Italy whose whimsical visuals have graced the pages of outlets including the New Yorker and Vanity Fair, has created the accompanying artwork. After pursuing his childhood dream of being a comic book artist and later sketching for children’s books, Massoni has worked in editorial and commercial illustration for the past decade. Although his profession is far from monotonous, he describes his Act Like A Local assignments as rare gigs in which his job is all fun. “It always puts me in a good mood to both read and illustrate the section,” he says. Massoni was especially drawn to this past December’s story about how to properly shovel a sidewalk—something he’s never had to do before. “We hardly see snow here in Florence, and when we do, it’s just a few flakes,” he says. “That one made me dream about the act of shoveling.”

From top: Lindsey B. King; Arthur Mount SIMONE MASSONI Freelance Illustrator

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Uncommon Threads

When Connie Benavidez’s teenage daughters wanted to learn baile folklórico, a traditional Mexican dance known for its heel stomping and skirt twirling, they found that existing schools had strict age limits. So in 1994, the family started a nonprofit that welcomed everyone—regardless of age or income.

Colorado Springs–based Ballet Folklórico de la Raza accomplished the latter by charging just $10 a month. Plus, Benavidez created the dancers’ dresses herself, which often meant stitching until dawn after her shift at Peterson Air Force Base but saved participants hundreds of dollars per outfit.

Danae Torres twirls a Jalisco ribbon dress

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA LÓPEZ

Now 85, Benavidez has retired but still crafts the group’s gowns, a task that’s complicated by the fact that each of Mexico’s 31 states has a unique design. “Chiapas has a black dress to represent the darkness of the jungle,” says Danae Torres, la Raza’s head instructor, “but it also has bright embroidered flowers to represent the art from the Indigenous people there. Veracruz, on the other hand, is the oldest port in Mexico, so it has a lot of Spanish influence in pearls, gold, and finery.” Benavidez’s favorite dresses to make are from Jalisco, even though sewing a single ruffle on the ribbon-rich frocks can take 15 hours.

After three decades of intricate needlework, Benavidez’s collection now numbers in the hundreds. The Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum even displayed some of her Jalisco designs in 2020 as part of an exhibit on the city’s Latino community. In 2013, a dozen la Raza students, outfitted in Benavidezmade dresses from four Mexican states, performed at President Barack Obama’s second inaugural parade. “For some of the dancers,” Torres says, “it was their first plane trip.”

This month, la Raza students will appear at Cinco de Mayo events throughout the Pikes Peak region. While Benavidez won’t be dancing, she’ll be watching from the crowd. “When you hear people clapping for the kids after a dance, it makes me feel so good and like I’m part of this,” she says. “This is our culture, and I want to keep it going as long as I can.”

—BARBARA O’NEIL

^ Clockwise from left: Left Hand Wool handdyed wool roving; Evey K Fashionliner sandals; Elk Field Home Goods Colorado bourbon beeswax candle; EJ’s Farm-Crafted Lavender Mountain soap

’TIS THE SEASON

Farmers’ markets aren’t just for, well, farmers. Artisans of all kinds flock to the dozens of bazaars that pepper the Front Range when the weather finally starts to warm. As market season gets underway this month, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite vendors whose goods won’t end up on your fork. —NICHOLAS

ELK FIELD HOME GOODS

University Hills Farmers Market

Saturdays, May 11 through October 26

Evergreen Farmers Market at El Rancho Tuesdays, May 28 through October 1

Locally sourced beeswax shines at this organic home and body care stall. You can’t go wrong with the lip balms and body butters, but University Hills and Evergreen market manager Robin Singer-Starbuck loves Elk Field’s clean candles, which don’t release the chemicals typically associated with synthetic fragrances and dyes when they burn.

FASHION VENDORS

Cherry Creek Fresh Market

Saturdays, May 4 through October 12

EJ’S FARM-CRAFTED

City Park Farmers Market

Saturdays, May 4 through October 26

While EJ’s Farm-Crafted soaps aren’t produce, they definitely live up to the brand’s moniker: At least one ingredient in all the naturally colored and scented bars—which sport names such as Lavender Mountain, Lemon Burst, and Face Thyme—is grown on owner Emily Scherer’s urban farm in Denver. And because each soap is a little piece of art with designs ranging from sunsets to abstract, terracotta-inspired mosaics, they’re almost too pretty to use. Almost.

LEFT HAND WOOL COMPANY

Longmont Farmers Market

Saturdays, April 6 through November 23

^ Ballet Folklórico de la Raza founder Connie Benavidez

It’s fitting that Denver’s most chichi neighborhood will have at least three merchants hawking the latest fits. Each has its niche: Seventy West, for example, focuses on cozy, casual mountain-chic clothing; Evey K Fashionliner slings wardrobe essentials like stylish sandals and pullovers; and Landmine Design sells reasonably priced jewelry and textiles made by Cambodian crafters.

Not only does this company raise its wool sheep locally in Niwot, but it also processes the fleeces at mills around the Rockies. Some of the resulting yarn is kept dye-free to highlight the animals’ original colors, but it’s the kaleidoscope of naturally dyed lime, aquamarine, and fuchsia fibers that will make you reach for your knitting needles.

Sarah Banks; styling by Charli Ornett

HUNT

CHOOSE

IF YOU Own An RV

Of RMNP’s 327 RV- and trailer-friendly bivouacs, a whopping 220 are found in the corridor’s Glacier Basin and Moraine Park campgrounds. Or at least they will be once Moraine Park reopens this summer after an extensive renovation, which will include the park’s first electric hookups.

Plan To Picnic

Not only is the 0.7-mile, ADA-compliant Sprague Lake Loop smooth enough for a wagon loaded with delicious perishables, but there are also 27 picnic tables and 16 pedestal grills along the circuit, each with sweeping views of the Continental Divide.

Believe In Love At First Bugle

Rutting season peaks mid-September through mid-October when the megafauna flock to RMNP’s lush meadows to, um, perpetuate the species. Moraine Park, a giant field located off Bear Lake Road, is the premier spot to observe— and listen to—the spectacle.

Hate Driving

CDOT’s weekend Bustang bus service ($15) will drop you at RMNP’s Park and Ride lot, where free visitor shuttles will carry you to key sites along the corridor. Better yet: Passengers don’t need a timed-entry reservation.

Dual Threat

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) employees have a nickname for their workplace: Bear Lake Road National Park. That’s because most guests spend their time visiting that 9.2-mile thoroughfare’s campsites, trails, and picnic areas—and ignore the rest of the 415-square-mile playground. So to better manage crowds, RMNP’s timed-entry reservations, which are required for anyone visiting during peak hours between May 24 and mid-October, now come in two versions: one that includes the Bear Lake Road Corridor and one that doesn’t. With permits on sale in rolling monthly batches starting May 1 (check online for specific dates and times; book through recreation.gov), we put together a guide to help you find the adventure zone that’s right for you. —NH

IF YOU

Parent A Budding Ranger

Each visitor center has free activity booklets, but for a more hands-on experience, head to the Hidden Valley area. At its Junior Ranger Headquarters, you can borrow an explorer bag, which comes with a magnifying glass, binoculars, and a thermometer, plus instructions on how your wee ones can put them to use.

Chase Waterfalls

Wild Basin is one of RMNP’s most popular spots outside of Bear Lake Road, thanks to its hiking. Our favorite route: Wild Basin Trail. The out-and-back to Ouzel Falls (pictured) is 5.4 miles and includes two bonus water features—Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades.

Plan To Fish

The west side of RMNP is home to the headwaters of the Colorado River, one of the nation’s pre-eminent trout fisheries. The aptly named Colorado River Trail, which is accessed from Trail Ridge Road and follows its namesake waterway, is the perfect place to wet your line.

Love Driving

Old Fall River Road (find the entrance at Horseshoe Park) is a one-lane, 11-mile dirt and gravel track that winds up a series of steep switchbacks to the Alpine Visitor Center. The cliffs may turn your knuckles white, but even your Camry can tackle it.

From left: Matt Dirksen/Getty Images; Jason J. Hatfield; Getty Images (icons)

BEAR LAKE ROAD CORRIDOR

CHOOSE THE REST OF THE PARK

WE’D INSTALL MOUNTAINS, BUT THEY’D JUST BLOCK THE VIEW.

A quote often misattributed to our famous author Willa Cather goes something like this: “Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” Count us among the souls, because we do love our prairies, and the quiet beauty that shapes the way we live and think. Not everyone can appreciate that. But if you’re someone who can, go to VisitNebraska.com for a free Travel Guide. And enjoy the incredible majesty of an unobstructed view.

Not Forgotten

After a half-century, the Los Seis de Boulder bombings remain an open wound for Colorado’s Chicano community.

Nicki Gonzales gets strong reactions whenever she assigns her students essays on Los Seis de Boulder—the Boulder Six. “First, they’re shocked,” says the Regis University history professor and former Colorado state historian. “They’ll be like, ‘This happened in our state? How come I never heard of this before?’ ” Even more surprising is that the May 1974 car bombings that killed six young leaders of the state’s Chicano Movement—a Mexican American civil rights campaign—remain unsolved 50 years later.

“It was like a tinderbox,” Gonzales says of the atmosphere surrounding the University of Colorado Boulder leading up to the explosions. Earlier that May, protesters had occupied a building on campus after financial aid the school had promised never arrived (administrators blamed lost applications) and funding for a Chicano student group was slashed, measures advocates believed were a direct response to their activism on campus. Los Seis—five of whom were affiliated with the university as students, alumni, or former employees—supported the occupation. Then, on May 27, a car bomb exploded at Chautauqua Park, killing Neva Romero, Reyes Martinez, and Una Jaakola. Confused friends mourned, while others, including Florencio Granado, gave speeches demanding justice. Two days later, Granado, along with Heriberto Teran and Francisco Dougherty, died when a second explosion incinerated their car in a Burger King parking lot. Boulder police and the FBI already blamed Chicano activists for other nonfatal bombings in the region, including one at a courthouse. They suspected the six victims accidentally set off their own explosives. But a grand jury that reviewed the incidents—including those that killed Los Seis—didn’t

issue any indictments, indicating jurors didn’t buy the prosecutor’s version of events. Today, most historians and local institutions, including CU Boulder, consider the bombings unsolved. Many Chicano activists suspect the FBI, which had a history of infiltrating, discrediting, and sabotaging civil rights groups through its now-disgraced COINTELPRO counterintelligence program, orchestrated the explosions. What is certain, Gonzales says, is that when the shock of Los Seis’ deaths wore off, activists channeled their grief into action, including founding the Chicano-focused newspaper La Cucaracha in Pueblo in 1976.

Today, CU Boulder offers a Los Seis scholarship; documentaries and plays such as Su Teatro’s Cuarenta y Ocho explore the bombings; and monuments commemorate the fallen.

One of Los Seis’ most enduring legacies, however, can be found in the essays Gonzales collects from her students. “You can see them trying to figure out: What does it mean to have sacrificed so much for a cause?” she says. Not every student comes to the same conclusion, but there is a common theme: “Take lessons and inspiration and move forward,” Gonzales says, to ensure Los Seis did not die in vain. —CHRIS WALKER

Source photos: Glenn Asakawa/Courtesy of University of Colorado (memorial statue); Getty Images (candle, explosion); Courtesy of the Freedom Archives (newspaper clippings)

^ Jasmine Baetz’s Los Seis de Boulder memorial at CU Boulder

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East Meets

South Federal

^

Truong An Gifts’

intimacy extends beyond its dimensions: There are plenty of knowledgeable employees who’ll make you feel at home as they help you find that missing ingredient for tonight’s dinner.

Vinh Xuong Bakery

375 S. FEDERAL BLVD., SUITE 112

This family-owned bakery has mastered both sweet and savory goods. At less than $10 and served with your choice of pork, chicken, ham, or meatballs slathered in house-made sauce on fresh baguettes, the bahn mi sandwiches are a steal. But you’ll be robbing yourself if you don’t leave with a few sesame balls filled with bean paste and enveloped in a chewy rice-flour shell.

Event Space

333 S. FEDERAL BLVD.

After fleeing postwar Vietnam in 1975, the Luong family transformed a Westwood trailer park into the Far East Center. Nearly 50 years later, in January, the 2.5-acre shopping plaza was added to the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.

Truong An Gifts

333 S. FEDERAL BLVD., SUITE 116

Originally a 1,000-square-foot video rental store, Truong An Gifts is now a 5,500-squarefoot market that sells everything from herbal medicines and imported snacks to K-pop memorabilia and Japanese kawaii items that feature excessively cute designs. “Our goal is that when anyone comes in, they walk out with something, no matter their gender or age,” says Truong co-owner Mimi Luong. And if you don’t find something you like, just come back later: Luong and her mom, Fawn, are always adding to the collection.

K-Beauty Skincare

333 S. FEDERAL BLVD., SUITE 201A

Korean skincare has become big business in recent years thanks to its emphasis on

plant-based ingredients such as ginseng, which can prevent wrinkles, and Centella asiatica, an herb known to reduce inflammation and promote skin hydration. Not sure where to start? K-Beauty Skincare offers demos for the uninitiated, whether you want to cleanse your pores or brighten your complexion. Then you can stock your medicine cabinet with your favorite cleansers, moisturizers, and serums.

Little Saigon Supermarket

375 S. FEDERAL BLVD., SUITE 104

Little Saigon Supermarket may be petite compared with rivals Viet Hoa and H Mart, but navigating its crowded, byzantine aisles in search of dishware, exotic fruits, and fresh meat is an essential part of the experience. That

One of the Far East Center’s biggest draws is its parking lot, which hosts cultural events throughout the year, including September’s Mid-Autumn Festival. The post-harvest celebration includes an Asian-inspired night market, glowing lanterns that guide participants to good fortune, and mooncakes (pictured), tender pastries with a thick, sweet filling traditionally given as gifts. The main event, however, is Lunar New Year, which typically falls between late January and late February. Expect lion dancers, tai chi demonstrations, and plenty of fireworks that are said to ward off evil spirits.

Mimi Luong

—JULIA RUBLE

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Eat & Drink

Makeover Magnifico

For eight years, diners have sidled up to the counter at RiNo’s Dio Mio to order some of Denver’s most affordable handmade pasta and other fine-without-the-fuss Italian eats. Approachability is a mission to which chef-owners Alex Figura and Spencer White are still faithful, but after a month of renovations in early 2024, the industrialchic restaurant reopened to reveal a fresh menu and an aesthetic face-lift—courtesy of Regular Architecture’s Kevin Nguyen, who has designed hot spots such as Brutø and Point Easy—that added 15 seats and expanded the bar section. For a taste of the transformation, ask for the Italian gin and tonic spiked with yuzu curaçao. Then dive into the upgraded small plates lineup, which includes options such as crispyonion-topped charred cabbage and butter-marinated artichoke hearts. Longtime devotees need not fret, however; Figura and White have preserved beloved entrées such as the cacio e pepe. And if you were a fan of the blistered focaccia before? Make your reunion with it even more special by choosing one of the new bread accompaniments: citrus-infused black butter, balsamic-drizzled prosciutto, or house stracciatella with warm Castelvetrano olives and breadcrumb gremolata. —ETHAN PAN

SARAH BANKS

Kampai!

In Japan, izakayas are pubs where cheap drinks are paired with no-nonsense nibbles such as yakitori or sashimi. Although several self-proclaimed izakayas have opened on the Front Range in the past year, they stray from the traditional model by offering larger, more refined portions of Japanese or pan-Asian fare. Here’s why they’re still worthy of the label—and your patronage.

—PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG & ETHAN PAN

Chef Bill Taibe’s experiences eating in the izakayas of Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo on a trip to Japan inspired him to open one, called Kawa Ni, in Westport, Connecticut, in 2014. Then, as a new Denver resident, he debuted a second location in LoHi in late 2023. Both spots, furnished with potted plants and framed Japanese posters and artwork, have long wooden bars and high-top tables that beckon revelers to knock back a sake bomb or linger over a spirit-forward cocktail. The libations play well with plates of cold sesame noodles, rice cakes with shiso chicken meatballs, and other inventive bites.

Pair: The smooth, shochu-infused Sensei Negroni with the shaved broccoli miso goma, in which shreds of the veggie are tossed in a dressing seasoned with mirin, miso, and honey; drizzled with chile crunch; and served with thin slices of ham.

From top: Leezakaya’s dining room; yakitori at Shin Yuu Izakaya; a spread at Kawa Ni

There’s no drink more emblematic of izakayas than sake, and you’ll find more than 30 versions of the Japanese rice wine at Leezakaya, an upscale take on the pub concept from JW Lee, the restaurateur behind Tofu Story and Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken. The sleek Aurora eatery carries both bargain bottles and premium junmai daiginjo—top-grade sake distinguished by the use of highly polished rice grains and the lack of added distilled alcohol—which you can peruse along with a lengthy menu of sushi, fried and grilled appetizers, and noodles. Dine omakase-style if you’re having trouble deciding.

Pair: The 10-piece veggie tempura and a more filling plate, such as the mentaiko (pollack roe) creamy pasta or the served-on-the-bone prime rib, with a bottle of Kiku-Masamune Kinushiro nigori, a slightly sweet sake with notes of honeydew.

Business partners Haili Xu and chef Edgar Carzarez named their cozy restaurant “shin yuu,” which translates to “best friend” in Japanese, in hopes that it would become a gathering place for the Louisville community. Carzarez—who has more than 20 years of experience working in Denver Japanese restaurants, including Highland’s Tokio— curated the no-frills eatery’s menu. He specializes in izakaya-style bites such as charcoal-charred yakitori; plates of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail sashimi; and chicken kara age.

Pair: An assortment of skewers (we like the classic chicken thigh and wings, which come lacquered in a sweet-salty sauce) with a glass of Ginza Suzume shochu, a smooth, barley-based distilled spirit with subtle notes of toasted vanilla.

KAWA NI LoHi

LEEZAKAYA Aurora

SHIN YUU IZAKAYA Louisville

Clockwise from top: Sarah Banks (murals by Eric Weatherford); Sarah Banks; Connor Stehr/Courtesy of Kawa Ni

A Tale Of Two Cuisines

While the namesake fare at Le French’s newest location can hit or miss, the West African dishes are always delicious.

Arestaurant name like Le French conjures visions of tartare, moules-frites, and other bistro staples. That’s why it may seem strange to go there for Senegalese food. But stick with me here: It’ll all make sense once you consider the owners’ backgrounds.

The 9&CO restaurant is a sister eatery to the original Le French, located in the Denver Tech Center and owned by Aminata and Rougui Dia. The siblings’ family is from Senegal (a former French colony whose cuisine was influenced by 300 years of

occupation), and they were raised just outside of Paris, where family cooking sessions and visits to farmers’ markets gave the sisters a love of cooking. Rougui stayed in the City of Light, where she became the first Black woman to serve as an executive chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant and even won the French National Medal of Honor for her culinary contributions.

Meanwhile, Aminata and her husband moved to Denver in 2002 after falling in love with Colorado during a visit with friends. He got a job in IT, and she started a catering service

called AmiCuisine. In 2019, Aminata persuaded Rougui to come stateside to open the casual yet chic restaurant they always dreamed of creating together, and Le French sprung to life at Belleview Station. Then, this past September, the Dias expanded their business to the Hale neighborhood with a sleek, sophisticated, dimly lit space with a sparkling black marble bar and a floor-to-ceiling wine wall dividing the dining rooms. It’s loud with conversation and clinking glasses, the kind of place that ventures to the edge of stuffy but stops just short.

The seasonally rotating menus at both locations are the same and offer mostly French food. But if you scroll past the Champagne, sparkling

—ALLYSON REEDY

^ From left: The pastels; chef-owner Aminata Dia

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wine, and cocktails (try the refreshing bubbles-and-crème-de-violette Les Perles) at the top of the menu and skip past the escargot and steak frites on the dinner menu, you can seek out the limited number of Senegalese dishes, which just so happen to be the restaurants’ best offerings.

My favorite is the jollof rice, a West African staple in which rice is cooked with spices, tomatoes, and sometimes fish or other proteins, depending on the recipe. Le French’s is kept vegetarian by slow-simmering bell peppers, tomatoes, curry powder, and cumin, with each grain thoroughly soaking up those deep flavors. Think of it as the African antecedent to jambalaya. Jollof is available as a side, but I’d get it as an entrée and add pan-seared shrimp or scallops.

The poulet yassa—a bone-in chicken leg quarter marinated overnight with lemon, vinegar, and Dijon mustard—is also excellent. Grilled for a hint of char and then cooked with caramelized onions, the result is an ultra-juicy, tangy bird I devoured with the accompanying white rice and sweet, pop-in-your-mouth peas.

Another can’t-miss Senegalese dish is the pastels, empanada-size pastries loaded with tuna, habanero, garlic, and parsley then crimped, fried to order, and served on more of those caramelized onions. The flaky pastry shatters upon first bite, revealing that umami-packed filling, and you’ll need to grab some onions to temper the richness. It’s a crave-worthy, albeit heavy, appetizer that fits seamlessly into the French-focused menu.

Less successful was the boeuf bourguignon, which didn’t have the melded flavors I wanted from the classic French dish. The beef should be soft and sticky with wine, but instead of that subtle wine flavor suffusing everything it’s slow-simmered with, Le French’s tasted like the wine was added too late, making it bland with a jolt of acidity.

However, when I visited for brunch, the crêpes—a very French dish indeed—were tasty, particularly the variety filled with Nutella, chocolate syrup, and berries. Airy and delicate, the ultra-thin pancakes are a neutral canvas for everything from andouille

sausage and cheese to a beurre Suzette, a traditional French sauce of citrus, sugar, and butter. The Parisian omelet is also solid; the fluffy eggs showcase roasted cremini mushrooms, Gruyère, and tender Parisian ham.

Still, my favorite brunch dish was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Senegalese fried chicken sandwich. Brined in pickle juice and coated with gluten-free flour for a tissue-thin breading, the breast is topped with citrus-kissed yassa sauce in the form of a tangy jam. In a city overrun with fried chicken sandwiches, this is something deliciously different.

The Dia sisters have succeeded at creating a très chic bistro, but the best things at Le French are not French. Instead of beef tartare and bouillabaisse, I wish they’d give us more of those West African dishes brimming with chiles, lemon, caramelized onions, and tomatoes we don’t often see in the Mile High City. It’s those flavors, not the predictable French options, that make the 9&CO restaurant a must-visit.

TRÈS BIEN

Denverites are saying bonjour to several new or revamped French eateries. Here, three to satisfy your cravings. —AR

For when you want classic bistro bites: JACQUES

Nicholas Dalton is on a mission to de-stuffify French food. A founding partner at the Cole neighborhood’s Brasserie Brixton, Dalton opened LoHi’s Jacques this past fall. While Brixton offers a French menu with global influences, Jacques’ is more traditional, going heavy on the butter in plates such as escargot in puff pastry and potato pavé with caviar beurre blanc.

For when you want all the carbs: CRÊPES ’N CRÊPES

In spring 2023, Crêpes ’n Crêpes— a beloved 20-year-old business founded by chef Alain Veratti, a native of Montpellier in southern France—relocated from Cherry Creek to an upgraded space with a bar and patio in Congress Park. There, it offers an expanded lineup of more than 25 crêpes, including savory and dessert varieties

For when you want an apéritif: LA FORÊT

LE FRENCH

846 Albion St., lefrenchdenver.com

The Draw: French and Senegalese dishes in a sophisticated setting

The Drawback: Some French plates are lacking relative to the more flavorful Senegalese dishes.

Noise Level: Moderate

Don’t Miss: Poulet yassa, jollof rice, fried chicken sandwich, crêpes

This nearly two-month-old establishment took over the Beatrice & Woodsley space, beloved for its aspen-tree-filled decor, on South Broadway. La Forêt’s ownership team (also behind the Arvada Tavern and the Tartarian) kept the whimsical ambience but updated the menu with French liqueurs and cocktails and alpine-inspired European cuisine (think: stag au poivre).

^ Sous chef Marie Naves makes crêpes at the 9&CO location of Le French.

Connor Stehr/Courtesy of La Forêt (La Forêt)

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Where The Crawdads Still Sing

The invaders weren’t traveling so much by the dark of night as under the cover of ice. Packed inside coolers, the wily interlopers would soon infiltrate graduation parties, charity fundraisers, and backyard picnics across the Centennial State. At least, that’s what would’ve happened if Ty Petersburg hadn’t flashed his badge and ruined all the delicious fun.

As assistant chief of law enforcement for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Petersburg was tipped off in February 2023 about a person who was moving banned wildlife into Colorado. When CPW stopped this person—who had been yo-yo-ing back and forth from Louisiana—to issue a ticket for transporting pounds of red swamp crawfish and selling them pop-up-shop style, the state wildlife management agency had no idea its investigation would uncover not just one lawbreaker but dozens of them scattered across the state. The smugglers were restaurateurs, seafood distribution company owners, and regular Coloradans, all of whom were merely looking to laissez les bons temps rouler.

That Louisiana French phrase translates into English as “let the good times roll,” and it can be heard most often in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. But the calque is also voiced during the spring and early summer when Southerners typically throw crawfish boils, casual patio parties where copious amounts of the red shellfish are liberally seasoned, cooked alive alongside corn on the cob, red potatoes, and sausage, and then dumped out on paper-covered tables for an eat-with-yourhands feast.

It turns out, though, the good times have, over the years, been rolling out of the Deep South all across the country, including to Colorado, where, since 1991, red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish have been illegal due to ecological concerns. Since then, importing, transporting, or possessing live crawfish— sometimes called crawdads or mudbugs in places south of the Mason-Dixon Line—in Colorado has been punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for importation and $35 per animal

In 2023, state officials cracked down on red swamp crawfish to protect native species—then changed the rules. Are the new regulations working?

BY ELIZABETH MILLER

for possession. The bill for any ecological damage incurred by releasing the live shellfish into local waterways could conceivably reach six digits.

A Colorado native, 44-year-old Petersburg didn’t even know crawfish boils existed until early last year. After following up on that February 2023 tip, however, Petersburg realized how pervasive these fishy fetes really were. Local restaurants were ordering large shipments, with a single Denver-based distributor importing between 8,000 and 11,000 pounds every week for about half of the year. People were mail-ordering them to be delivered overnight to their doorsteps in Hilltop and Washington Park for backyard boils. A few entrepreneurial individuals, like the one CPW law enforcement stopped, were even buying crawfish from farms in the Southeast, road-tripping

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ENVIRONMENT

them to Colorado, and selling them at makeshift stands or out of trunks full of ice until they ran out or the crawfish spoiled. Every one of them was breaking the law. The thing was: Most of them had no idea.

THE CONNOISSEUR’S CHOICE for a killer boil is the Louisiana red swamp crawfish, which are slightly smaller than the average adult hand and dark red with raised red spots. They’re native to the rivers, lakes, swamps, and marshes of Southern states such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas, but they’ve been found squatting in waterways across the country and even on other continents. They’re remarkably welladapted to handle temperature fluctuations and swings in salt content.

Once they’ve relocated, the crustaceans harass local fish, eating their eggs and young and stealing their insect meals off the veritable floating dinner table. They are also voracious consumers of aquatic plants, snails, and young amphibians. Their extensive burrows—singleor double-occupant domiciles, often with a chimney and the equivalent of an indoor pool—can damage dams and irrigation systems and even collapse shorelines.

In 2009, for instance, Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources was alerted to a six-acre pond ringed by a few dozen houses where people were reporting “giant red lobsters” wandering around on the lawns. In two ponds in that neighborhood and a third closer to the Illinois state line, the Department of Natural Resources found thousands of red swamp crawfish. Because the area’s watershed drains into Lake Michigan, the department was concerned about the aquatic life in all of the Great Lakes. The mudbugs had to go.

Over three months, state biologists and other personnel trapped and removed 2,143 crawfish from the biggest pond. Trapping got many, but not all of them, so state workers donned hazmat gear and tried bleach and insecticides—repeatedly. They didn’t work.

The only solution was to fill in the ponds. Two of the three were filled with clay and stone and other materials. At the third, trees and brush were pruned away, the bank was scraped to bare mud, and a layer of heavy fabric and stone buried the remaining aquatic residents while they overwintered in their burrows. After more insecticide, the department finally detected no crawfish. In total, Heidi Bunk, a lakes biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says the 11-year effort cost at least $800,000.

Spending more than three-quarters of a million dollars gave state game wardens good reason to investigate how the invasive crawfish ended up in the ponds in the first place. They

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interviewed area residents and found out the six-acre pond had been stocked by people hoping to have endless boils. The pond closest to Illinois suffered what Bunk calls the “free Nemo syndrome”: A teacher released the shellfish after a science project because she couldn’t bear to kill them. But crawfish boils are a problem, too, Bunk says, adding that people seem to leave live crawfish to hang out in a wading pool and then return to find dinner has crawled away. Says Bunk: “We’ve had a lot of close calls.”

PETERSBURG AND OTHER CPW staff were aware native fish species in Colorado were already outnumbered by newcomers. The last thing they needed was some snappy intruder eating their eggs or fry while they were barely out of the gravel. Petersburg realized better enforcement of the existing law was likely necessary, but he wanted more information.

In trying to understand how big the local crawfish market had become and how important it was to Coloradans, he poked around on

social media. That cued a game of ecological whack-a-mole. He’d spot a post—“We’ll be in Pueblo tomorrow selling crawfish!”—and then CPW staff would drive to Pueblo. The conversations they had with alleged lawbreakers were mostly educational and, in part, served as listening sessions for law enforcement staff, who got lessons in Southern culture and cuisine. The only fine issued last year, Petersburg says, went to that first renegade.

Still, the increased policing was met with public outcry. Coloradans, it seemed, had no idea their mudbug-related business matters had been illegal for more than 30 years. In comments collected by CPW through an online portal, roughly two out of three favored tossing out the statute and legalizing imports. “I don’t understand what the issue is! Does Colorado feel the need to get their hands in everything?” one commenter asked. Another wrote: “We love the live crawfish.… It seems silly to ruin people’s businesses and family traditions.”

Colin Larson, director of government affairs for the Colorado Restaurant Association, which lobbies for restaurant-friendly regulations with the state, got a call when a restaurant faced off with CPW law enforcement staff. The importer had some questions for the restaurant association, starting with: Had its years-old business really been breaking the law the whole time? Larson explained (after reading up on the rules himself) that, yes, it likely had.

But Larson also likes to say the disconnect was explainable. Restaurant regulators and wildlife law enforcement, he says, rarely attend the same mixers, so to speak. As such, no one had realized Coloradans’ dinner choices and illegal wildlife smuggling were commingling. It was a rare crossover. “There are very few animals that are imported alive to the state that are meant for consumption,” Larson says. “Most of the time, you’re importing steak, you’re not bringing in a live cow.”

Coloradans weren’t the only ones voicing their frustrations: The CPW phone also rang with calls from Louisiana, where fish farmers were displeased at being cut off from customers. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry commissioner Mike Strain called, too. “In Louisiana, it’s a quarter-billion-dollar industry,” Strain says. Most crawfish are consumed near where they’re raised in Louisiana, but distributors ship all over the country. “It’s huge,” he says. “For us, it’s one of the mainstays of our culture. Crawfish is about as Cajun as it gets.”

Crawfish are not a Colorado mainstay—culturally or ecologically speaking—though. (In fact, no native crawfish live west of the Continental Divide.) And local experts were hesitant to say the 1991 statute was entirely off-base. “I’d just like to err on the side of caution,” says Josh

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Homer, manager for the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. Whether crawfish could survive in Colorado’s cold waters remains unclear, he says, but if the shellfish got a clawhold here, they likely wouldn’t have trouble surviving anywhere downriver. “We’ve seen a good number of circumstances around the world where a species was introduced for one purpose—in a lot of cases, a good purpose—but they ended up causing an entire cascading effect of bad results,” Homer says.

To wit: Last summer, CPW reported finding a different species, the rusty crawfish, in Lake Granby, the first detection of a different problematic invader in the Upper Colorado River basin. They’re believed to have been illegally introduced by anglers using them as bait. In addition to eating native species’ young and overeating their share of insects, rusty crawfish tend to consume copious amounts of aquatic plants. That strips other species of shelter and nesting sites and increases erosion. Even popular game fish far up the food chain can start to visibly suffer from sharing a waterway with rusty crawfish. CPW typically tries to manually remove rusty crawfish, but as Wisconsin demonstrated, trapping efforts often prove futile.

Still, those who opposed last year’s enforcement efforts had at least one very compelling point: Despite the large shipments that had been coming into the state for years, CPW nets and traps—though only deployed on a small scale— hadn’t turned up even one red swamp crawfish in the wild. So rather than trying to catch every shellfish runner in his van in a parking lot in Pueblo or zeroing in on every overnight order of crawfish coming from a house in Five Points, CPW did something government agencies rarely do: It decided to retool the rules.

REWRITING THE RULES started with conversations—and questions. Specifically, officials asked if and how they could strike a balance between allowing people to eat what they please and the still-theoretical threat of finding these pests in Colorado’s waters. “It’s weighing all of those things—the culture, the interstate commerce, the small business—against the risk of these becoming established,” says Wayne East, wildlife programs manager with the Colorado Department of Agriculture. To East, that meant considering feedback from, say, a military service member from the Southeast who’s now stationed in Colorado. People, East says, just need a little taste of home sometimes. With that in mind, a group of law enforcement officials, biologists, and business owners convened and drafted an approach in late spring. The Fish Health Board, the statutory entity that recommends or denies approval of aquaticrelated regulations and was established by the

same 1991 law that banned red swamp crawfish, approved the changes in July. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, the citizen board that sets regulations, approved them in November. The rules took effect on January 1.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, on that first day of the new year Erik Slater, special wildlife license administrator for CPW, received the first application for a permit to import red swamp crawfish. That application took a couple of weeks to process, but the department quickened its pace and began issuing the $91.10 annual licenses—which require the shellfish to be consumed within 72 hours of arrival—typically within a couple of business days. By the end of February, the state had issued licenses to most of the major Louisiana exporters.

Privacy rules prohibit the state from publishing the list of licensed distributors, so savvy shoppers will want to ask about licensure before ordering. Anyone in the process can be licensed—the distributor, a seafood reseller, a restaurant—so long as someone has done the paperwork and, Slater says, “the license follows the crawfish from swamp to table.” Coloradans who mail-order crawfish online or buy them from local seafood distributors should receive copies of the permit—which is stamped in several places with instructions not to release the animals live—with their receipts.

The issue, of course, isn’t the rule followers. Officials remain most concerned about individuals who buy the shellfish in Southern states and then cross into the Centennial State with mudbugs—and no license. “The brick-and-mortar suppliers in Denver are super easy. You can walk in there, you can do your outreach with them. Anytime you want to go inspect, you can,” East says. “It is the fly-bynight people who show up with a trunk full of crawfish—how do we track that?”

Public relations staff with the state agency say business owners, even those self-employed crawfish taxi drivers, are expected to research whether their operations comply with Colorado state law. For the first year or two of the new regulation, agency staff will focus on outreach. Then, CPW officers could begin issuing citations for illegal possession of wildlife for anyone still moving crawfish without a license. Doing so could be a pricey mistake. Some courts are willing to charge on that crime per animal, Petersburg says, so moving a couple thousand crawfish in a 50-pound sack could net someone a couple thousand violations— potentially, tens of thousands of dollars. “It’ll be a new spring for us all,” he says. “We’ll see how this goes.” m Elizabeth

REALTOR PROFILES

ANNE DRESSER KOCUR

LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

YOUR REPRESENTATION MATTERS - ANNE DRESSER KOCUR IS THE RIGHT CHOICE.

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•

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LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

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KENTWOOD REAL ESTATE

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RE/MAX OF CHERRY CREEK

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Layne (left) and Leigh Litteer in their Granby home

HOME

AWAY FROM REAL

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DREAM OF OWNING A COLORADO MOUNTAIN PROPERTY A REALITY.

BY MICHELLE JOHNSON & JESSICA LARUSSO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON COLUSSI

A ski-in, ski-out condo

on your favorite hill. A log cabin along a stream full of trout. A cozy A-frame nestled in evergreens. Daydreaming about owning a mountain getaway is a classic pastime for many Denverites. “To me, it’s one of the best things you can do, or even aspire to, living in Colorado,” says Bob Graham, a real estate attorney and founding partner at Denver law firm Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher who co-owns a townhome in Winter Park with friends.

There are, of course, many metro-area residents who can only fantasize about buying a first home on Centennial State soil. Various reports rank Denver’s housing shortage as one of the worst in the nation, with the biggest gaps on the entry-level end of the spectrum. “Even just to attain a home in the city, people are going in [together to buy]—unmarried couples, friends, siblings,” says Keri Duffy, an agent with Kentwood Real Estate.

In response to similar inventory and affordability issues across the United States, in 2022 the Federal Housing Finance Agency hiked fees on second home loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Rising interest rates have made the cost of borrowing money—or tapping into the value of your primary house via a home equity line of credit—much higher. Cities and counties across Colorado, particularly in popular resort destinations such as Breckenridge, have enacted regulations aimed at dramatically curtailing short-term rentals (STRs) via digital platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. And a much-buzzed-about bill currently making its way through the state Legislature could reclassify certain Colorado STRs and raise their tax assessment rate. (Sponsor and state Senator Chris Hansen of Denver says he expects the final, revised version to apply only to units rented 180 to 200 or more days per year, which equates to just three to four percent of STRs in the state.)

Whether it passes or not, the volatility of regulations around STRs—which have proliferated over the past decade as a way for middle-class second-home owners to pay their mortgages—combined with other financial hurdles of the moment means it’s a particularly tough time to make the math work, especially in Colorado’s hottest markets. Still, “if you have an open mind,” Guide Real Estate’s Bret Weinstein says, “you can have a second home.” On the following pages, we outline how locals are getting creative to achieve their mountain home ambitions—and how you can, too.

SECOND-HOUSE HACK

GETTING A DSCR LOAN

Unlike conventional loans for primary homes, which can require as little as three percent down with lower-end interest rates, second home and investment property loans generally necessitate at least a 20 percent down payment and come with higher rates. And that’s if you can even get one after lenders evaluate your debt-to-income ratio to determine if you can cover both mortgages. An increasingly popular option for people who intend to rent out their additional properties (short or long term), however, is a debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) loan. For DSCR loans, lenders basically ignore your income and appraise the rent potential of the listing instead. “We’re not qualifying you, as the buyer,” says Kate Higgins, loan officer with Denver’s BW Mortgage. “We’re qualifying the property.” DSCR loans still require 20 percent or more down but significantly lower the barrier to entry for real estate investing—and for scoring at least a part-time mountain home.

CASE STUDY

Buying In The Mountains First

When they couldn’t afford to own in their ideal Denver neighborhood, two transplants decided to get a place up the hill instead—and soon made Granby their full-time residence.

Getty Images (icons)

Layne and Leigh Litteer were sitting in Platt Park—during the fourth trip to Colorado the Texas couple had taken in a year—when one of them said it out loud. Why don’t we just move here? So, in early 2019, they did. Although they’d owned a house for the previous five years in Houston, they decided to sign a lease in Washington Park. “We thought we would just let the market cool while we decided where we would want to live in Denver,” Layne says.

Of course, the market did exactly the opposite, and by the time the Litteers had gotten hooked on living blocks from one of the city’s best green spaces, real estate prices there were difficult to rationalize. “Since we loved Wash Park and didn’t want to spend $800,000 on a tear-down,” Layne says, “we decided, You know what, if we’re gonna buy something, let’s buy something in the mountains and keep renting in Denver.”

With the help of their agent, Monica Graves of eXp Realty, they zeroed in on Granby, one of the more affordable spots in the greater Winter Park area. Because the couple planned to use the property only on select weekends and to shortterm rent it, they got a second-home loan that required 20 percent down—but the fact that they weren’t carrying a primary mortgage resulted in a more favorable interest rate and a higher approval amount, Graves says. In summer 2021, they closed on a $695,000, 1,800-square-foot duplex in Granby Ranch, a community built around a small ski resort and an 18-hole golf course.

By then, Layne’s construction management job had gone mostly remote, but Leigh was still working on-site at King Soopers pharmacies. A month before they intended to list the duplex on Airbnb, however, Leigh got a text from her boss: The pharmacist position at the Granby grocery store was available. Did she want to apply? “I think

we made the decision in 24 hours,” Leigh says. “We can always move back to Denver. That was the easy part. Getting up here was the hard part.”

Three years later, Layne skis or mountain bikes on his lunch breaks and Leigh documents baby deer and foxes from the deck of the four-bedroom, $1.1 million Granby home the couple upgraded to in January 2023. In addition to getting the perks of a primary home mortgage, when the Litteers sold their duplex, they benefitted from steep equity gains between 2021 and 2023, years Granby saw 36 to 50 percent appreciation, per Graves.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 193

“Sometimes I miss good food,” Leigh says. “But if I want a Denver weekend, I can go have a Denver weekend.” Otherwise, entertainment includes friends from the neighborhood coming over for happy hour with Continental Divide views, ogling the Milky Way from the hot tub at night, and reveling in the landscape that made them leave Texas for Colorado in the first place.

CASE STUDY

From left: Sumer Liebold enjoys her shared Breckenridge duplex with her children, Claire, Bennett, and Jack; her husband, Eric; and co-owner David Angelidis.

Splitting A Ski House

A Colorado Springs real estate agent capitalized on an opportunity to go in with neighbors on a trailside duplex in Breckenridge.

Sumer Liebold is no stranger to juggling properties: The Gunnison native operates multiple rentals in Colorado Springs, and she and her husband, Eric, own a gas station on the way to Breckenridge. But until October 2020, they’d never had a getaway of their own. Even with the income from those side hustles, her job with 8z Real Estate, and Eric’s work running a trucking company, buying the kind of mountain place they’d want to take their three kids (ages 13, 10, and six) to on the weekends didn’t seem practical financially.

Then, in the first fall of the pandemic, another couple in their neighborhood— friends with similarly aged children— told Sumer that the two families they co-owned a duplex with in Breck wanted to sell their portions of the share. “We were like, Well, it is a stretch, but let’s make it happen,” Sumer says, noting that the property (currently estimated at nearly $2 million on Zillow) had gained a lot of equity they would need to buy out in cash. After selling one of their rentals, the Liebolds took over one-third of the mortgage with their neighbors, Matt and Sallie Kate Angelidis, and Matt’s brother, David Angelidis.

PIECE BY PIECE

How co-ownership marketplace Pacaso is changing the vacation home landscape for luxury buyers in Colorado—and boosting local economies, too.

If you’ve visited any of Colorado’s marquee resort towns, you’ve probably gazed at the stunning mansions perched on the hillsides and wondered (perhaps with a tinge of bitterness) how often anyone’s actually home. “When I started in real estate up here, the saying was $10 million, 10,000 square feet, 10 days a year,” says Heidi Trueblood, a managing broker with 8z Real Estate in the Vail Valley. “Nothing is worse than having a behemoth of a home like that sit empty most of the time.” So when Pacaso came calling for help finding luxury properties in Vail, Trueblood was happy to assist. Founded in 2020, the international company employs an innovative co-ownership model: It purchases multimillion-dollar homes in vacation destinations around the world, redecorates them to fit its standards and modern aesthetic, then divides them into eight equal shares. Once it finds buyers, Pacaso basically becomes the property manager. Monthly fees cover things like professional cleaning services, the app that owners use to book their stays, and maintenance. Whenever someone wants to sell, Pacaso also handles that transaction—but unlike in a traditional timeshare, that owner pockets any equity the home gained. The concept has proven popular in the Rockies, says Pacaso spokesperson Chrissy Bruchey: Compared with the 40 markets Pacaso is currently in, “we always run out of inventory in Colorado mountain towns quickly.” Shares available in the Centennial State have included $267,188 for a two-bed, two-bath Snowmass Village condo and $13 million for a 60-acre ranch in Aspen. While those prices don’t exactly scream “middle class,” a recent economic impact study Pacaso commissioned found that benefits from its model do, in fact, trickle down. Here, two key takeaways.

The home is on the south side of the resort, meaning the Liebolds can make the door-to-door trip from the Springs in about two hours, and the group recently renovated the garage into a beetle-kill-pine-clad gear closet, making it even easier to hop on the adjacent tree trail to Peak 9. The home’s large footprint—3,500 square feet, with four bedrooms—means there’s plenty of space even if everyone decides to show up at once, which sometimes happens because the owners don’t have set weeks.

“It was the best decision ever, but you gotta trust who you’re with,” Liebold says. Her group uses a shared Google calendar to let one another know when they are planning to visit (friends and family are welcome, too, but they don’t rent the home out). A professional cleaner comes once a month, but, Liebold says, “the place stays cleaner than any of our homes because none of us want to leave it a mess.”

The laid-back nature of the Liebolds’ arrangement—not always the case for such splits—only adds to the feeling that the home is a true vacation destination they just happen to be able to visit whenever they want. “It’s so nice to retreat up there and play cards with the kids or dig into a puzzle,” Liebold says. “You leave the stress of your house, and you don’t have a lot of clutter or to-dos or anything up here. It’s so relaxing.”

1 Higher use benefits local businesses. The average Pacaso home is occupied 89 percent of the year, while the average second home is empty more than 10 months. “Our owners have their favorite coffeeshops in town,” Bruchey says. “They have their favorite restaurants.” In the Colorado mountain market, the study found the average Pacaso home generates $49,650 more household spending annually than the average second home.

SECOND-HOUSE HACK FORMING AN LLC

2 Concentrating second-home buyers into fewer, more expensive properties relieves demand on the rest of the market.

The median Pacaso home in the Colorado mountain market is 10.2 times the price of a typical second home and 13.9 times the cost of a year-round home. So instead of snapping up eight homes in the $600,000 to $800,000 range, for example, eight Pacaso buyers only take one $8 million property off the market.

The first thing Bob Graham—a real estate attorney with Denver’s Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher who has co-owned multiple mountain properties over the years—tells clients considering going in with friends or family? “Especially if you’re renting these properties out to help defray costs,” Graham says, “you want to hold them in an LLC [limited liability company].” That way, if anyone were to, say, slip on your wet-with-snowmelt tile, break their leg, and sue you, Graham says, “the only thing at risk is the assets of that entity. It’s not your personal home or your other personal assets.” Beyond that, Graham recommends using the LLC’s operating agreement to set house rules: Can owners bring friends or pets? Who pays for cleaning and when? What happens if someone loses their job and can’t make their portion of the mortgage? And, when one party inevitably wants to sell, how much notice do they have to give, do co-owners get first dibs, and what will the appraisal process be?

ROADS LESS TRAVELED

For most Coloradans, a vacation home near the beloved slopes along I-70 is a budget-breaking nonstarter. “There’s still a huge demand for Summit County homes, but that demand diminishes when we talk about prices,” says James Carlson, who co-owns Denver-based Erin & James Real Estate with his wife, Erin Spradlin. According to Carlson, these four mountain towns, accessible via other major corridors, have prices that are more likely to be right.

Town: Cripple Creek

Median home price: $419K

Drive time from Denver: 2 hours

Selling points: If fourteeners and slot machines are both on your getaway bingo card, Cripple Creek might be your ideal base camp. Situated beneath Pikes Peak, the casino town off I-25 offers entertainment on and off the trails as well as accessible home prices. “There’s a lot of money going into that area, so it has a lot of potential,” Carlson says, noting that Las Vegas–based Full House Resorts recently opened its Chamonix Casino Hotel in the former mining town.

Town: Como

Median home price: $509K

Drive time from Denver: 1.5 hours

Selling points: What the tiny town of Como lacks in nightlife and dining, it makes up for in natural splendor. “If you could calculate a beauty-per-dollar ratio, this area would be your best investment,” Carlson says of the former railroad town 13 minutes northeast of Fairplay on U.S. 285. “You can get views similar to those in Summit County for less than half the price.” Plus, a scenic 45-minute drive to Breckenridge, over Boreas Pass, makes a daytrip to the resort town more than doable.

SECOND-HOUSE HACK

Going (Way)

Off I-70

Priced out of Summit County, a Denver couple took a chance on a quaint, unknown-to-them mountain town northwest of Colorado Springs.

Town: Bailey/Pine

Median home price: $670K/$929K

Drive time from Denver: 1 hour

Selling points: Tucked in the foothills south of U.S. 285, Pine and Bailey offer “the benefits of the Colorado mountain experience—the pine trees, the views— but for slightly less money than Summit County,” Carlson says. With Lost Creek Wilderness Area as its backyard, “there’s hiking all over the place there.”

Town: Grand Lake

Median home price: $794K

Drive time from Denver: 2 hours

Selling points: Yes, technically you have to hop on I-70 for a stretch of the drive to Grand Lake (before exiting onto U.S. 40), but the town’s waterfront access makes the jaunt worth it. “I’m surprised prices aren’t even higher there,” Carlson says, noting that the area’s lakeside recreation and proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park make it an ideal vacation spot year-round.

As Christine and Andrew Hall began searching for a mountain getaway in 2022, their wish list was short but firm: They wanted a quintessential Colorado log cabin with enough room to host family and friends, plus the ability to open the home to short-term renters to help cover their mortgage payments. But the Denver couple knew that finding those attributes within their $550,000 budget meant they needed to broaden their search geographically. “We looked pretty much everywhere besides Summit County because we were already priced out of that area,” Andrew says. “I would love to be at the bottom of Peak 7 in Breckenridge, but our price point would’ve only gotten us a 300-square-foot studio anywhere near there.”

While perusing Zillow one evening, Andrew stumbled upon a three-bedroom cabin set on five acres in Florissant. He and Christine had never heard of the town northwest of Colorado Springs, so they initially dismissed it. But after two offers they had submitted on other homes were rejected, the Halls scheduled a showing.

“We immediately fell in love with it,” Andrew says of the 1985 log home with a recently renovated kitchen, stargazing-ready skylights, and views of Pikes Peak.They bought it fully furnished for $545,000 in April 2023.

ADDING AN ADU TO YOUR PRIMARY HOME

One way to pave the financial path to achieving your vacation-home-ownership dreams? Generate extra income by adding a rentable accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to your lot—a supplemental income strategy that was made more accessible after Denver’s Department of Community Planning and Development updated the city’s ADU zoning codes this past summer. (In short, the rules no longer mandate uniform sizes, resulting in ADU designs that are more tailored to individual lots and, thus, easier and more cost-efficient to build.) “An ADU is one of the highest-ROI home improvement projects you can undertake,” says Jeremy Nova, co-founder of Boulder-based Studio Shed, which creates prefabricated backyard ADUs. That reward comes with time, patience, and yes, up-front costs: Studio Shed’s finished units start around $130,000. But for those willing to take the long road to a mountain home, investing in a city ADU to rent out, short or long term, is a smart stepping stone.

Since then, the Halls have gotten better acquainted with Florissant. Although it’s not Breck’s bustling Main Street, the sleepy town (population: 174) is perfectly sufficient for the couple. “You have access to everything you need—maybe not everything you want—within a 10-minute drive,” Andrew says. “And obviously, there’s plenty of access to nature.” When the couple feels cabin fever setting in, they head to Woodland Park, 20 minutes away, which has a wider variety of restaurants, shops, and activities.

If anything, the Halls consider their vacation home’s remote setting a perk. Located in Teller County, Florissant has no short-term rental restrictions, which allows the couple to recoup some of the cabin’s costs when they’re not staying there. Without having to battle I-70 traffic, they can count on the drive along I-25 from their primary residence in Platt Park to take no more than two hours. And like on many lots in Florissant, there’s not a neighbor in sight. “We have chairs and a fire pit set up outside where we watch the sunrise and sunset,” Andrew says. “Even though Breck is more desirable in terms of being in the thick of [the mountains and ski resorts], it’s great to have a place where we can truly unplug.”

CASE STUDY

Andrew (left) and Christine Hall take in views of Pikes Peak from the back porch of their Florissant cabin.

Building On Undeveloped Land

Struggling to find a mountain escape that fit his vision, Golden resident Daniel Bedell decided to create it himself.

It started with an Airstream parked below his home near North Table Mountain. Daniel Bedell, a freelance photographer, put the trailer on Airbnb to make a little extra cash and was shocked by how many people wanted to stay in his Golden neighborhood. The success got Bedell thinking bigger—and higher.

After spending the first half of 2020 searching for a unique, marketable mountain home, Bedell began to take more seriously his father-in-law’s offhand suggestion that he just build something. Using county websites, Bedell found publicly available addresses for the owners of undeveloped lots in an idyllic lake community he’d discovered between Black Hawk and Nederland and began mailing heartfelt letters offering to buy them out. At first, his hopes for a prime locale on the shore that had been owned by a couple in Oregon for nearly 40 years seemed dashed by an

email response: “The area…is truly magical.... Our land there was a birthday present for my wife in the 1980s. We...are not planning to sell.”

Bedell threw out a number anyway. After some negotiation, the lot was his for $170,000 and a promise to give the previous owner’s family a free one-week stay every year for the next decade. Then, the hard part: construction. Research led Bedell to a Canadian company called Honomobo that produces modular shipping container homes. Charmed by the cozy, modern vibe, Bedell placed his order for a three-bedroom, 1,530-square-foot unit. He soon learned Colorado allows owners to serve as their own general contractors and pull permits, which was a good thing, because Bedell was unable to find anyone willing to work on the remote site.

Between subcontractors and YouTube videos, Bedell prepped the plot. Among the many to-dos

Daniel Bedell relaxes with his wife, Jenny Presswalla, and kids, Reisz and Lilia, in their shipping container home near Black Hawk.

were clearing trees, engineering a septic system, drilling a 420-foot well, and pouring the foundation. Meanwhile, time was getting short for Bedell’s plans to fund the project via short-term rentals. Gilpin County had tightened its restrictions, and although Bedell scored the last license available in his category, it was only good if he could pass the required inspection within 30 days—which he did, on the last possible day.

From there, Bedell’s wife, Jenny Presswalla, scoured Facebook Marketplace for deals on decor and Bedell custom-built furnishings using milled wood from the property. Bedell shared the process via @stillwaterluxe on Instagram and has hosted influencers to promote the Airbnb listing, which went live in November 2023. Eventually, Bedell hopes the extra income will give him the cushion to pursue a writing career and help Jenny grow her interior design business. “I want to build memories of my family here—and it has to be an investment property,” Bedell says. “We don’t have the money to have a second house if it’s not.”

BREAKING GROUND

How much it actually cost a Front Range resident to construct a wanderlust-inducing A-frame in Kremmling.

In July 2020, Janice Stitzer came across a Dwell article about Den Outdoors, a New York–based home design startup that sells building plans for small homes, cabins, and ADUs. “It spoke to me,” Stitzer says of the modern A-frame cabin featured in the writeup. “The architectural design and the remote setting were breathtaking, and I immediately felt a calling to make this [my] reality.” Over the next two years, Stitzer—who owns Westminster-based roofing company CIG Construction with her contractor husband, Kelly—bled, sweat, and even broke a toe to realize her newfound dream. After securing a large swath of land in Kremmling (about a half hour west of Granby), she used plans from Den Outdoors to kickstart the build of a two-bedroom, approximately 1,400-square-foot A-frame nestled in the foothills of the Gore Range—and documented the entire process on Instagram through @backcountryaframe. When followers flooded her with questions about building their own remote getaways, she founded Uncommon Developer, a consulting company that guides clients through the ground-up construction process. Here, Stitzer breaks down the money matters of the A-frame that started it all, which has become a retreat for her family and a short-termrental income stream that grossed $85,000 in 2023.

SECOND-HOUSE HACK

Initial building plan from Den Outdoors: $299

Building plan revisions from local architect: $3,400

Structural engineer: $2,400

Seven acres of land in Kremmling (Stitzer originally bought a 12-acre parcel for $111,000 but sold off five for $79,000): $32,000

Site tests, topographic surveys, and permits: $6,802

Construction (materials and labor): $348,847

TOTAL COST: $393,748

EVALUATING A RAW PLOT

Spend $13,900, and you can get a .33-acre lot in Idaho Springs near Saint Mary’s Glacier. Drop $48,000, and 4.55 acres close to Nederland’s Hessie trailhead could be yours. But should you? “The very first thing is diving into the vision of what you desire,” Kelly McCallister, an agent with 8z Real Estate who specializes in Boulder County, says. “Do you want to park an RV? Build a tiny house or container house? Buying a log cabin kit is always very romantic, but you have to check with the county; some, because of fire hazards, won’t allow those.” Septic, electric, well drilling, natural or propane gas: The costs of developing a rural property can add up quickly, which is why McCallister recommends a longer due diligence period than you’d have buying in the city. Janice Stitzer, owner of consultant company Uncommon Developer (which offers a free Raw Land Due Diligence Checklist on its website), agrees: “Take your time when buying land. If the land is ‘cheap,’ you’ll pay dearly by having to prep the site and install utilities.” Have a local general contractor, architect, and/or structural engineer evaluate the terrain’s limitations and possibilities, and research applicable HOAs and short-term rental restrictions. “It’s an endeavor, and you have to have quite a bit of grit and perseverance,” McCallister says. “I’m not saying it’s not possible. I’m just saying that it’s a longer road than you would expect.” m

Jessica Luann and Ian Niklaus (A-frame)

THE NEW WAY TO PLAY

HITTING

THE LINKS IS SUDDENLY MORE POPULAR THAN EVER IN COLORADO, THANKS TO A RENEWED FOCUS ON EMBRACING FUN IN THE FAIRWAYS.

BY SPENCER CAMPBELL ILLUSTRATION BY KIRSTEN ULVE

LIKE OIL, POKÉMON, AND OVERSIZED JEANS, GOLF IS NO S TRANGER TO BOOMS AND BUSTS.

In the 1920s, cats who had gotten fat during the Jazz Age spent their considerable disposable incomes to erect private playgrounds with majestic names like Cherry Hills Country Club. Then came the Great Depression and World War II. About 70 years later, a kid from California with a fondness for wearing red on Sundays inspired his fans to flood their local fairways, inciting an explosion of new courses. Then came the Great Recession.

The number of U.S. golfers dropped from 30 million in 2007 to 24 million in 2019, according to the National Golf Foundation (NGF). People decided they’d rather hike, run, or Netflix than spend five-plus hours of their precious weekends in tacky pants beseeching a little white ball to please, please get in the hole. Then came the pandemic.

At first, golf simply offered people an outdoor alternative to spending every waking hour cloistered at home, wondering if that cough was COVID-19. But by late 2021, folks were hooked: 56 percent of golfers surveyed by the NGF admitted (probably out of earshot of their loved ones) that the sport had become more of a priority. American golfers played a record total of 531 million rounds in 2023, more than 10 percent higher than the five-year average from 2015 to 2019.

COVID-19 drove those numbers, but what strikes many in the industry as different about this boom is—to put it vaguely—the vibe. In Caddyshack, the 1980 takedown of country club culture, Rodney Dangerfield’s character outrages stuffy Judge Smails when he blasts Journey during his round. Today, the only complaint lodged against the ear-splitting music would be the fact that it’s Journey.

Perhaps that’s why Coloradans finally seem to be taking golf seriously. (Well, in the way they take, say, drinking craft beer or climbing fourteeners seriously.) With the Centennial State’s litany of free outdoor activities, harsh winters (compared with swing-happy havens such as Florida and Texas), and Western values, residents never took to the erstwhile elitism of pre-COVID-19 golf culture in a big way. Now, rounds in Colorado are up 16.5 percent since 2019, startup clothiers across the state are competing to see who can dream up the most ridiculous designs, and the most anticipated golf resort in the country is being built just 50 miles from Denver.

On the following pages, you won’t find any tips for straightening your slice or perfecting your putting. Instead, we’re teeing off on all the ways people, no matter their abilities, can join the party raging through the state’s golf community. It’s time, Colorado, to let the big dog eat.

THE IN CROWD

A recent flood of low-stress, high-entertainment-factor indoor options around the Mile High City has made it easier than ever for folks to give the game a try.

“Last year, more people played golf off of a golf course than on a golf course for the first time in the history of golf,” says Matthew Erley, the Denver-based cofounder of a golf-only investment group called Old Tom Ventures. Even better: These five spots provide a welcome alternative to your typical night on the town—no matter the occasion.

From left: Flavio Coelho/Getty Images; Parrish Ruiz de Velasco/Courtesy of Puttshack

PUTTSHACK

Vibe: Date Spot

This RiNo outpost of an international chain opened last year, much to the relief of local twosomes in need of conversation starters. Hand your jacket to the coat check before sidling up to the bar for a playful pre-round tipple, such as the Porn Star Martini, whose name alone should break the ice. If it doesn’t, the Absolut vodka will likely loosen your tongue. Once you’re adequately warm, tee off on one of the four nine-hole puttputt courses, each boasting quirky obstacles, such as beer pong cups or a trivia question. It’s a spectacle that begs for discussion, when it’s not inspiring laughter.

HANGAR CLUB

Vibe: Group Hang

Built inside a 22,000-squarefoot former Lowry Air Force Base armament annex, the Hangar Club

feels less like a bar and more like a bowling alley. Only instead of lanes, 10 high-tech simulators ring the interior. But that’s where the comparison to the smoke-filled bowling edifices of your memories ends. Plush midcentury modern couches and dark-wood armchairs create a Mad Men–style ambience. The result: an immense space that feels intimate, making it the perfect spot to gather 10 or so of your closest friends.

ONE SHOT BACK

Vibe: Staying In

With the rise of simulators, there’s a chance you have a golfmad friend who’s installed one in her basement. If not, you can always head to One Shot Back in Ballpark. The small size of the building—combined with the mixand-match vintage furnishings and twinkle lights overhead—give the two simulators here a DIY, garagelike feel. (Proof: A patron

had a pizza delivered while we were there.) The one thing you won’t find in any home? The large horseshoe bar, where a barkeep crafted the best old fashioned we’d tasted in quite a while.

SOUTH BROADWAY COUNTRY CLUB, TENNYSON

Vibe: Sunday Funday

This location of a local chain has three simulators and garage doors that open just off Berkeley’s Tennyson Street. On a bright Sunday afternoon, the pedestrian thoroughfare lends a party atmosphere to the place, with bros screaming, “Fore!” as they pass by. Other, less annoying people await their turns on the patio or, even better, at South Broadway’s upstairs cocktail bar, the Crow’s Nest, which offers another openair patio just off the main room. It’s the ideal perch from which to sip a Transfusion, golfers’ famed vodka-based hangover cure that,

taken pre-emptively, might help ensure your Sunday doesn’t ruin your Monday.

OVER FLYTE

Vibe: Game Night

This Central Park adult play area has no shortage of swingers— whether on the outdoor putt-putt course or inside on the golf simulators. But now patrons can put a little skin in the game: In February, Over Flyte became the first Colorado venue to install Skill Money Games, a technology that lets players bet on their skills. The AI-fueled platform assesses the abilities of the participants and rewards them accordingly. A great golfer might have to knock her approach to within 10 feet of the flag to win money, for example, while an 18 handicapper could hit the jackpot if his approach is within 35 feet. Challenges range from $1 to $20 per swing, with the payouts going from 50 cents to $400.

Puttshack’s four neon courses could be seen from space (if they weren’t inside), while Hangar Club (top right) strikes a more sophisticated tone.

From top: Tyler Kenyon/Courtesy of Hangar Club; Courtesy of Puttshack

ISN’T IT IRONIC?

Long lampooned for its tacky white belts and garish plaid, golf fashion after the pandemic boom has become…well, it’s still awful. But now it’s intentionally so, with players donning the most outlandish, wild patterns they can find—designs that, not unlike the sardonic fits worn by Williamsburg hipsters, say to outsiders, “It’s cool because you don’t get it.” Since 2020, new Colorado makers have emerged intent on serving the expanding appetite for flashy style, while others help keep the party going.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SARAH BANKS STYLING BY CHARLI ORNETT

ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE

Known for its crazy headcovers, such as a deceased Kenny from South Park, Arvada-based Pins & Aces also makes a line of beer sleeves ($20), a convenient way to keep seven brewskis cold on the course. Also available: the Liquor Stick ($100), a shaftlike container capable of concealing 25 ounces of any beverage (wink, wink) discretely in your bag.

PUTT FOR SHOW

There’s nothing ugly about the custom putters (starting at $450) Jonathan Tenkely mills in his Highlands Ranch garage. Working under the name Legacy Goods, he spends weeks turning a single block of steel into a club that’s perfectly weighted to its owner’s specifications. Plus, he’s often asked to add unique design flourishes, such as “This Ain’t No Hobby,” the personal mantra of one customer.

FLOWER POWER

Telluride-based Ladies Only Golf is as sophisticated and elegant as you’d imagine a label created by two luxury retail veterans would be. Its Ditsy collection, though, embraces lighthearted fun with a bright floral A-line skirt ($158), a pink-and-orange retro bodysuit ($118), and vivid stretch bell bottoms ($168).

WE WANT THE FUNK

ParHopper co-founder Jay Piper takes pride in his Denver-based company’s funky golf shirts, such as the Kaleidoscope ($45), but he’s even prouder of his relationships with local distilleries. For example, he produced a Jurassic-themed polo ($54) tied to the April release of Lost Nine Bourbon, a collab between ParHopper and the Fort Collins–based Old Elk distillery.

OK, BOOMER

The Fairway Fedora ($59) from Carkella, the sister brand of Boulder-based Wallaroo Hat Company, embraces your granddad’s style without sacrificing Gen Z’s passion for skincare: The packable hat provides UPF 50+ protection, the max a fabric can offer.

GETTING TOURNT

Whether you want to play or just like to watch, Denver has a competition you’ll enjoy being a part of this summer.

SEE THE BEST | BMW Championship

Until 2006, the PGA Tour stopped in Colorado every year for the International (pictured) at Castle Pines Golf Club. This year, the PGA Tour returns to Castle Pines from August 20 to 25 for the one-off BMW Championship. The second leg of the three-event FedEx Cup Playoffs, the BMW will feature the top 50 ranked players on the circuit in 2024, all of whom will battle for a spot in the 30-man, season-ending Tour Championship, the winner of which lands a $25 million payday. In other words: Expect to see Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and every other big-name tour star this summer.

BE THE BEST | The TRN

Many local simulator bars offer golf leagues, including the circuit at the TRN, located in Olde Town Arvada. The league, which runs every six weeks, appeals to serious players by cueing up on the simulator whatever course the PGA Tour happens to be playing that week. At the same time, the scramble format, in which two-person teams ($400 per team) only play their best shot from each position, relieves pressure for novices looking for a relaxing night out. No matter your ability, the TRN league is convenient for families with packed calendars. Parents can schedule their weekly round anytime Sunday through Thursday, and if you can’t land a sitter, the TRN has a free nine-hole putt-putt course on the patio to keep your kids occupied.

HAVE THE BEST TIME | ParHopper Open

Part putt-putt tournament, part bar crawl, the ParHopper Open on May 11 is hosted by its namesake clothing brand (see: “Isn’t It Ironic?” at left) and strives for the same happy-go-lucky vibe. Each two-person squad ($50 per team) starts at the Local Drive simulator bar in RiNo before weaving through seven nearby watering holes, including Bigsby’s Folly, Zeppelin Station, and Great Divide, each of which will set up putting challenges and offer drink specials to participants. The tournament features closest-to-the-pin and long-drive contests, but no one leaves empty-handed. Each competitor gets a reversible bucket hat that ParHopper designed specifically for the event.

Brian Bahr/Getty Images Sports

SHOTS & GIGGLES

In Happy Gilmore, the one-handed golf pro Chubbs theorized that the key to golf was “all in the hips.” That may be true for your swing, but to help ensure you always have a good time on the course, we asked five local golf fanatics for their secrets to keeping things light around the greens.

“ Make mini goals throughout the round, like trying to go even par over the next three holes or just hitting the fairway on the next drive. Especially on a tough hole, these goals help me stay positive.”

—Sophia Lee (pictured above), the Colorado PGA Cup Series Player of the Year for the 14 to 18 age group in 2023 (when she was only 13)

“ I like to talk trash on the golf course—typically before I swing, because afterward, I usually hit it so bad I can’t say anything. In the event I hit a really good shot, I ask if my opponent wants to raise the wager. The biggest thing is to have a few laughs and not take yourself too seriously.”

—Tad Boyle, men’s basketball head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder

“ The secret to enjoying golf is remembering that it’s still just a game that we get to play. There will be ups and downs, but that’s just like life. Each swing and each hole are new opportunities to prove to yourself that you can do it.”

—Courtland Sutton, wide receiver for the Denver Broncos

“ When playing with a group, it’s best to incorporate games and side bets so that even if you’re horrible at golf or having an awful round, there are moments of redemption. That’s how we do it when we play on the road with the band and crew.”

—Wesley Schultz, lead singer of Denver-born folk-rock band the Lumineers

“ Golf is an opportunity to clear my head—so no drinking, no business conversations, no throwing clubs or grumbling. Just four people playing at a steady clip, appreciating the quiet of one another, the beauty of the course, and the crack of the ball.”

—Frank Bonanno, co-owner of eight Denver restaurants, including Mizuna, Luca, and French 75

Paige Spiranac Come for the calendar, stay for the golf tips. This Wheat Ridge–born former professional now boasts four million followers on Instagram. But Spiranac also likes to get literary: She published a children’s book, Hattie Goes Golfing, last year. Connect: @_paige.renee on Instagram

HAVE CLUBS, WILL TRAVEL

A successful golf trip usually requires good friends, a great destination, and lots of cash. Since debuting five years ago, however, the YouTube show Strapped has proven that money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness. The premise: Producers give Denver’s Phil Landes, co-founder of the online golf brand No Laying Up, and a buddy $850 to cover expenses during a golf vacation. The scrimping leads to unique experiences they wouldn’t have discovered if they were flush. We followed Landes’ lead by scouring the state to find a town that offers beauty, entertainment, and budget-friendly green fees for a twosome. Our champion: Steamboat Springs.

From top: Courtesy of Colorado PGA Section; Hector Acevedo/ZUMA Press Wire/Alamy Stock

Photo; Noah Wetzel/Courtesy of Haymaker Golf Course; Tom Dulat/Getty Images Sports

SATURDAY

6:35 a.m. You could take the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Bustang service to Steamboat ($56 per round-trip ticket), but once there, the Lyft prices might break your bank. You’re better off driving your car and taking a hit on the gas.

Cost: $210 ($105 each way)

10 a.m. Smash your opening drive at Steamboat Golf Club. Although it’s a small, nine-hole course, the 60-year-old layout offers a mighty view of Mt. Werner. It also features massive fairways that are ideal for working out the kinks that a threehour car ride is sure to make in your swing.

Cost: $90 ($45 per green fee)

Noon Follow the locals to Wildhorse Market Plaza at the base of Steamboat Ski Resort, where you’ll find Cruisers Sub Shop, whose sandwiches were honored as “Best of the Boat” by the

Steamboat Pilot & Today.

Cost: $22 ($11 each for two tortas carnitas)

1 p.m. Beginning to bloom in May, the 63 gardens at Yampa River Botanic Park are the perfect place to remind yourself of the superiority of nature over the material world. Plus, admission is free.

Cost: $0

3 p.m. Thought of by many as the best public mountain course in the state, Haymaker Golf Course is nestled in the belly of the Yampa Valley, where its fairways spread out over gentle terrain in the shadow of the ski resort’s peaks. Normally, its price reflects its excellence: $154 per green fee (the price drops to $95 at 3 p.m. in the high season). However, until May 30, the seasonal rate is more than $60 cheaper. The only problem is that the course might not open till early to mid-May if the winter stays late.

Cost: $184 ($92 per green fee)

8 p.m. Enjoy après at newin-2023 Mythology Distillery’s whiskey garden. The large community fire pit will inspire stories of glory from the day behind you, and the adjacent cornhole court will spark competition for tomorrow.

Cost: $30 ($15 per cocktail from the four-option specialty old fashioned menu)

9 p.m. At five-month-old Brass Kitchen & Bar, co-owner Paul Underwood aims to provide affordable tavern cuisine. Translation: He serves international dishes that taste fancy but use inexpensive ingredients (see: slowroasted beef instead of tenderloin, though the menu changes with the season).

Cost: $66 ($29 for the beef roast Bordelaise, $19 for the ratatouille, and $18 for two glasses of the cheapest red wine)

10 p.m. Take your chances at an Airbnb or take advantage of the dip in tourists in May by booking

Uncork a drive at Haymaker Golf Course, then unwind in Gravity Haus’ heated outdoor pool and hot tub.

a mud-season special at Coloradobased Gravity Haus, a slopeside boutique hotel whose interior exudes upscale ski cabin vibes.

Cost: Starting at $99 per night (for a room with two queens)

SUNDAY

7:30 a.m. Score a latte made with coffee brewed from Ethiopian beans and a breakfast burrito made from scratch at Unravel, Gravity Haus’ in-house coffee roaster.

Cost: $46 ($5 per latte, $18 per breakfast burrito)

9 a.m. Although it’s 50 minutes by car from Steamboat Springs, Yampa Valley Golf Course is worth the commute. Located in Craig, the course runs along the Yampa River and is unmarred by development. Native grasses, cottonwoods, and wetlands fill your view and attract plenty of wildlife spectators.

Cost: $100 ($50 per green fee)

2 p.m. Back in Steamboat, Seedz is a health-food concept that doesn’t taste like one, so you’ll have plenty of fuel for the trip back.

Cost: $31 ($15 for a grass-fed burger, $16 for the spicy Asian chicken wrap)

3 p.m. You’re already $28 over, but the famed cash-only Strawberry Park Hot Springs, whose 102-plusdegree waters will work wonders on your swing-sore spine, is a worthy budget buster.

Cost: $40 ($20 per person)

TOTAL: $918

Courtesy of Gravity House

THE BLUE-COLLAR BROADMOOR

In Weld County, a local developer reimagines what a golf resort could be.

Martin Lind believed that the Great Recession would destroy him. Between 1985 and 2008, his Water Valley Company had built roughly 4,400 residential units and a 27-hole semiprivate golf property called Pelican Lakes Golf Club in Windsor, northeast of Loveland. The late 2000s housing crisis, however, had crippled his business. “But there’s an old saying,” Lind says, “ ‘If you owe a banker a little bit, you’re screwed when bad times come. If you owe a lot, he’s screwed with you.’ That’s how I survived the recession.”

In 2010, before his future was secured, Lind met with a pro golfer named Fred Funk over a potential business deal that never happened. But before Funk departed Windsor, Lind drove him to a nearby parcel of land that he owned. Lind saw potential for a world-class golf course in the topography. A decade later, after the housing boom had made Lind flush again, Funk, working with golf course architect Harrison Minchew, returned to Weld County to begin construction on RainDance National.

The 18-hole facility opened in July 2022 and immediately earned second place in Golf Digest’s ranking of the best new public courses in America. As Lind had envisioned, the designers embraced minimalism by moving as little earth as possible to create an undulating track that climbs and falls with the natural terrain. It also stretches to 8,463 yards, making it the longest golf course in the United States. And Lind still has big plans for RainDance: He intends to turn it into a northern Colorado version of the Broadmoor, the hospitality mecca in Colorado Springs that offers visitors the chance to play two lauded golf courses.

While the Broadmoor evokes the glamor of The Great Gatsby, RainDance embraces Weld’s agricultural roots. Its pro shop is housed inside a former grain silo. On the driving range, golfers ping balls off old farming trucks and tractors. In the past year, Lind has added Hoedown Hill, a small ski hill, and the Grainhouse, an on-site restaurant inside another decommissioned silo. Future plans call for guest cottages and a convention center. “We’ll be the farm and ranch version of the Broadmoor,” Lind says.

RainDance isn’t the only development in the area betting on golf. In Berthoud, semiprivate TPC Colorado became the first course to debut in Colorado in a decade when it opened its fairways in 2018. Rodeo Dunes, a much-anticipated golf resort from the sons of the developer of Oregon’s Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, will open an hour away in 2026 (see “Nature Trail,” at right). Rather than fear the competition, though, Lind welcomes it—evoking visions of an eastern Colorado corridor that rivals golf-centric destinations such as the Pinehurst area of North Carolina. “They thrive on the economics of golf tourism,” Lind says. “So I think the more the merrier.”

NATURE TRAIL

Colorado’s Eastern Plains finally get the love they deserve.

Poor eastern Colorado. Despite its rugged allure, it has long suffered by comparison to its beautyqueen kin, the snowcapped Rocky Mountains. In recent years, however, the Eastern Plains have finally gained a following of ardent admirers: golfers, who see in its

rolling dunes and wild fescue traces of the Scottish landscape that gave birth to the game.

This newfound American love affair with links-style courses wasn’t sparked in Colorado but on the southern coast of rural Oregon. In 1999, a Chicago developer

From top: Courtesy of Chris Wheeler/Great Divide Pictures (2); Courtesy of Golf.com

RainDance National (above); Chris (left) and Michael Keiser, developers of Rodeo Dunes in eastern Colorado

named Mike Keiser opened Bandon Dunes there, taking advantage of the area’s natural berms to create a links-style golf resort. Today, golfers flock to the destination. After Bandon Dunes became a bucket-list vacation, architects scoured the country for similar tracts of land. While eastern Colorado might lack an ocean, it boasts similar rolling topography, sandy soil, and lack of development.

As a result, the area has become a hideaway of courses that, as opposed to spots such as Castle Pines Golf Club that excavate huge chunks of earth to make their fairways, follow the natural routing of the land. Keiser’s sons have announced plans to open a golf resort here, but they’re far from the first (and hopefully won’t be the last) to plant their flagsticks in the quote-unquote boring side of the state.

Riverdale Golf Club, Dunes course, Brighton

To make this public track, renowned architect Pete Dye and his son Perry moved just enough dirt to create soft hills on the pancake-flat terrain, as well as other features associated with Scottish links, such as pot bunkers and blind shots.

Ballyneal Golf Club, Holyoke

Three years after Bandon Dunes opened, two locals hired Tom Doak, who had recently finished Bandon’s Pacific Dunes course, to craft a similar-feeling private resort course over the sand hills in their hometown.

Rodeo Dunes, Roggen

Michael and Chris Keiser have hired course architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, who designed three Bandon courses, to lay out a course on the public resort.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

In the early 20th century, a Colorado legend proved golf could be played—and dominated—by anyone who loved the game.

First came basketball, in which Babe Didrikson Zaharias earned All-American honors while playing for a Dallasbased insurer’s company-run team. Then she collected two gold medals in the 1932 Olympics only a few years after deciding to take up track and field. That same year, she won a team track competition in Evanston, Illinois—by herself. It was in golf, however, that she enjoyed her greatest successes: She won a total of 82 tournaments during her career, including 14 straight in the 1940s while living in Denver, where she played at Park Hill Country Club. In 1950, she became one of the founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

Today, the LPGA is enjoying record TV ratings. Didrikson Zaharias’ renown, however, seems to be disappearing. “Very few people know about her,” says Don Van Natta Jr., author of Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias

BE LIKE BABE

1. Practice

Didrikson Zaharias hit so many balls that her hands bled.

2. Talk Trash

To announce her arrival at tournaments, Didrikson Zaharias would announce, “The Babe is here! Who is going to finish second?”

3. Believe In Yourself

She was “Muhammad Ali before Muhammad Ali,” Van Natta says. “She was running around telling everybody she was the greatest.” Then she proved it.

Even during her life, Didrikson Zaharias faced criticism that her male peers didn’t. “It would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring,” a writer for the New York World-Telegram opined. Didrikson Zaharias married a professional wrestler from Pueblo named George Zaharias, but neither traditional gender roles nor stereotypically female personality traits suited her.

“The critical key to her success was her iron will to be the best at everything she tried,” Van Natta says. By doing so in the face of outsize adversity, Didrikson Zaharias forged a legacy that—though slipping from modern memory— deserves to be remembered. m

SUMMIT

In 1994, only three fourteeners in the state had official trails leading to their apexes. Today, there are sustainable routes on 36 others, thanks in large part to the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. But one of the 30-year-old nonprofit’s latest—and largest—undertakings illustrates the obstacles that still block the public from responsibly bagging the remaining peaks. BY LINDSEY B. KING

Headlamps begin to flicker on one by one, illuminating the inky darkness at 10,800 feet. The rustling of nylon sleeping bags and the purring of tent zippers cut through the 3 a.m. silence. Inside a canvas-walled tent, someone starts boiling water for oatmeal and coffee. Footsteps pad toward the groovers. There is more groaning than actual talking as everyone prepares for the hike ahead.

Within about an hour, each member of the eight-person crew steps outside the solar-powered bear fence that surrounds the camp and begins the roughly twomile, 2,700-foot-elevation-gain trek up 14,229-foot Mt. Shavano. As seasonal employees of the nonprofit Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), a Golden-based stewardship and trail-building organization, the squad makes the trip to their work site every morning during eight-day-long hitches before getting six days off. The goal for the High Shavano crew is to complete the hike in about 90 minutes, arriving just in time for daybreak, at which point they’ll begin eight hours of manual labor at an elevation of 13,500 feet, where winds regularly whip up to 60 miles per hour and three inches of snow can blanket the ground in mid-July.

The team’s work today—continuing to build 1,600 linear feet of new trail by, among other things, relocating refrigerator-size boulders with pry bars and griphoists and building steps from rocks they quarry from nearby talus fields—represents only a tiny fraction of the sweat equity that CFI staffers, seasonal crew members, and volunteers will invest in what will ultimately be a six-year endeavor. When it’s completed, the project will not only have helped undo the damage peakbaggers have inflicted upon the mountain, but it will also have given climbers an eco-friendlier path to follow than the unofficial, user-created “social trail” that had long been marring the environment.

A so-called sustainable route is a purpose-built, thoughtfully constructed, durable trail that corrals hikers into a single path that avoids tender vegetation, helps with drainage, and lessens soil erosion. Building one on this southernmost fourteener in the Sawatch Range has, for decades, been high on the priority list for CFI and the U.S. Forest Service, which partners with CFI to protect the fourteeners on its

land. But the 10-foot-wide social trail that cuts three feet into the earth and that, in places, morphs into a full-blown stream during late-spring runoff, couldn’t be rehabilitated for one simple reason: “Ninety-five percent of the mountain was on public land,” says Lloyd Athearn, CFI’s longtime executive director, “but five percent of it, right at the summit, was private.”

With no legal access to the top, CFI and the Forest Service couldn’t build a sustainable route. And so, for years, Mt. Shavano, which lies 15 miles northwest of Salida in the Arkansas River Valley, has received an F rating on CFI’s Statewide 14er Report Card, an ongoing assessment of conditions on 56 summit routes—both socially created and officially built—on 55 peaks. “It was one of the worst trails in the state,” Athearn says. “There was huge [natural] resource damage happening. So we started to ask ourselves a question: What’s it going to take to get this taken care of?”

The answer was far more complicated than Athearn thought. That hardly mattered, though, because solving complex problems is what CFI, which turns 30 this year, is known for in the outdoor stewardship space. The lengths to which Athearn and his team will go to protect Colorado’s fragile high alpine environment while simultaneously ensuring hikers can access the grandeur are renowned. “We are persistent, stubborn, and don’t take no for an answer,” he says. “Nothing is too crazy to consider.”

BY 1992, Loretta McEllhiney had been doing trail work for the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado for three years. She swung axes and wielded saws and moved rocks and expected she’d remain a “trail grunt” for at least another season. That is, until she learned that federal

From left: Newly constructed trail on Mt. Shavano; CFI executive director Lloyd Athearn; CFI workers on Mt. Elbert; trail building on Mt. Elbert

Previous spread, clockwise from top right: Courtesy of Brooks Upham; Courtesy of Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (3)

money for trail building and maintenance had fallen short, a result of inadequate funding in the mid-1980s.

Instead, the Los Angeles–born twentysomething became a wilderness ranger for the Leadville Ranger District, a job that meant taking campsite inventories, enforcing Forest Service rules with sometimes unruly visitors, and educating recreationists about both the power and the fragility of nature. Because of her trails background, her supervisor added a responsibility to McEllhiney’s job description: “She wanted me to keep my eyes open for socially created trails,” McEllhiney says. “She wanted me to do some analysis, get some pictures, take measurements on how deep and wide the trails were, and look at vegetation loss. I found all the fourteener [social] trails in the district, and I was like, Wow, we’ve gotta do something about this.”

In those days, there were only three purpose-built paths in the state that led to the summits of 14,000-foot peaks: the 7.5-mile Keyhole Route on Longs Peak, laid out in the 1870s; the 12-mile Barr Trail up Pikes Peak, completed in 1921; and the path to Grays Peak, built in 1865. The dearth of official trails didn’t stop peakbaggers, though, and as recreational hiking went mainstream in the 1970s and ’80s, trekkers began blazing their own. “Back then, it was pretty difficult route-finding,” says Walt Borneman, who in 1978 published A Climbing Guide To Colorado’s Fourteeners, one of the first such guidebooks. “You were finding your own way.” And that way was often straight up, following risky fall lines and trampling anything and everything on the way.

Hikers were unintentionally killing the mountains’ delicate ecosystems. McEllhiney’s reports told the story of dead alpine plants—some of which only exist in Colorado’s rarified air—eroded soil, and heavily braided trails.

Her supervisor, Mary Beth Hennessy, responded by partnering with the American Mountain Foundation (now called the Rocky Mountain Field Institute) to send a team of interns to survey 10 fourteeners in the Sawatch Range in summer 1993. Their results were similarly distressing. So distressing, in fact, that in fall 1993, a meeting to discuss the growing human impact on the fourteeners was held at the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) in Denver.

Along with CMC staffers, a contingent from the Forest Service, including McEllhiney and Hennessy, sat at the table. The American Mountain Foundation’s (AMF) executive director Mark Hesse, along with one of his interns, David Duffy, pulled up chairs. Dos Chappell, founder and director of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC), attended. A representative from Boulder-based Leave No Trace (LNT) got an invite. Borneman was there, too. “Duffy’s report cataloged the damage, and we knew what needed to be done,” Borneman says, adding that the group assumed peaks across the state were experiencing similar destruction (a fact confirmed by further AMF surveys from 1994 to 1996). “We went around the table and discussed what existing organization had the capacity to take on the fourteeners.”

There wasn’t one. Despite knowing that eager hikers would continue bushwhacking their ways uphill, no one had the bandwidth to shoulder the required task: work with the Forest Service to design and construct sustainable trails on the vast majority of Colorado’s 58 named mountains that rise higher than 14,000 feet. Instead, brass from the CMC, AMF, VOC, LNT, and the Colorado Outward Bound School created a partnership in 1994 with the intention to collectively preserve the peaks. They called it the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. Two years later, members of that grassroots partnership decided CFI’s massive mission could only be served by a standalone entity with its own staff and funding. In summer 1996, Borneman, acting as the first board chairman, deposited a $2,000 check into the newly minted 501(c)(3) organization’s bank account. “That was the easy part,” Borneman says. “It was difficult from then on.”

EVERY NEW NONPROFIT has to raise funds, get staffers and board members to agree on a clear and realistic mission, and convince the public of the importance of its cause. CFI experienced some of those typical hardships, but it also faced a more literal uphill battle. The 1999 long-range plan developed by CFI, the Forest Service, and several other stewardship organizations established the objective that every peak in need of a sustainable route would have one by the end of 2005.

This spread, from left: Courtesy of Colorado Fourteeners Initiative; Sarah Banks; Courtesy of Cameron Miller; Courtesy of Colorado Fourteeners Initiative

Forty-seven 14,000-foot mountains fit that description at the time. The goal quickly became laughable.

“The whole thing was an obstacle,” says Keith Desrosiers, who served as CFI’s first executive director from 1997 to 2000. “Doing work above timberline means bad weather, lightning, altitude sickness, a short window to do the work, packing out weeks’ worth of human waste, and unbelievable logistics around getting people high enough up there to do it. Building trail on a fourteener is just really, really hard.”

And that’s to say nothing of the challenges presented by the dispersion of high peaks across a 103,610-square-mile state, a patchwork of land managers and private landowners with whom to liaise, federally designated wilderness areas with strict regulations regarding construction, and a simultaneously exploding interest in climbing the state’s fourteeners. Hiker numbers weren’t counted in any official or accurate way in the 1990s or 2000s, but anecdotal evidence suggested huge growth during those decades, meaning CFI had barely begun its mission to rehabilitate the existing damage and build sustainable trails when detrimental footfalls began increasing exponentially. “I was young and cocky and didn’t know how hard it would be to do these things,” Desrosiers says. “I thought we’d put ourselves out of business in 10 years. That was a gross exaggeration.”

Mt. Bierstadt, a 14,060-foot peak located about 60 miles from Denver, was taking a particularly serious pounding by the late ’90s. “The approach to Mt. Bierstadt was fragmented and destroyed,” Desrosiers says. “It looked like a war field. And I’m not even talking about the peak.”

The social trail up the mountain was widening by the day and eating away at the alpine tundra, but it was in decent shape relative to a large area of willow carr—a medium-size shrub that grows in Colorado’s moist meadows and wetlands of the subalpine and montane zones—near the start of the hike. Peakbaggers had no choice but to traipse through what amounted to a bog, crushing the willows as they stumbled their way through the sock-soaking and sometimes boot-stealing terrain. The only solution Desrosiers and company could devise to save the willows was an elevated boardwalk.

The estimated cost, combined with the elevation, the knee-deep mud, and the sheer length of the proposed walkway, presented heavy burdens. Still, none of those hindrances were deal breakers. Standing in the way was something CFI couldn’t maneuver around using creativity, brute force, or even dollar signs: an act of Congress, specifically the one that, in 1980, created the 74,401-acre Mt. Evans Wilderness area in which Mt. Bierstadt resides.

Before CFI and its partners—primarily VOC—could lay one board to protect the vegetation, they would have to navigate the rules of federally designated wilderness areas, which limit group sizes, forbid motorized equipment, and preclude permanent, human-made improvements. To be able to use power tools, like drills, and bring in more than 15 workers at a time, the Forest Service and CFI had to secure an exemption to the federal Wilderness Act. It took more than a year and required environmental studies and dozens of signatures to finalize the paperwork that allowed construction of the Bierstadt boardwalk.

In the meantime, the nonprofit had to contend with vocal campaigns by both ordinary citizens and employees of the Forest Service—ostensibly CFI’s trail-building partner—who didn’t want to see the wilderness defaced by a human-made structure. “I woke up one morning to a story on the front page of the newspaper,” Desrosiers says. “Some seasonal worker from the South Platte Ranger District talked to a reporter and blew up CFI for wanting to build a boardwalk in wilderness. He just threw us under the bus.” The politics of “eco-puritanicals” who think wilderness should be preserved with no consideration for recreation, Desrosiers says, made the monumental task of erecting the boardwalk seem almost easy in comparison. “It was quite a project,” says Norbert Klebl, who volunteered and worked for CFI between 1995 and 2005 and helped research how to design the raised path, “but the boardwalk was instrumental in creating a sustainable trail to the summit of Bierstadt. That’s what’s important.”

Twenty-five years later, the boardwalk sees more than 30,000 hiker use days annually. The social trail to the

From left: Heavy lifting on Mt. Shavano; hauling boulders on Mt. Columbia; CFI workers relaxing on the job; relocating rocks on Mt. Shavano

This spread, from left: Courtesy of Brooks Upham; Courtesy of Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (2); Courtesy of Brooks Upham

summit, after being rated a D for many years and then undergoing work by CFI—in the late 1990s, the early 2000s, and again in 2014—is now a B-. The willow carr is thriving.

MIRIAM VENMAN-CLAY speaks fluent rock. “I can ask a rock where it wants to be,” the 37-year-old CFI field projects manager says in all seriousness. “I can conceptualize how rocks want to fit together. I can use rocks to make people go where I want them to go.” She describes her way with stone as a magic power, but it’s one that Venman-Clay has been honing since she was 18, when she first joined a trail crew in Florida and realized she had a knack for puzzle-piecing together retention structures and steps using only rock, no mortar. “When I met someone who told me about CFI, how they do dry-stone mason work on fourteeners, I worked for years to be good enough to get hired by them,” she says. “Twelve years ago, I was.”

CFI field projects manager Tom Cronin says he loves the simplicity of working in designated wilderness areas, where chainsaws are prohibited. He says there’s nothing like felling a tree with a two-person, cross-cut saw, just like lumberjacks in an old cartoon. Ben Hanus, CFI field programs director, finds joy in collecting the data that help the nonprofit understand the current conditions of its existing routes and what kind of ongoing maintenance they might require. Being in the field to physically eyeball how a three-year-old retaining wall is faring or if spring runoff has eroded soil in a way that has shifted previously installed timbers means Hanus crisscrosses the state roughly every other summer hiking dozens of mountains with GPS equipment in tow.

In the time since Athearn was named executive director in 2009, he has hired Venman-Clay, Cronin, and Hanus—as well as others in CFI’s stable of seven mostly full-time employees and 32 seasonal workers—because they are of a different ilk. His ilk. The kind of people who maybe don’t quite fit in with the suit-and-tie crowd, the kind of people whose souls aren’t touched by working in politics or technology or sales, the kind of people who obsess over how to get something done right instead of fixating on what’s already gone wrong, the kind of people who can paradoxically breathe more deeply and easily at 13,000 feet.

THE GOAL QUICKLY BECAME LAUGHABLE.

Fifty-nine-year-old Athearn blames the laissez-faire parenting of the 1970s for his obstinacy, his determination, and his obsession with the alpine environment. He says any parent today would be thrown in jail for doing what his dad did, which was encourage him—on his 13th birthday—to hike 18 miles by himself in Yosemite National Park, where the family was on vacation. The teenager begged out but the following day decided to trek eight miles—up and over 10,680-foot Vogelsang Pass—on his own. “I saw marmots and snowfields,” Athearn says. “It was the most eye-opening thing in my life. I look at where I’ve gone in my career and think back to that day. That was it.”

Athearn didn’t stop with Yosemite, though. In high school, he summited 10,358-foot South Sister, a volcano in the Cascade Range, and climbed his first fourteener—California’s 14,163-foot Mt. Shasta—at 17. While attending the University of Oregon, he spent summers backpacking in the Cascades. A few years after graduating with history and political science degrees, he summited Mt. Hood, a technically challenging 11,240-footer he’d lived in the shadow of while growing up in Portland.

Despite his love of being outdoors, Athearn initially made a career indoors, in politics, working with a city commissioner in Portland and then for the state speaker of the House in Salem. But politicking about gun control and prison reform felt thankless, so when he saw a job posting with the American Alpine Club in Golden, he applied and ended up working on climbing access and conservation policy for 10 years. From there, Athearn made the transition to fundraising—a “dark art that no one talks about,” he jokes—for the now defunct Colorado Conservation Trust.

Months into the Great Recession, Athearn decided to move on but didn’t know what he wanted to do next. That’s

CONTINUED ON PAGE

DENVER’S TOP DENTISTS 2024

Keep your mouth happy with 5280 ’s comprehensive list of more than 900 of the best dentists in Denver and beyond.

THE PROCESS

How we come up with the Top Dentists list.

This list is pulled from the 2024 topDentists database, which is created using peer evaluations and includes listings for more than 900 dentists and specialists in Colorado. To create its list, topDentists asked dentists and specialists a personal question: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer him or her to?” The nomination pool comprised all active dentists listed online with the American Dental Association as well as with dental academies and societies. (Dentists could also nominate others who may not be on those lists.) Respondents were asked to consider experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies, and physical results. After the responses were compiled, dentists were checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have active licenses and are in good standing. We realize there are many fine dentists who are not on this list; a dentist’s inclusion is based on the subjective judgments of fellow dentists. For more information, visit usatopdentists.com.

DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGY

BROOMFIELD

Rebecca Rees

MILE HIGH DENTAL ANESTHESIA 11001 W. 120th Ave., Suite 400 720-315-1319 milehighda.com

DENVER

Taylor R. Gordon

ALTITUDE ANESTHESIA GROUP

5600 W. 44th Ave., Suite 200 720-500-3504 altitudeanesthesia.com

Shaheen Moezzi

ALTITUDE ANESTHESIA GROUP

5600 W. 44th Ave., Suite 200 720-500-3504 altitudeanesthesia.com

LONE TREE

Russell Yancey

MOUNTAIN DENTAL ANESTHESIA 9233 Park Meadows Drive 720-263-6177 mountainda.com

ENDODONTICS

ARVADA

Matthew Kiebish

AVOS DENTAL SPECIALISTS 14769 W. 87th Parkway 720-798-1200 avosds.com

Emmanuel D. Paguio

ROOT OF ENDODONTICS 9950 W. 80th Ave., Suite 21 303-422-0607 rootofendo.com

Ryan K. Stratton

CLEAR CREEK ENDODONTICS 7375 W. 52nd Ave., Suite 330 303-432-3636 clearcreekendo.com

AURORA

Benjamin Ricketts

ALTITUDE ENDODONTICS 6240 S. Main St., Suite 285 303-627-5420 altitudeendo.com

Hesham A. Youssef

AURORA ENDODONTICS 13741 E. Rice Place, Suite 200 303-617-6323 all-endo.com

BOULDER

Nicholas D. Schulte

BOULDER ENDODONTICS 2575 Pearl St., Unit 1C 303-449-6621 boulderendodontics.com

Brian C. Warner

WARNER ENDODONTICS 5400 Idylwild Trail, Suite C 720-722-4111 warnerdmd.com

BRIGHTON

Emily Saunders WHITE ROCK FAMILY DENTAL 12600 W. Colfax Ave., Suite B-160 720-243-1115

BROOMFIELD

Peter Q. Shelley

ELM ENDODONTICS 13605 Xavier Lane, Suite E 303-427-2769 elmendo.com

CASTLE ROCK

Brock F. Deal

ENDODONTICS OF CASTLE ROCK 4344 Woodlands Blvd., Suite 220 303-328-3979 endooftherock.com

Shaun E. Soucie

EVOLUTION ENDODONTICS & PERIODONTICS 753 Maleta Lane, Suite 201 720-221-7774 evolutionendo.com

CENTENNIAL

Anita A. Hoelscher

ENDODONTIC ASSOCIATES 8120 S. Holly St., Suite 214 303-796-7676 corootcanal.com

Timothy S. Hubble

ENDODONTIC ASSOCIATES 8120 S. Holly St., Suite 214 303-796-7676 corootcanal.com

Phillip S. Johnson

ARAPAHOE FAMILY DENTISTRY

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 225 303-779-1305 arapahoefamilydentistry.com

Cameron Pangborn

SYRPES & PANGBORN

ENDODONTIC GROUP 6855 S. Havana St., Suite 540 303-893-3636 endodrs.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Julie Be

ENDODONTIC SPECIALISTS OF COLORADO 5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 200 719-599-7665 endospec.com

Tyler J. Boss

SOUTHERN COLORADO

ENDODONTICS 1275 Lake Plaza Drive, Suite 200 719-301-1119 socoendo.com

Robert P. Corr

APEX ENDODONTICS 8580 Scarborough Drive, Suite 220 719-282-6600 apexendoco.com

Ryan Jack

APEX ENDODONTICS 8580 Scarborough Drive, Suite 200 719-282-6600 apexendoco.com

Scott A. Johnson

ENDODONTIC SPECIALISTS OF COLORADO 5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 200 719-599-7665 endospec.com

Jack T. Mayhew

ADVANCED ENDODONTICS 2620 Tenderfoot Hill St., Suite 100 719-540-5540 endoadvanced.com

A. John McKissock

ELEVATION ENDODONTICS 1720 Jet Stream Drive, Suite 110 719-488-2188 elevationendodontics.com

Bradley R. Ross ENDODONTIC SPECIALISTS OF COLORADO 5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 200 719-599-7665 endospec.com

Michael C. Transtrum

ASPEN ENDODONTICS 9140 Wild Mustang Grove 719-264-1440 aspenendodontics.com

DENVER

Spence Gibbs

ENDODONTICS OF CHERRY CREEK & DTC 1280 S. Clayton St. 303-321-7930 cherrycreekendo.com

Rahim S. Karmali

LOWRY ENDODONTICS 495 Uinta Way, Suite 140 303-363-7668 lowryendo.com

Mark E. Levine 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 410 303-789-2354 pascoeendo.com

Ellen MacDonald

ELEVATED ENDODONTICS 8354 Northfield Blvd., Suite 2750 720-895-1717 elevatedendo.com

Jesus Machado

ENDODONTICS OF CHERRY CREEK & DTC 1280 S. Clayton St. 303-321-7930 cherrycreekendo.com

Scott M. Maloney

ENDODONTICS OF CHERRY CREEK & DTC 1280 S. Clayton St. 303-321-7930 cherrycreekendo.com

Gary P. Pascoe 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 410 303-789-2354 pascoeendo.com

Jason Read

ELEVATED ENDODONTICS 8354 Northfield Blvd., Suite 2750 720-895-1717 elevatedendo.com

EDWARDS

Darin C. Lee

BEAVER CREEK ENDODONTICS 27 Main St., Suite 303-A 970-748-6961 beavercreekendo.com

FORT COLLINS

Shane D. Bergo

NORTHERN COLORADO

ENDODONTICS

3744 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101 970-229-1404 coloradoendo.com

Galen P. Geraets

NORTHERN COLORADO

ENDODONTICS

3744 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101 970-229-1404 coloradoendo.com

Brandon Griffin

ENDODONTICS OF THE ROCKIES

1903 Wilmington Drive, Suite 101 970-292-6703 endorockies.com

Jeffrey S. Kramer

DENTAL CENTER OF THE ROCKIES

1424 E. Horsetooth Road, Suite 4 970-223-2886 dentalcenteroftherockies.com

Bradley D. LeValley

NORTHERN COLORADO ENDODONTICS

3744 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101 970-229-1404 coloradoendo.com

Jon Willison

ENDODONTICS OF THE ROCKIES

1903 Wilmington Drive, Suite 101 970-292-6703 endorockies.com

GOLDEN

Wade Hirschman

LEGACY ENDODONTICS

400 Indiana St., Suite 370 303-526-1502 legacyendodontics.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Sanjay N. Patel

HIGHLANDS RANCH ENDODONTICS

537 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 101 303-346-3963 highlandsranchendo.com

LAFAYETTE

Thomas E. Kammer

SAGE DENTAL CARE LAFAYETTE 2695 Northpark Drive, Suite 104 303-604-6355 sagedentalcare.com

Mark D. Wood 1140 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 103 303-604-9663 woodendo.com

LAKEWOOD

Tony C. Kardelis

DENVER DENTAL SPECIALTIES 7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 404 303-986-2765 denverdentalspecialties.com

Michael B. McKee

BELMAR ENDODONTICS 550 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 160 303-922-3636 belmarendo.com

LITTLETON

Perri Carnes ENDODONTIC ASSOCIATES

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 205 303-798-6611 corootcanal.com

Randolph A. Degerness ANDANTE ENDODONTICS

8340 S. Sangre De Cristo Road, Suite 104 303-948-4884 andanteendodontics.com

Omar A. Macaraeg

COLORADO ENDODONTIC SPECIALISTS

731 Southpark Drive, Unit A-1A 303-795-9699 303endo.com

Ryan I. Soden PRECISION ENDODONTICS OF COLORADO

5920 S. Estes St., Suite 170 303-798-3636 pcendo.com

LONE TREE

Kerri L. Lawlor

RIDGEGATE ENDODONTICS

10107 Ridgegate Parkway, Suite G20 720-507-2241 ridgegateendo.com

Heath J. Parry

LONE TREE ENDODONTICS

8683 Lincoln Ave., Suite 130 303-484-1246 lonetreeendo.com

Andrew R. Stubbs

CREEKSIDE ENDODONTICS

10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 306 303-524-9343 creeksideendo.com

LONGMONT

Laura L. Milroy

ENDODONTIC SPECIALISTS OF NORTHERN COLORADO

1325 Dry Creek Drive, Suite 302 303-651-0202 rootcanalcolorado.com

LOUISVILLE

Brooke D. Benson-Redpath FLATIRONS ENDODONTICS

850 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 201 303-214-4100 flatironsendo.com

Tony Tran FLATIRONS ENDODONTICS

850 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 201 303-214-4100 flatironsendo.com

PARKER

David J. Holtzmann

ENDODONTICS OF COLORADO 11200 E. Mississippi Ave. 303-696-1919 endoofco.com

Demetrios C. Syrpes

SYRPES & PANGBORN

ENDODONTIC GROUP 18690 Plaza Drive 303-893-3636 endodrs.com

THORNTON

Matthew S. Davis

M.S.D. ENDODONTICS 12297 Pennsylvania St., Suite 2 303-920-4196 msdendodontics.com

WESTMINSTER

Lamont McMurtrey

MCMURTREY ENDODONTICS 9111 Benton St., Suite 100 303-422-6464 mcmurtreyendo.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Justin P. Farmer

RED ROCKS ENDODONTICS

10050 W. 41st Ave., Suite 202 303-232-1327 redrocksendo.com

Scott H. Horsley

RED ROCKS ENDODONTICS

10050 W. 41st Ave., Suite 202 303-232-1327 redrocksendo.com

GENERAL DENTISTRY ARVADA

Gregory D. Bennett

ARVADA DENTAL CENTER 6695 Wadsworth Blvd., Unit A 303-421-7611 arvadadentalcenter.com

Lindsay Compton

GENERATIONS FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

8595 Ralston Road 303-421-2131 arvadadentist.com

Brett P. Flower

7850 Vance Drive, Suite 245 303-422-3303 flowerdds.com

Caron B. Holmes HOLMES FAMILY DENTISTRY 6355 Ward Road, Suite 410 303-420-7100 holmesddspc.com

James R. Holmes HOLMES FAMILY DENTISTRY 6355 Ward Road, Suite 410 303-420-7100 holmesddspc.com

Jesse M. Jenkins FIVE PARKS DENTAL 13741 W. 85th Drive, Suite 110 303-456-4745 fiveparksdental.com

Crystal Kim CANDELAS DENTISTRY 14749 W. 87th Parkway, Unit C 720-779-0088 candelasdentistry.com

Halee Lesch LESCH FAMILY DENTAL 9950 W. 80th Ave., Suite 12 303-424-6226 leschfamilydental.com

Daren Mairs MAIRS FAMILY DENTISTRY 6355 Ward Road, First Bank Building, Suite 201 303-420-3310 mairsfamilydentistry.com

Nichole Mairs MAIRS FAMILY DENTISTRY 6355 Ward Road, First Bank Building, Suite 201 303-420-3310 mairsfamilydentistry.com

Joseph C. Parsons PERFECT TEETH BRIDENT 8749 Wadsworth Blvd. 303-424-5463 perfectteeth.com

Justin Smutz SMILES BY DESIGN 11890 W. 64th Ave. 303-422-0094 smilesbydesignco.com

SPECIALTIES

DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGY

PAGE 82

Manages pain and anxiety during oral surgery or other dental procedures using general and/or local anesthesia

ENDODONTICS

PAGE 82

Treats issues related to nerves and the inner portions of the tooth; root canals are a common procedure

GENERAL DENTISTRY

PAGE 83

Performs preventive dental care and basic upkeep of teeth, including cleanings and X-rays

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

PAGE 161

Removes impacted teeth (such as wisdom teeth) and performs reconstructive surgeries, like rebuilding broken jaws

ORAL MEDICINE

PAGE 162

Identifies and treats disorders of the mouth like ulcers and growths and performs nonsurgical procedures

ORTHODONTICS

PAGE 162

Modifies bites or coaxes unruly teeth into alignment using braces and other devices

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

PAGE 164

Provides therapeutic and preventive care for kids

PERIODONTICS

PAGE 166

Specializes in the periodontium, or supporting tooth structure, and treats gum disease and receding gums

PROSTHODONTICS

PAGE 167

Deals with dentures, dental implants, and bridges as well as complex crown work

TOP DENTISTS 2024

Joseph Taylor

TAYLOR DENTAL ARTS

7913 Allison Way, Suite 101 303-420-1114 taylordentalarts.com

Gregory B. Waters 8850 Ralston Road, Suite 104 303-420-3233 dentalcarearvada.com

Stuart R. Winter WINTER DENTAL 8605 Ralston Road 303-424-4567 winterfamilydental.com

Michael Woods SIGNATURE DENTISTRY OF ARVADA 14950 W. 64th Ave., Suite A 303-423-0930 signaturedentistryofarvada.com

AURORA

Rabi Al-Tatari SMOKY HILL FAMILY DENTISTRY 16629 E. Smoky Hill Road 303-699-8788 smokyhilldentistry.com

Lisa M. Augustine ASPENWOOD DENTAL ASSOCIATES 2900 S. Peoria St., Unit C 303-751-3321 aspenwooddental.com

Ginny Baker

5280 ORTHODONTICS 4326 E. Eighth Ave. 303-377-5280 5280orthodontics.com

Justin L. Baltz HIGHPOINT DENTAL CARE 3574 S. Tower Road, Suite B 303-617-9100 highpointdentalco.com

Paul W. Bell

ALMEIDA & BELL AESTHETIC DENTAL CENTER 8683 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite 200 303-858-9000 almeidadental.com

David S. Bennett SIGNATURE DENTISTRY OF DENVER 2700 E. Louisiana Ave., Suite 101 720-246-0496 signaturedentistryofdenver.com

Chris Bentley GRANDVIEW DENTAL 6830 S. Liverpool St., Unit A 303-997-0232 grandviewdentalcolorado.com

Jared Bruggeman

FOREST HILLS DENTAL CARE 7450 S. Gartrell Road, Suite A-9 303-840-9557 foresthillsdentalco.com

Deborah K. Deeg

DEEG AND DEEG DENTISTRY 14991 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 390 303-690-6662 deegdentistry.com

Miles F. Deeg Jr. DEEG AND DEEG DENTISTRY 14991 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 390 303-690-6662 deegdentistry.com

Stefan W. Ginther

GINTHER FAMILY DENTISTRY 6240 S. Main St., Suite 200 303-693-2288 gintherfamilydentistry.com

Christopher Henes ILIFF FAMILY DENTAL 12510 E. Iliff Ave., Suite 305 303-695-0102 iliffdental.com

Tara R. Huntsman FOREST HILLS DENTAL CARE 7450 S. Gartrell Road, Suite A-9 303-840-9557 foresthillsdentalco.com

Nelson S. Joo

ORCHID DENTAL 2222 S. Fraser St., Suite 3 303-671-0305 yourorchiddental.com

Gunjan Kalra

SOUTHLANDS DENTAL 22970 E. Smoky Hill Road 720-886-0606 southlandsdental.com

Timothy D. Kneller

ESTHETIC DENTISTRY 12101 E. Iliff Ave., Suite U 303-696-9364

Julia Laskin

LASKIN FAMILY DENTAL 13741 E. Rice Place 303-617-5212 laskinfamilydental.com

Matt R. Mauck

MAUCK & RICCI 3131 S. Vaughn Way, Suite 422 303-745-1400 betteryoursmile.com

Michael Mingle

RANKIN & MINGLE DENTISTRY 15901 E. Briarwood Circle, Suite 350 720-706-8003 rmdental.com

Kimberly K. Miyamoto

MIYAMOTO FAMILY DENTAL 2495 S. Havana St., Unit E 303-750-2460 drkimdentist.com

Jennifer Rankin

RANKIN AND MINGLE DENTISTRY 15901 E. Briarwood Circle, Suite 350 303-690-4000 rmdental.com

Jana Rausa

CHAMBERS COURT DENTISTRY 2161 S. Chambers Road 303-369-7735 janarausadds.com

Andrew L. Ricci

MAUCK & RICCI 3131 S. Vaughn Way, Suite 422 303-745-1400 betteryoursmile.com

Vidhyalakshmi Sampath

BRIGHT NOW! DENTAL 3551 S. Tower Road, Unit C 303-400-3669 brightnow.com

Randy Sanders

SANDERS & SOULT FAMILY DENTISTRY 1444 S. Potomac St., Suite 100 303-337-2794 sandersandsoult.com

Aaron Sun

ASPENWOOD DENTAL ASSOCIATES 2900 S. Peoria St., Unit C 303-751-3321 aspenwooddental.com

Terrance Wolbaum

PIONEER HILLS DENTAL 5492 S. Parker Road 303-766-8811 pioneerhillsdental.com

Eric Wolfe

SUMMIT SMILES DENTAL 6240 S. Main St., Suite 260 303-627-5432 summitsmilesdental.com

John K. Zalesky

AURORA HILLS DENTAL 400 S. Potomac Way 720-707-1141 aurorahillsdental.com

Daniel J. Zeppelin

ASPENWOOD DENTAL ASSOCIATES 2900 S. Peoria St., Unit C 303-751-3321 aspenwooddental.com

BOULDER

Mark J. Birnbach BOULDER SMILES 1636 16th St. 303-443-4417 bouldersmiles.com

David C. Britt 4410 Arapahoe Ave., Suite 230 303-449-8165 davidbrittdds.com

Alexis Brown DR. CARMEN BURKE FAMILY HOLISTIC DENTISTRY 5250 Manhattan Circle 303-219-0499 drcarmenburke.com

Emmanuel R. De La Paz II ER DE LA PAZ GENERAL DENTISTRY 3775 Iris Ave., Suite 3-A 303-442-4235

Milena Halek BROADWAY SMILES 2430 N. Broadway St., Suite 101 303-786-8899 broadwaysmilesdentist.com

David P. Jackson 3393 Iris Ave., Suite 103 303-447-2872 davidjacksondds.com

Ted C. Kawulok WHOLE FAMILY DENTISTRY 1400 28th St., Suite 4 303-442-8625 wholefamilydentistry.com

Nicole W. Kent WHOLE FAMILY DENTISTRY 1400 28th St., Suite 4 303-442-8625 wholefamilydentistry.com

Jose Mena DENTAL AID BOULDER 4155 Darley Ave., Suite C 303-499-7072 dentalaid.org

Stephanie Nielsen NORTH BOULDER DENTAL 1001 North St. 303-447-1042 boulderdental.com

Kirk R. Rathburn 2709 Iris Ave. 303-786-9673 rathburndental.com

Tara L. Rathburn

BROADWAY SMILES 2430 N. Broadway St., Suite 101 303-786-8899 broadwaysmilesdentist.com

Andrea Schmidt

AESTHETIC DENTISTRY OF BOULDER 1840 Folsom St., Suite 303 303-544-9636

aestheticdentistryboulder.com

Paul A. Sica

NORTH BOULDER DENTAL 1001 North St. 303-447-1042 boulderdental.com

Nicholas Sigman PERFORMANCE DENTAL CENTER 5365 Spine Road, Suite D 720-277-3925 performancedentalcenter.com

David J. Welden NORTH BOULDER DENTAL 1001 North St. 303-447-1042 boulderdental.com

Heidi E. Winquist 3400 Penrose Place, Suite 201 303-440-7538 heididds.com

BRIGHTON

Mark S. Ehrhardt

BRIGHTON RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY 2700 E. Bridge St., Suite 101 303-659-1825

brightonrestorativedentistry.com

Jeff Poulson POULSON FAMILY DENTAL 481 S. Eighth Ave. 303-659-1851 poulsonfamilydental.com

Jaclynn Spencer

BRIGHTON SMILES 30 S. 20th Ave., Suite D 303-659-3062 brightonsmiles.com

Jeffrey W. Stearns

PLATTE VALLEY ORAL SURGERY 27 S. 18th Ave. 303-997-0223 drjstearns.com

BROOMFIELD

Elizabeth K. Barbera

FLEISCHMANN FAMILY DENTISTRY 1080 U.S. 287 303-465-2341 broomfielddentistry.com

Robert Berry

MOUNTAIN AIRE DENTISTRY 291 E. Flatiron Crossing Drive 303-731-7755 broomfielddentists.com

Brandi A. Bottoms

CHATEAUX FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY 13606 Xavier Lane, Suite F 303-465-4500 chateauxdental.com

Kendall Burns

BROADLANDS FAMILY DENTISTRY 3305 W. 144th Ave., Unit 100 303-460-8700 broadlandsfamilydental.com

David Fleischmann FLEISCHMANN FAMILY DENTISTRY 1080 U.S. 287 303-465-2341 broomfielddentistry.com

Lee W. Gerry

BROOMFIELD DENTAL CARE 13606 Xavier Lane, Suite B 303-466-7306 leewgerrydds.com

Derek G. Petersen

PETERSEN FAMILY DENTISTRY 3303 W. 144th Ave., Suite 100 720-308-9798 pfamilydentistry.com

Cynthia M. Sheeks

925 Main St., Suite C 303-469-3600 cynthiasheeksdds.com

Jay D. Talbot

TALBOT DENTISTRY 925 Main St., Suite B 303-466-2221 talbotdentistry.com

CASTLE PINES

Andrew J. Dunbar

CASTLE PINES ORTHODONTICS 250 Max Drive, Suite 201 303-688-3837 castlepinesortho.com

Matthew R. Rolfson

CASTLE PINES DENTAL CARE 250 Max Drive, Suite 203 303-660-0782 castlepinesdentalcare.com

Jeff Scheich

SCHEICH FAMILY DENTISTRY 250 Max Drive, Suite 202 720-733-7799 scheichfamilydentistry.com

CASTLE ROCK

Dwight Bratton CASTLE ROCK DENTAL GROUP 2356 Meadows Blvd., Suite 170-B 303-663-6030 castlerockdental.com

Kylee Brightside BRIGHTSIDE DENTISTRY 1161 S. Perry St., Suite 100 720-799-1445 brightsidedentistry.net

Aaron Goodman

PRAIRIE HAWK DENTAL 3993 Limelight Ave., Unit E 303-955-8394 prairiehawkdental.com

Brandt D. Jones OAKWOOD DENTAL

3 Oakwood Park Plaza, Suite 101 303-688-3860 castlerockdentalcenter.com

Sara Logan

ASPEN CREEK DENTAL 4535 Milestone Lane, Suite C 303-688-9476 aspencreekdental.us

Michael J. Moroni

MIRAGE DENTAL ASSOCIATES 85 Rio Grande Drive 720-733-3440 miragedentalassociates.com

Al Ochoa

RED HAWK DENTISTRY 2240 Mercantile St., Suite 201 303-223-7885 redhawkdentist.com

Michael T. Rowlette

CASTLE ROCK DENTAL GROUP 2356 Meadows Blvd., Suite 170-B 303-663-6030 castlerockdental.com

Jennifer Sibo

PEAK VIEW DENTAL 4344 Woodlands Blvd., Suite 140 303-660-9333 peakviewdental.com

David Sugiyama

CEDAR MOUNTAIN FAMILY DENTISTRY 1189 S. Perry St., Suite 250 303-688-3398 dentistcastlerock.com

Matthew O. Young

PRAIRIE HAWK DENTAL 3993 Limelight Ave., Unit E 303-955-8394 prairiehawkdental.com

CENTENNIAL

Annette M. Alford

ELEVATED FAMILY DENTISTRY 6650 S. Vine St., Suite L-20 303-795-7674 personalizingyoursmile.com

Cameron M. Auger 19245 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite B 303-680-3308 cmaugerdds.com

Dawn M. Austin

DOVE VALLEY DENTISTRY 15500 E. Broncos Parkway, Suite F 720-638-8131 dovevalleydentistry.com

V. Landon Blatter

ASPEN SPRINGS DENTAL 7940 S. University Blvd., Suite 200 720-482-0793 aspenspringsdental.net

Soledad C. Bowers

UNIVERSITY PARK DENTAL

7920 S. University Blvd., Suite 210 720-348-1772

Bart G. Christiansen

CHRISTIANSEN DENTAL

9085 E. Mineral Circle, Suite 160 303-790-9323 christiansendental.net

James G. Christiansen

CHRISTIANSEN DENTAL

9085 E. Mineral Circle, Suite 160 303-790-9323 christiansendental.net

Andrew C. Cote HOMESTEAD DENTAL

6990 S. Holly Circle 303-224-9400 homesteaddentalco.com

Ricardo B. DaSilva

DASILVA FAMILY DENTSITRY

13111 E. Briarwood Ave., Suite 350 720-445-3775 dasilvadentistry.com

Michael Elevich

ASPEN SPRINGS DENTAL

7940 S. University Blvd., Suite 200 720-482-0793 aspenspringsdental.net

Robert D. Eto

DRY CREEK FAMILY DENTISTRY

7960 S. University Blvd., Suite 201 303-770-1100 drycreekfamilydentistry.com

Tiffany L. Fritz

PINEY CREEK FAMILY DENTISTRY 15430 E. Orchard Road 303-562-1051 pineycreekdental.com

Shauna L. Gilmore

GILMORE & DUNN DENTISTRY 6881 S. Holly Circle, Suite 206 303-225-7575 drsgilmore.com

Michael J. Harmon HARMON DENTAL 7400 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 300 303-796-7400 harmondds.com

Stephen A. Hopfensperger 7200 E. Dry Creek Road, Suite A102 303-771-5076

Amanda Hudec NEW DAY DENTISTRY 6834 S. Yosemite St. 303-771-7266 newdaydentistrycolorado.com

Maria S. Johnson

ARAPAHOE FAMILY DENTISTRY 6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 225 303-779-1305 arapahoefamilydentistry.com

Hamid Khanjari SIGNATURE DENTISTRY OF CENTENNIAL 15795 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 100 303-337-1338 signaturedentistryofcentennial.com

Jodi Lampert 8120 S. Holly St., Suite 116 303-779-8848 jodilampertdds.com

Ian W. Morse

SOUTH METRO DENTISTRY 7562 S. University Blvd., Unit J 303-770-2252 southmetrodentistry.com

Rob C. Mullins HIGH COUNTRY DENTAL 20250 E. Smoky Hill Road, Unit 3 303-693-5600 highcountrydentalco.com

Sere Myers Jr. 14100 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 310 303-699-5804 seremyersdentist.com

Patricia M. Nicolosi 5161 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 310 720-488-1388 www.pmnicolosidds.com

Kurt E. Nielsen

HOLLY DENTAL ASSOCIATES 8010 S. Holly St., Suite 100 303-694-6400 hollydental.com

William A. Pfeifer

HOLLY FAMILY DENTISTRY 6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 150 303-850-7614 centennialdentist.com

Christian D. Rippe IV

RIPPE DENTAL ASSOCIATES 11837 E. Arapahoe Road 303-779-9876 drrippe.com

Nathan Rivera

SOUTH METRO DENTISTRY 7562 S. University Blvd., Unit J 303-770-2252 southmetrodentistry.com

Landis C. Scholes

HOLLY DENTAL ASSOCIATES 8010 S. Holly St., Suite 100 303-694-6400 hollydental.com

Andrew J. Schope

HOMESTEAD DENTAL 6990 S. Holly Circle 303-224-9400 homesteaddentalco.com

Brigitte Segal 6909 S. Holly Circle, Suite 240 303-770-6084 dtc-dentistry.com

Greg Sims 7180 E. Orchard Road, Suite 309 303-290-8833

Anuj Suri

DENTAL WELLNESS AT DRY CREEK 8120 S. Holly St., Unit 102 303-773-9400 dentalwellnessdc.com

Richard J. Wallace

ADVANCED DENTAL ON SMOKY HILL ROAD 20921 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite A 303-690-7778

richardwallacedds.com

Matthew R. Wimmer 5290 E. Arapahoe Road 303-794-6339

matthewwimmerdmd.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 154

IN THE Kitchen

Gaia Masala Burger & Bar

CHEFS HIRA KUNWAR & NANDALAL NYAUPANE

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM?

Nandalal has worked as an Indian chef for almost five years in Nepal and 10 years in the United States; Hira has worked as an American Chef at CU Boulder for 10 years. When the two of them came together, they created a fusion of American and Indian cuisine. Later, when they met Younesh, who was from Iraq, they found common ground in Mediterranean food as well. Thus, the idea of fusion was born, and now they serve a blend of Indian, American, and Mediterranean dishes with their own twist.

WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE DISH? WHAT DO PEOPLE LOVE ABOUT IT?

Their signature dishes include Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala Cheesesteaks, Fire Tikka Masala Burger, and Tikka Masala Calzone. People love the unique blend of flavors in the fusion creations.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH TO PREPARE?

Whenever Hira gets the opportunity to cook, he prepares Philly Cheesesteaks, Saag Paneer, and Lamb Cheesy Masala Fries. Nandu enjoys cooking Chicken Curry, Spicy Garlic Cheese Naan, and Dal Tadk.

1530 Blake Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 993-2976

GAIADENVER.COM

801 Fish Denver

EXECUTIVE CHEF RACHEL NUGENT-DUMONT

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM?

Throughout my career working at various Michelin restaurants, I have had the opportunity to evolve and adapt through awareness and embrace alternative evolutions of cuisine, ingredients, and simply the temptation and desire to share them with guests and my team at 801 Fish. To me, there is not just one true entity or interpretation of inspiration. The embodiment can find form from art, innovation, nostalgia, desire, and even the lack thereof. I consistently allow myself to have the pursuit of connection and respect towards the bright minds within the company and industry.

ON YOUR NIGHT OFF, WHAT DO YOU EAT AND WHERE?

For much of my life I have traveled around the world and constantly sought out the refinement of restaurants within various regions to expand my palette and engineer personal depth. Being new to the Denver area has been a great opportunity to immerse in a new variety of restaurants and hospitality. I enjoy sharing these moments with family, friends, and my significant other. I recently had dinner at Koko Ni. The Japanese and French inspired tasting menu and service were uncanny and delightful. I am certainly looking forward to future experiences within the city.

Arvada Tavern

EXECUTIVE CHEF RYAN SCHILLER

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM?

I draw a lot of my inspiration from people around me. Whether it be friends, family, staff members, or guests at our restaurant. I get the most satisfaction out of making people happy through food, so I am constantly trying to come up with new ideas and testing them out.

WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?

My signature dish would have to be my bolognese sauce paired with some homemade tagliatelle pasta. I have been cooking this dish for my family for years and they always love it.

5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. Arvada, CO 80002

(303) 690-6269

ARVADATAVERN.COM

La Forêt

999 17th Street Denver, CO 80202 (720) 407-3474

801FISH.COM

EXECUTIVE CHEF DOMINIC CURRY

WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?

My signature dish would have to be one I have here on the La Forêt Menu. It is definitely one of the more experimental dishes I have ever crafted, the Rabbit Vadouvan. I feel this dish truly embodies what we intended to do here at La Forêt. Combining French culture with the wild and rustic elements of the forest.

Rabbit Vadouvan (pictured): Bone-in Rabbit leg - sous vide then grilled; served with Vadouvan sauce (french curry) and finished with clarified butter, charred peppers and foraged mushrooms.

38 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80209

(303) 600-8338

LAFORETDENVER.COM

Photography by Brittany Teuber

Photo by Brittany Teuber

Photo by Connor Stehr

Our annual, all-inclusive bash celebrating the best stuff in and around Denver is back at Cherry Creek North! Mark your calendar and make sure you’re signed up for The Scene List so you can be the first to know when tickets go on sale. FILLMORE

Dining Gu ide

Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened).

Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2023 list of Denver’s best restaurants. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change

A5 STEAKHOUSE

$$$$

LoDo / Steak House This unfussy chophouse by the team behind Forget Me Not and Tap and Burger features perfectly seared steaks, hearty sides, and draft cocktails. Never pass up the beef tartare katsu sando and the chickpea fries to start your meal. Reservations accepted. 1600 15th St., 303-623-0534. Dinner

AFRICAN GRILL & BAR $$

Lakewood / African Explore a bevy of dishes from across Africa at this warm and inviting restaurant run by the Osei-Fordwuo family. Peanut soups, fried fish, samosas, and jollof rice are just some of the crave-worthy options you’ll order again and again. Reservations accepted. 955 S. Kipling Parkway, Lakewood, 303-985-4497. Lunch, Dinner

ANNETTE

$$$

Aurora / American James Beard Award–winning chef Caroline Glover’s Annette delivers a lineup of seasonal salads, pastas, wood-fired proteins, and other comforting bites in a modern, inviting space. Don’t skip dessert, particularly if pecan pie is on the menu. Reservations accepted. 2501 Dallas St., Suite 108, Aurora, 720-710-9975. Dinner

BANH & BUTTER BAKERY CAFE

Aurora / French Thoa Nguyen crafts French pastries inspired by her Vietnamese heritage at this East Colfax cafe. Go for the dazzling crêpe cakes, each made with 25 to 30 layers. Reservations not accepted. 9935 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 720-513-9313. Breakfast, Lunch

BLACKBELLY

$ $$ $$$

Getting Off The Ground

Urban agriculture goes gourmet at RiNo’s Farm & Market. The fast-casual restaurant and retail store sources its vegetables from an on-site, indoor hydroponic farm, which grows 365,000 pounds of produce annually in nutrient-enriched water rather than soil. That’s good for the planet—Farm & Market’s fully wind-powered cultivation method actually cuts down on water usage—and for hungry customers looking for a concise menu of soups and salads. Try the Jumper, a mixture of arugula, microgreens, grilled squash, zucchini, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled mustard seeds, and herbs served with a crispy salmon filet and Dijon vinaigrette.

CANTINA LOCA

$

$$$

Boulder / American Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s carnivore-friendly menu focuses on charcuterie, small plates, and daily butcher specials. Try the koji-cured heritage pork chop. Also check out the adjacent butcher shop and market. Reservations accepted. 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, 303-247-1000. Dinner

BRUTØ

$$$$

LoDo / International At the Wolf’s Tailor’s sister restaurant, executive chef Byron Gomez highlights house ferments in an omakase-style tasting menu. Tack on the cocktail pairing to make the experience even more special. Reservations accepted. 1801 Blake St., 720-325-2195. Dinner

$$

LoHi / Mexican Chef Dana Rodriguez’s welcoming LoHi taqueria invites diners to connect over plates of tacos, shareable entrées, and drinks infused with the Chihuahua, Mexico–born matriarch’s own line of agave spirits, Doña Loca. Order the molcajete. Reservations accepted. 2890 Zuni St., 303-284-6738. Dinner

COMAL HERITAGE FOOD INCUBATOR

RiNo / International Immigrant and refugee women develop the skills to operate their own food businesses by serving up renditions of their family recipes at this indoor-outdoor restaurant. Try the pupusas or the plato caribe: fried fish with tostones and coleslaw. Reservations not accepted. 1950 35th St., 303-2920770. Breakfast, Lunch

CORNER OFFICE

Downtown / International Find global comfort food from Jamaican jerk chicken to tuna poke at this trendy spot. Reservations accepted. 1401 Curtis St., 303-825-6500. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

$

DAUGHTER THAI KITCHEN & BAR

$$$

LoHi / Thai This date-night-ready Thai restaurant from Ounjit Hardacre serves beautifully plated dishes and inventive cocktails with an elegant ambience to match. The menu features tried-andtrue favorites such as pad thai and massaman curry alongside a rotating lineup of rare-inDenver specialties. Reservations accepted. 1700 Platte St., Suite 140, 720-667-4652. Lunch, Dinner

DIO MIO

$$

RiNo / Italian One thing you can count on at Alex Figura and Spencer White’s fast-casual Italian eatery: perfect pasta. Pair the cacio e pepe or the pistachio pesto radiatori with an Italian gin and tonic. Reservations not accepted. 3264 Larimer St., 303-562-1965. Dinner

DOUGH COUNTER

$$$

$$

University Hills / Pizza This fast-casual pizzeria specializes in Sicilian- and New York–style pies. For the former, we especially like the Triple Threat striped with marinara, pesto, and vodka sauce. Reservations not accepted. 2466 S. Colorado Blvd., 303-997-8977. Lunch, Dinner

ChowNow/Courtesy of Farm & Market

EDGEWATER PUBLIC MARKET

$$

Edgewater / International Satisfy your cravings for everything from wild game sandwiches to Ethiopian fare at this eclectic collective of nearly two dozen food stalls and boutiques. Tenants include Konjo Ethiopian, Lucky Bird, Lazo Empanadas, and more. 5505 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater, 720-749-2239. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

EL JEFE

$$

Sunnyside / Mexican Farm-to-table Mexican fare will lure you to this welcoming Sunnyside haunt. Pair a house margarita with the four-cheese queso dip, and don’t miss the mushroom tacos or the grilled Spanish octopus. Reservations accepted. 2450 W. 44th Ave., 720-389-7615. Dinner, Brunch

FARM & MARKET

RiNo / Health This 3,000-square-foot hydroponic farm sells its grown-in-water greens and also transforms them into grab-and-go salads and soups. Try the Jumper salad with crispy salmon. Reservations not accepted. 2401 Larimer St., 303-927-6652. Lunch, Dinner

FOX AND THE HEN

$

FRASCA FOOD AND WINE

$$$$

Boulder / Italian The food always wows at Frasca, an ode to the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northeastern Italy from master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson. Splurge on executive chef Ian Palazzola’s ninecourse Friulano menu. Reservations accepted. 1738 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-6966. Dinner

GOLD POINT $

RiNo / American This hip hangout serves craft cocktails and a variety of small and large bites from Caddywampus Comfort Foods. Reservations not accepted. 3126 Larimer St., 720-445-9691. Dinner

HEY KIDDO

$$$$

Berkeley / Contemporary From the team behind the Wolf’s Tailor and Brutø, this eclectic, globally inspired restaurant presents fine-dining fare in relaxed environs. Try the wagyu beef galbi. Reservations accepted. 4337 Tennyson St., Suite 300, 720-778-2977. Dinner

HIGHLAND’S INDIAN CUISINE

$$

LoHi / American This sunny brunch eatery brightens up any morning. The animal-style hash brown smothered in American cheese and special sauce (an homage to In-N-Out) is a must-order, but any of the elevated toasts or egg dishes are a smart way to start your day. Reservations accepted. 2257 W. 32nd Ave., 303-862-6795. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

$$$

Highlands Ranch / Indian Enjoy upscale curries, biryani, and tandoori selections at the first Indian restaurant in Highlands Ranch. Reservations not accepted. 9344 Dorchester St., Suite 101, Highlands Ranch, 720-420-9374. Lunch, Dinner

ISTANBUL CAFE & BAKERY $

Washington Virginia Vale / Middle Eastern Inside the shopping center at the intersection of

South Monaco Parkway and Leetsdale Drive, friendly owner Ismet Yilmaz prepares authentic Turkish pastries. Reservations not accepted. 850 S. Monaco Parkway, Suite 9, 720-787-7751. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

IZAKAYA DEN

$$$

Platt Park / Japanese Ultra-fresh sushi, sashimi, and creative small plates are on the menu at this local favorite. Reservations accepted. 1487-A S. Pearl St., 303-777-0691. Dinner

JAMAICAN GRILLE

$$

Lincoln Park / Jamaican This family-owned Jamaican restaurant serves classic Caribbean-centric dishes like jerk chicken, fried plantains, and rice and peas. Reservations accepted. 709 W. Eighth Ave., 303-623-0013. Lunch, Dinner

KAOS PIZZERIA

$$

Platt Park / Pizza A wood-fired oven, gourmet ingredients, and wine to-go make this a perfect pizzeria for dine-in or delivery. If the weather’s nice, eat outside in the spacious garden area. Reservations accepted. 1439 S. Pearl St, 303-7335267. Lunch, Dinner

KAWA NI

$$$$

LoHi / Asian Connecticut transplant Bill Taibe helms this upscale izakaya concept in LoHi. Peruse the eclectic menu of noodles, sushi, and small plates, and don’t miss the shaved broccoli miso goma. Reservations accepted. 1900 W. 32nd Ave., 303-455-9208. Dinner

Sustainably Sourced Seafood | Locally Owned & Operated

STRATUM NO. 1

The Stratum Mirror celebrates the solid and void spaces created in our natural world, in plants, rocks, and forests. The powder-coated louvers of Stratum No. 1 are anchored in three layers within a solid wood frame, with a mirror attached at the back. The bands of various widths create a deep dimensionality and an arresting fractured reflection that displays what is in front of the mirror and the rich tones and shadows created by the surface elements.

DINING GUIDE

LA DIABLA POZOLE Y MEZCAL $

Ballpark / Mexican This lively eatery from James Beard Award finalist Jose Avila serves up comforting pozole and other traditional Mexican fare at affordable prices. Reservations not accepted. 2233 Larimer St., 720-519-1060. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

LE FRENCH $$

Hampden / French This chic Belleview Station bistro, owned by French-Senegalese sisters, transports diners through Parisian cuisine with African influences. Also try the Hale location. Reservations accepted. 4901 S. Newport St., 720-710-8963. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

LEEZAKAYA

$$$$

Aurora / Japanese From the team behind Tofu Story and Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken, this swanky eatery boasts an expansive menu of Japanese bites and sake. The mentaiko creamy pasta is a must-order. Reservations accepted. 2710 S. Havana St., Aurora, 720-769-6595.

Lunch, Dinner

LUCINA EATERY & BAR

$$$

South Park Hill / Latin American Bold flavors from Latin America, the Caribbean, and coastal Spain tantalize at this lively restaurant. Try the mofongo, a plantain mash with pork belly chicharrón, or the two-person paella with rotating toppings only served on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations accepted. 2245 Kearney St., Suite 101, 720-814-1053. Dinner

MARIGOLD

$$$

Lyons / European This small, light-filled restaurant serves seasonally driven French- and Italian-influenced fare. The pink-peppercornlaced farinata (chickpea pancake) is a delicious mainstay of the frequently changing menu; the amaro-centric cocktail program is also delightful. Reservations accepted. 405 Main St., Suite B, Lyons, 303-823-2333. Dinner

MISFIT SNACKBAR

OLIVE & FINCH

City Park West / American Discover wholesome meals at this restaurant and bakery, where you’ll find a full coffee bar, sandwiches, soups, salads, and house-made pastries. Also try the Cherry Creek location. Reservations not accepted. 1552 E. 17th Ave., 303-832-8663. Breakfast, Lunch

OSAKA RAMEN

$$

City Park / Contemporary You’ll never be bored by the imaginative, flavor-packed offerings from chef-owner Bo Porytko at this eclectic concept housed inside Middleman cocktail bar. Start with the chips and dip: smashed potatoes with an everchanging house sauce. Reservations not accepted. 3401 E. Colfax Ave., 303-353-4207. Dinner

NANA’S DIM SUM & DUMPLINGS

LoHi / Chinese Enjoy a spread of house-made dumplings and shareable Asian plates at this swanky restaurant in LoHi. Xiaolongbao lovers should go for the bite-size “thumblings.” Reservations accepted. 3316 Tejon St., Suite 102, 720-769-4051. Lunch, Dinner

NOISETTE RESTAURANT & BAKERY

$$

$$$

LoHi / French Chefs Tim and Lillian Lu serve elegant renditions of bourgeoisie-style specialties (French home-cooked comforts) in a romantic, light-drenched space. Tear into the perfectly crisp baguette. Reservations accepted. 3254 Navajo St., Suite 100, 720-769-8103. Dinner, Brunch

$$

$$

RiNo / Japanese Jeff Osaka’s modern ramen shop features original noodle soups, bento boxes, and creative small plates. Try the mochi doughnuts. Reservations not accepted. 2611 Walnut St., 303-955-7938. Lunch, Dinner

POINT EASY

$$$$

Whittier / Contemporary This casual, inviting farm-to-table eatery produces feasts made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients, many of which are local. Reservations accepted. 2000 E. 28th Ave., 303-233-5656. Dinner

THE PORKLET

Aurora / Asian This fast-casual spot in a shopping center excels at producing renditions of katsu (fried cutlets encrusted in panko breadcrumbs). The Volcano Fried Rice is a must. Reservations not accepted. 12201 E. Mississippi Ave., Suite 123B, Aurora, 303-364-1287. Lunch, Dinner

QUE BUENO SUERTE!

$

$$$

Platt Park / Mexican The menu at this vibrant restaurant offers familiar items like tacos and fajitas as well as upscale, regionally inspired Mexican

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fare. Try the molcajete on Friday and Saturday. Reservations accepted. 1518 S. Pearl St., 720-6427322. Dinner, Brunch

RESTAURANT OLIVIA

$$$$

Washington Park / Italian This cozy yet modern neighborhood spot from the team behind Bistro Georgette specializes in fresh pastas and Italian classics like porchetta. The stuffed pastas are must-orders. Reservations accepted. 290 S. Downing St., 303-999-0395. Dinner

ROSENBERG’S BAGELS & DELICATESSEN

Five Points / Deli Get your fix of New York–style bagels at this Five Points deli. Don’t miss the Standard topped with gravlax, tomato, and onion. Also try the Stanley Marketplace location. Reservations not accepted. 725 E. 26th Ave., 720-440-9880. Breakfast, Lunch

SAFTA

$$

Herbaceous offerings like chrysanthemum green salad and culantro-capped tomato toast are favorites of the menu, as are seafood plates like the hamachi collar with a coconut caramel glaze. Reservations accepted. 2550 E. Colfax Ave., 303-736-2303. Dinner

SHIN YUU IZAKAYA

$$

Louisville / Japanese Sushi, ramen, and yakitori (charcoal-grilled meat skewers) pair nicely with Japanese whisky and shochu at this casual restaurant in Louisville. The chicken yakitori is our go-to order. Reservations not accepted. 917 Front St., Suite 100, Louisville, 303-661-3009. Lunch, Dinner

SPUNTINO

$$$$

RiNo / Mediterranean At Safta, acclaimed chef Alon Shaya and his team serve modern Israeli fare. Crave-worthy specialties include hummus, labneh, and other dips accompanied by wood-oven pita and crispy Persian rice with cherries and sunflower seeds. Also check out the weekend brunch buffet. Reservations accepted. 3330 Brighton Blvd., Suite 201, 720-408-2444. Dinner, Brunch

SAP SUA

$$$$

Highland / Italian Enjoy the eclectic and locally sourced menu at this Italian-inspired, husbandand-wife-owned spot. Go for any of the dishes with Southern Indian influences—a product of chef Cindhura Reddy’s heritage—like malai kofta gnocchi. Don’t miss the house-made gelatos for dessert. Reservations accepted. 2639 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-0949. Dinner

STONE CELLAR BISTRO

$$$

Congress Park / Vietnamese This smart eatery from husband-and-wife duo Ni and Anna Nguyen finds its culinary footing in Vietnamese flavors.

$$$

Arvada / Contemporary Visit this farm-to-table spot in Olde Town Arvada for beautifully presented dishes made with local produce by chefs Jordan Alley and Brandon Kerr. Don’t miss the foie gras parfait or the hot honey fried chicken. Reservations accepted. 7605 Grandview Ave., Arvada, 720-630-7908. Dinner

SUNDAY VINYL

$$$

LoDo / European This Union Station restaurant offers warm hospitality, exquisite cuisine, and an extensive wine list, all to the soundtrack of a vinyl-only playlist. Order the duck-liverstuffed gougè res (French cheese puffs) and something from the indulgent selection of sweet treats. Reservations accepted. 1803 16th St., 720-738-1803. Dinner

TESSA DELICATESSEN

Montclair / Deli This modern all-day eatery from Vince Howard, formerly of Del Rey Deli in Los Angeles, serves hot and cold sandwiches. Reservations not accepted. 5724 E. Colfax Ave., 720-746-9138. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

TOCABE, AN AMERICAN INDIAN EATERY

Berkeley / American Feast on Indigenous fare such as fry bread tacos made with ingredients sourced from Native producers at this fast-casual spot. The company also has an online marketplace for Native-produced bison and pantry goods and donates prepared meals to tribal communities in need . Reservations not accepted. 3536 W. 44th Ave., 720-524-8282. Lunch, Dinner

$

$

TOFU STORY $$

Aurora / Korean House-made tofu is the main draw at this airy Korean eatery from chef-restaurateur J.W. Lee. Order the spicy seafood soondubu stew featuring silken tofu with the pressurecooked rice. Reservations not accepted. 2060 S. Havana St., Aurora, 303-954-9372. Lunch, Dinner

UCHI DENVER

$$$$

Curtis Park / Japanese This bustling eatery from James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole delivers artful and inventive Japanese small plates and sushi made with some of the freshest fish in town. Reservations accepted. 2500 Lawrence St., 303-444-1922. Dinner

UNCLE

Speer / Asian This reliable Pan Asian noodle house from chef-owner Tommy Lee has a revolving menu of steamed buns, small plates, rice and curry bowls, and ramen. Order the spicy dan dan noodles. Also try the Highland location. Reservations not accepted. 95 S. Pennsylvania St., 720-638-1859. Dinner

URBAN VILLAGE GRILL

$$

VIET’S RESTAURANT

$

Westwood / Vietnamese Enjoy sophisticated Vietnamese cuisine at this modern eatery. It boasts everything from fresh spring rolls and pho favorites to gourmet seafood plates. Reservations accepted. 333 S. Federal Blvd., Suite 125, 303-9225774. Lunch, Dinner

VIEWHOUSE

$$$

Lone Tree / Indian Chef Charles Mani serves classic and contemporary dishes from regions across India at this eatery inside Park Meadows Mall. Order the chef’s tasting menu, a multicourse feast featuring Urban cauliflower, butter chicken, and other popular dishes. Reservations accepted. 8505 Park Meadows Center Drive, Suite 2184A, Lone Tree, 720-536-8565. Lunch, Dinner

US THAI CAFE

Edgewater / Thai Classic, fresh ingredients, spicy dishes, and a chef straight from Thailand make for an authentic, if mouth-tingling, dining experience. Try the green curry. Reservations accepted. 5228 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-233-3345. Lunch, Dinner

$

$$

Ballpark / American This is your place to catch the game and enjoy a variety of bar bites, from burgers and tacos to steak. Watch your favorite team while enjoying a draft beer and a plate of nachos. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 2015 Market St., 720-878-2015. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

WHITE PIE

$$$

City Park West / Pizza This neighborhood joint has an excellent selection of New Haven–style pizzas and house-made pastas. Pair the Porky Porkorino, topped with soppressata, mozzarella, pickled chiles, and hot honey, with frosé. Reservations not accepted. 1702 Humboldt St., 303-862-5323.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

WHITTIER CAFE

Whittier / Cafe This espresso bar, which supports social-justice-related causes, serves coffee, beer, and wine sourced from various African nations and a small menu of pastries, breakfast burritos, panini, and more. Reservations not accepted. 1710 E. 25th Ave., 720-550-7440. Breakfast, Lunch

$

XICAMITI LA TAQUERÍA

$$

Golden / Mexican This long-standing joint serves cooked-to-order burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and alambres (skillet dishes) made with recipes drawing from Walter Meza’s childhood in Mexico. Reservations not accepted. 715 Washington Ave., Golden, 303-215-3436. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

YAHYA’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL & PASTRIES

$$ City Park West / Mediterranean This family-run restaurant serves silky hummus, a variety of excellent grilled kebabs, and from-scratch sweets. Try the beef koobideh. Reservations accepted. 2207 E. Colfax Ave., 720-532-8746. Lunch, Dinner

ZOCALITO LATIN BISTRO

Downtown / Mexican Formerly located in Aspen, chef/owner Michael Beary’s upscale Oaxacan eatery found a home in the heart of Denver. Reservations accepted. 999 18th St., Suite 107, 720-923-5965. Dinner

ZORBA’S

$$$

$$

Congress Park / Greek Zorba’s has served American and Greek fare—burgers, salads, sandwiches, and classic breakfast dishes—in Congress Park since 1979. Reservations not accepted. 2626 E. 12th Ave., 303-321-0091. Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

 These listings are in no way related to advertising in 5280. If you find that a restaurant differs significantly from the information in its listing or your favorite restaurant is missing from the Dining Guide, please let us know. Write us at 5280 Publishing, Inc., 1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202 or dining@5280.com.

A WORLD OF LUXURY in your backyard

Embark on the perfect staycation just an hour south of Denver! Relax in newly renovated lodge rooms and indulge in elevated dining at Grand View Restaurant, all with views of the Garden of the Gods Park. The perfect Colorado getaway awaits you at Garden of the Gods Resort and Club.

ENDODONTICS

DANIEL E. ESPOSITO, MD, DMD, FACS

5280 Top Dentist

Dr. Esposito is honored to have been chosen by his peers as a 5280 Top Dentist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Esposito continues his private practice focusing on superior infection control, sterilization, individualized patient care, and compassionate attention to detail.

Dr. Esposito and his team strive to exceed the expectations of every patient, every day. As

a solo-practitioner, patients rest assured that Dr. Esposito will perform the consultation, the operation, and all follow up care. His talented team at the Implant and Oral Surgery Center excel at sterilization and infection control procedures, insurance management, and the creation of a safe and comfortable environment for the patient’s oral surgical needs.

Dr. Esposito is an expert in wisdom teeth extractions, placement of ceramic and titanium implants, oral pathology, orthognathic surgery, reconstructive bone grafting, and facial trauma reconstruction. The incorporation of stem cell therapy and Platelet Rich Fibrin into our everyday practice has led to outstanding surgical success.

Dr. Esposito received his degrees from Cornell University, the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. After receiving his medical degree from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Esposito received his Board Certification from the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, he is a Diplomate in the International Congress of Implantology, and was awarded his Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons. This continued dedication to excellence has benefitted patients throughout his decades in practice.

Dr. Esposito is grateful for this honor, and the support and trust of his peers in dentistry and medicine.

GENERAL DENTISTRY

CHERRY CREEK DENTISTRY

DR. JOHN R. HARGREAVES III, DDS, DABOI, FAAID

5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, 1998; University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency & Preceptorship in Dental Implantology, 1999; Pierre Fauchard Honor Society, 2003; Medical College of Georgia, AAID Implant Dentistry Maxi Course, 2003; Misch International Implant Institute, Prosthetic and Surgical Program, 2014-2015

DR. OLINGA HARGREAVES, DDS, DABOI, FAAID

6 5280 Top Dentist 2024

University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio Dental School, 1999; University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio General Practice Residency, 2000; Pierre Fauchard Honor Society, 2003; Medical College of Georgia, AAID Implant Dentistry Maxi Course, 2003; Misch International Implant Institute, Prosthetic and Surgical Program, 2014-2015; American Academy of Facial Esthetics Faculty, 2013

Dentistry is our passion! It provides an ideal balance between art and science, and our desire to attain an amazing career in the healthcare profession where we can utilize our creative skills. Our “boutique” concierge style dentistry is laser-focused on being patient-centered and providing the highest quality care using cutting-edge technology in an ultra-modern environment. As husband and wife, we share a vision to deliver comprehensive care while helping patients explore and implement dental and facial strategies to help improve their lives. Our ultimate goal is to meet and exceed patients’ vision of optimal health.

Our dedication to dentistry is evident with our consistent engagement in advanced training. From inception, following dental school, we both built our foundation with post-doctoral residencies to grant us a higher level of proficiency and acquire expertise in collaborating with our patient’s physicians to deliver outstanding dental care. Over the last twenty-six years, as premium providers of IV “sleep” sedation, oral surgery including implants, and complex dentistry, we have been committed to staying abreast of the latest information and honing our skills through a variety of advanced continuing education training. Our proudest moment came in 2015, becoming the first husband and wife duo to achieve the highest credential as Diplomates and Board Certified Implantologists by the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry.

Our dental philosophy far exceeds traditional general dentistry. By implementing the most current and scientifically proven methods with the ultimate level of competency and experience, we can treat even the most complex dental issues. Whether patients are seeking dentistry as a preventative or needing extensive treatment, our experienced team, including our therapy service dog, Emma, can help them create “a smile for a lifetime.”

While clinical expertise and advanced technology are essential to obtaining superior results, it is our commitment to individualized care that truly sets us apart. We understand the unique needs of our patients, especially those in their golden years. We feel incredibly fortunate and honored that our patients have put their trust in us to not only be a part of their personal healthcare, but also for their family and friends whom they continue to refer to our practice.

If you demand the best for your dental needs, we’d like to welcome you to Cherry Creek Dentistry—your new dental home.

3655 S. Monaco Parkway

Denver, CO 80237

303.758.7676

WWW.CHERRYCREEKDENTISTRY.COM

We deliver happiness one smile at a time by treating all of our patients like family, achieving extraordinary results. We are award winning, exceptional, board certified doctors using advanced technology, including 3D imaging, clear braces, digital scanning, and Invisalign. With four orthodontic specialists, the best quality of care is always available. All About Braces/Colorado Orthodontics prides itself on giving back to our community. We have treated countless patients through programs such as Smiles Change Lives, Colorado Orthodontic Foundation, and Team Smile and have donated over $500,000 to local schools in honor of our fabulous patients! Come see us and let us put a smile on your face. Affordable fees, priceless smiles! Creating happiness one smile at a time.

Our offices offer a family friendly environment where all children and adults are treated with love, care, and understanding. In our state-of-the-art facility we offer quality care. Nitrous is offered in all 4 clinics and we are able to provide sedation appointments when needed. We have been caring for families in the Denver Metro area since 2005. We at Kids Choice and All About Kids recognize that our patients’ time is important, we offer appointments six days a week, and late appointments. We accept most insurances including Denver Health Medicaid, Reg. Medicaid and CHP+. We work throughout the city to educate children and their families on the need for early childhood prevention in dental health. Our clinics are here to serve your family.

#1 Orthodontist in Colorado Parent

#1 Orthodontist in Colorado and #2 in the nation -HealthTap

“Best of the Best” -Colorado Community Newspapers

Aurora | Denver | Lakewood | Thornton

303.452.0077

WWW.AABRACES.COM | WWW.COORTHO.COM

We are dedicated to creating beautiful, healthy, aligned smiles by utilizing the latest orthodontic treatment options and stateof-the-art technologies.

Our trusted team, led by Dr. Robert T. Rudman, DDS, MS, and Dr. Jeffery J. Birg, DDS, MS, have over 150 years of combined orthodontic experience and are committed to providing each patient with a custom treatment plan to fit their needs and lifestyle.

Dr. Rudman and Dr. Birg’s commitment to using the latest in orthodontic technologies results in amazing smiles in shorter timeframes and higher overall patient satisfaction. We are proud to be the first team in Denver to have offered and treated patients with V-PRO, a scientifically proven technology that shortens treatment time by 30 to 40 percent. We are also an Invisalign Diamond Provider, a status that is reserved for only the most experienced orthodontists. Our team also uses the I-Tero Scanning System for our Invisalign patients, which makes messy, uncomfortable impressions a thing of the past. Our philosophy, “We are here to make you smile,” goes far beyond treating your teeth. It is about feeling great about your experience, from your initial consultation to your debonding day. Whether you are 8 or 80 years old and want colorful self-ligating traditional braces or Invisalign, our team looks forward to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams.

Visit AdvancedOrthodonticcare.com today to learn more, view patient success stories, and book your appointment to discover your smile with our team today.

ORTHODONTICS

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. GREG KEENE

17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

We are proud to be celebrating our 25th year practicing as a sole practitioner! Dr. Greg Keene realizes that a beautiful, healthy smile boosts his patients’ confidence and promotes self-esteem. That is why he focuses on providing optimal dental care in a comfortable setting. Customer safety is the #1 priority before you even enter the building. Their office is keeping you safe and healthy. “We take the time to develop relationships with our patients and have fun doing it,” says Dr. Keene. Now offering Botox treatments for facial pain and esthetic enhancement.

255 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette, CO 80026 303.665.5586 | WWW.KEENESMILES.COM

ORTHODONTICS

CROSSROADS ORTHODONTICS

DR. MARK GREGSTON

11 5280 Top Dentist 2024

For over a decade, Dr. Mark Gregston has served patients in Castle Rock and Parker with exceptional care and expertise. Crossroads Orthodontics is committed to excellence, utilizing the latest advancements in orthodontic technology. Dr. Gregston strives to achieve optimal results, transforming smiles and improving lives.

Castle Rock | Parker

303.758.2366

WWW.CROSSROADS-ORTHO.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. SUSAN KUTIS

14 5280 Top Dentist 2024

University of Illinois School of Dentistry, University of Colorado General Practice Residency, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dawson Academy Alumni, Spear Study Club, American Dental Association, and Colorado Dental Association

Dr. Susan Kutis is humbled to have received the Top Dentist award since 2012, in both Denver and Chicago. This recognition stems from her compassionate care, combined with endless hours spent on continuing education, to provide her patients with the latest dental techniques in cosmetic and comprehensive care.

10354 W. Chatfield Ave., Ste. 100, Littleton, CO 80127

720.924.4849 | WWW.BLUESAGEDENTAL.COM

Bertagnolli Dental was founded by Dr. Edward Bertagnolli in 1971. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1969 and served as a dentist in the Vietnam War. Dr. Ed built the practice based on honesty and integrity and has dedicated his career to providing comprehensive and compassionate dental care to all his patients. Bertagnolli Dental is a true family practice; both the practice and the founding values have been passed down from a generation to both of Ed’s sons. Dr. John joined his father in 2000 and Dr. Joe followed in 2006. They both graduated top of their dental class from Creighton University. The dentists are award-winning, exceptional, board-certified doctors who use advanced technology including 3D imaging, digital scanning and radiography, and Invisalign to help their patient. All fields of dentistry including implants, intravenous conscious sedation, cosmetic, oral surgery, and preventative are provided. The office is also certified to offer Botox. Bertagnolli Dental is proud to be a provider to Colorado’s developmentally disabled population. They have provided dentistry for the developmentally disabled since 1974 and have expanded their care with the addition of Dr. Wiebe MD with Dr. Joe DDS to include sedation services as well as routine care. Dr. Wiebe graduated from the University of British Columbia as a boardcertified physician. Together the doctors in both dentistry and medicine are committed to providing a welcoming, comfortable environment for all their patients.

GENERAL DENTISTRY

BERTAGNOLLI DENTAL

DR. JOHN BERTAGNOLLI

DR. JOE BERTAGNOLLI

16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

7280 Bradburn Boulevard

Westminster, CO 80030

303.429.6222

WWW.BERTAGNOLLIDENTAL.COM

The doctors at Nelson & Wells Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery have been serving our community for over 50 years. Steven R. Nelson DDS, MS and Zachary T. Wells, DMD practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery with expertise ranging from corrective jaw surgery to wisdom tooth removal, bone grafting and dental implant placement. Our surgeons also diagnose and treat oral pathology, facial injuries, and TMJ disorders. To learn more, give us a call or visit us online at www.oralsurgerydenver.com.

D.D.S., University of North Carolina

Dr. Radz and the Denver Place Dentistry team welcome you to Denver’s best in cosmetic dentistry. Our convenient downtown office works to ensure that you feel comfortable, receive exceptional care, and leave with a newfound confidence in your smile.

Known internationally for his experience in cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Radz has dedicated his career to studying, practicing, and teaching cosmetic dentistry. His interest in cosmetics has led him to become one of the leading educators in the field of esthetics. Dr. Radz has presented at many regional, national, and international meetings and he has served as program chairman for the annual scientific meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry three times.

Our mission is simple: to help you Live Life Smiling.

As a Board-Certified Orthodontist, Dr. Isaac is passionately committed to providing personalized orthodontic treatment for pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients that redefines quality care.

Our goal at i-Orthodontics is to instill confidence in patients through beautiful smiles.

Come discover how you can LIVE LIFE SMILING.

Isaac D. Chung, D.M.D. Board-Certified Orthodontist

Did you know that the WAY you breathe can increase your risk of gingivitis and increase your blood pressure? And did you know that the way your teeth fit together can determine how much enamel wear you’ll have in the future? These are just a few items we discuss during your exam to ensure the opportunity for you to achieve optimal oral health. Our patients are well informed individuals who seek the best care in a friendly, comfortable environment. We treat general dentistry needs, headaches, TMJ problems, cosmetic concerns, implants, and sleep apnea when the CPAP isn’t tolerable.

At Aspenwood Dental Associates and Colorado Dental Implant Center, our team is dedicated to building longterm relationships with our patients and their families. Drs. Sun, Yaros, Augustine, and Zeppelin have been providing customized, quality dental care, and compassionate dentistry for a combined total of more than 80 years.

Our team members form a solid foundation for a practice that is built on family values. We are proud of our highly experienced employees. Every member of our team strives to provide the quality of care that we know our patients deserve. Our office provides a warm, inviting, and caring atmosphere in a modern setting.

We focus on the front edge of technology, but we are not so far out that we are using techniques that are not proven. This technology includes digitally scanned crowns, digital imaging, 3D scanning, and implant planning, all of which help get the best results for our patients.

When you come to Aspenwood Dental Associates and Colorado Dental Implant Center, your family becomes our family. We treat you how we would like to be treated, and you can be assured that you will receive nothing less than the best dental care we can provide. From general dentistry to dental implants and dentures, we help patients of all ages to achieve and maintain a beautiful smile.

Dr. Karlin is a Board-certified orthodontist and Diamond Invisalign provider who has brought orthodontic excellence and beautiful smiles to Highlands Ranch and surrounding communities for over 15 years. His down-to-earth personality and relaxed style make him an ideal practitioner for young children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Karlin and his team pride themselves on their intimate and fun office environment, and they strive to make a positive difference in the lives of patients and their families. Consistently positive reviews and testimonials for Karlin Orthodontics reflect the quality results and the strong relationships we have built with our patients. 9305

Gregg L. Lurcott, DDS

Michael A. Hale, DDS

Aaron T. Liddell, MD, DMD, FACS

Matthew K. Alleman, DMD, FACS

Travis J. Hamilton, MD, DMD

HIGHLANDS RANCH FAMILY DENTISTRY

ERIC T. RYSNER, D.D.S

16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

B.S., Ergonomics, University of Illinois D.D.S., Creighton University

ELIZABETH MCINERNEY, D.D.S

4 5280 Top Dentist 2024

B.S., Molecular Biology, University of Illinois D.D.S., Creighton University

We are honored and humbled to be recognized by our professional colleagues as a 5280 Top Dentist for the 16th consecutive year! We are a true family practice—Dr. McInerney, Dr. Rysner’s niece, joined our team in 2018. We not only graduated from the same institutions, we also share the same treatment philosophy which emphasizes the highest level of patient care in a technology rich environment. We are proud to be leaders with CEREC Primescan digital CAD/ CAM which minimizes your time in our office. In just one visit, we can treat, repair, and improve your smile with incredible precision, function, and beauty. For your comfort, we offer flat screen TVs and headphones during treatment, all in a relaxing and modern ski lodge atmosphere. We love being dentists as it lets our family provide your family with personal, honest, professional, and long-term care.

Highlands Ranch Family Dentistry

Colorado Mammoth Team Dentist Since 2005

For 40 years, we have been serving our patients in downtown Denver. Our philosophy is one that puts our patients’ needs first. We have a talented, caring staff and a warm environment to make your experience a positive one. We realize we are only here because of you and are honored to be chosen to care for your dental needs. We believe the greatest compliment we can receive is the referral of your family and friends.

We are honored and thankful to be recognized by our professional colleagues as 5280 Top Dentists. At Denver Metro OMS, we are devoted to delivering exemplary surgical care with a focus on compassion, precision, and patient wellbeing. Our mission is to provide comprehensive oral, facial and dental implant surgery, utilizing cutting-edge techniques and state-of-the-art technology. We are committed to the highest standards of professionalism, ensuring each patient receives personalized, top-tier treatment tailored to their unique needs. Please call our office so that our skilled team can assist you.

ORTHODONTICS

KOHRS ORTHODONTICS

KEITH J. KOHRS, DDS

17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

For 17 years in a row, Dr. Keith Kohrs is honored to be recognized as a 5280 Top Dentist! The Kohrs Orthodontics team of experts have been committed to providing their patients with top quality care and service for 22 years! They make it their mission to exceed expectations and strive to make each patient feel like the most important person in the room. As a cohesive group of friendly, passionate, well-trained leaders who excel in their field, Team Kohrs is dedicated to giving people the confidence to smile! As a patient, you can be sure you are receiving the best individualized orthodontic treatment from trusted, skilled professionals at a fair price. Dr. Kohrs is a specialist experienced in treating patients with multiple modalities, including traditional braces, fully custom 3D printed LightForce brackets, and several clear aligner options. Treatment plans are tailored to your unique goals using the most advanced technology, including virtual treatment monitoring, digital scans, and 3D printing. He is highly involved in the community and is also a member of the Kaiser Permanente craniofacial team, which provides a full range of health services to children with craniofacial birth defects, including cleft lip and palate.

Kohrs Orthodontics offers FREE in-office Exams or visit www.KohrsOrtho.com for a FREE Virtual Consultation.

5280 Top Dentist 2008 – 2024; DDS, Case Western Reserve University; Orthodontic Residency, Oregon Health & Sciences University; Provider for Kaiser Permanente’s Cleft Palate Team; Invisalign PLATINUM Provider AURORA-WEST 2900

5 STAR Google Reviews  “Great atmosphere. Always there to make my daughter feel important. They even take the time to interact with my other kids who have to sit and wait. Very knowledgeable and professional.” – Josh W. “Dr. Kohrs and his team are amazing! Not only do they create a comfortable, cheerful and welcoming environment, more importantly, they do fantastic work! I’m so pleased with the outcome of my kids’ braces!” – Tara L.

AURORA-EAST

18860

56620

4275

303.750.3660 | WWW.KOHRSORTHO.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

MILE HIGH SMILES

BRIAN S. LEVITIN, DDS

15 5280 Top Dentist 2024

B.S. from James Madison University

D.D.S. from VCU/MCV in 2004 Graduated Cum Laude

Member of the American Dental Association, Colorado Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Metro Denver Dental Society, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the American Academy of Facial Esthetics

MILE HIGH SMILES

MILE HIGH SMILES

Dr. Levitin has provided exceptional, comfortable dental care for 20 years using the latest technology. He has been recognized as a Top Dentist numerous times in Virginia and Colorado for his attention to detail and excellent patient care. We take pride in exceptional treatment tailored to your needs. If you are seeking cosmetic dentistry, sedation dentistry, implants, Invisalign, Botox or advanced laser treatments in a professional, caring atmosphere, contact us today! Visit our website to see what our patients say!

8015 W. Alameda Avenue, Suite 250

Lakewood, CO 80226

MILE HIGH SMILES

303.232.1830

WWW.MILEHIGHSMILES.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

SOUTHLANDS DENTAL

GUNJAN KALRA, DDS 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Personalized attention is our strongest hallmark. Comprehensive approach is the root philosophy of our highly skilled, compassionate, and dedicated team, catering to your needs in every way possible and striving to build long-term relationships. As part of our family of patients, you will be empowered with the needed insight to make educated decisions about your dental health.

Our commitment to lifelong learning and incorporating leading technologies has catapulted our practice to the highest level of service. From preventative care to complex cosmetic smile enhancements, we are proud to have the latest technologies such as digital imaging, 3D scans, single visit crowns, implants, and laser dentistry at our fingertips. We have now incorporated Dermal fillers and BOTOX® for facial esthetics and TMJ related issues. We welcome you to experience the paragon of exceptional care at Southlands Dental!

22970

E. Smoky Hill Road

Aurora, CO 80016 | 720.886.0606

WWW.SOUTHLANDSDENTAL.COM

MICHAEL ROLLERT, DDS

17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

MEENA BHATTI, DMD, FRCDC

4 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Personalized care you won’t find anywhere else. Rocky Mountain Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery has been committed to serving the Denver metropolitan community for more than 25 years. When it comes to picking an oral surgeon, we know that you have options. Quality, gentle, comprehensive patient care is our number one priority. DENVER TECH CENTER LONE TREE | THORNTON 720.452.2144 WWW.ROCKYMOUNTAINOMS.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

LODO DENTAL

NICOLE FURUTA, DDS 12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

LINDSAY FOX, DMD 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Conveniently located a block from the 16th Street Mall, Lodo Dental sees patients from throughout the Denver Metro area! As Lodo’s first female-owned dental practice, Dr. Furuta and Dr. Fox combine the most modern, proven dental technologies and practices, with an emphasis on comfortably and safely providing the highest level of care. We are now accepting new patients and would love to see your smile!

1435 Wazee Street, Suite 102, Denver, CO 80202 303.623.5636 | WWW.LODODENTAL.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

METRO SMILES PC

ROBIN ASBURY, DDS 16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At Metro Smiles, we offer Invisalign®, Zoom®Whitening, Botox® treatment for clenching and gummy smile correction, metal-free fillings, natural-looking crowns/veneers, and more! We create a relaxing, comfortable experience, quality services, and exceptional patient care to people who value smiles as much as we do. Dr. Robin is passionate about facial aesthetics and cosmetic dentistry. She loves helping patients gain confidence through self-improvement and optimal dental health. Dr. Robin has been featured in 5280 magazine Top Dentists from 2009-2024.

8200 E. Belleview Avenue, Suite 460E Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.768.8443 | WWW.SMILESBYDRROBIN.COM

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

DR. REBECCA GOLDBERG

5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Rebecca is a board-certified pediatric dentist committed to providing quality care and education to her patients. The team emphasizes establishing long-term relationships with patients and contributing to the local community. Dr. Rebecca’s jungle-themed practice creates a fun, memorable atmosphere. They utilize cuttingedge laser technology to get rid of “cavity causing sugar bugs.” Her team can’t wait to meet you and help keep your smiles healthy.

2975 Roslyn Street, Suite 160, Denver, CO 80238

720.945.1234 | WWW.AWILDSMILE.COM

DR. PHILIP WIMPEE

15 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Phil Wimpee founded Colorado Smile Design in 1990 with the primary goal of providing the highest quality dental care in the most comfortable setting possible. Today, Colorado Smile Design achieves that goal in a state-of-the-art facility, utilizing the latest cutting edge technology. Colorado Smile Design always focuses on patients first. We are proud to be individually owned and not one of the huge, impersonal corporate offices that have become all too common. Thirty-four years after its beginning, Colorado Smile Design is a unique place where the entire team strives to provide the latest in advanced dentistry with genuine friendliness and care.

Going to the dentist should be a welcoming and comfortable experience. That’s why Drs. Scott Pankratz, Matt Goergen, Chad Belongea, and the Team work hard to provide a friendly, upbeat atmosphere to help you feel at home during your visit to our office. At Southwest Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and Southwest Adult Dentistry, we believe that the relationship between dentist and patient should be built on mutual trust, respect, and friendship. We get to know our patients and want you to feel like family. We can’t wait to welcome you to your new dental home! 6931

GENERAL DENTISTRY

BELMAR DENTISTRY

DR. KELLY THOMPSON

6 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Thompson provides patient-first, collaborative, comprehensive, and compassionate dental care. She is passionate about understanding patient priorities and providing education for clients in order to create a tailored oral health care plan. At Belmar Dentistry, the entire team works to ensure a relaxed and comfortable environment serving patients in general, restorative, preventative, emergency dentistry and oral surgery.

15 Wadsworth Boulevard

Lakewood, CO 80226 | 303.936.3700

WWW.BELMARDENTISTRY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. DAWN WEHKING

10 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Accredited, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

Master, Academy of General Dentistry

B.S., Molecular and Microbiology, University of Central Florida D.D.S., University of Maryland School of Dentistry

You’ll notice a difference when you visit our office. Our team will listen to your needs and ease your fears. Whether your visit is for a dental checkup or you’re starting on the path to a smile makeover, we will make sure you feel comfortable along the way. While our office is a house, our goal is that after you visit, you’ll feel it’s a home.

204 E. Baseline Road, Lafayette, CO 80026

303.665.4000 | WWW.DENTISTLAFAYETTE.COM

ORAL + MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

AUSTIN IVEY, DDS, MD

1 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Ivey enjoys all aspects of oral surgery but has particular interests in facial trauma, nutrition, and whole health approaches to surgery, bone grafting, and regenerative medicine within dentistry. He started practicing dentistry in 2013. Dr. Ivey is a published author in implant dentistry and is a member of the Colorado Dental Association, Metro Denver Dental Society, the ADA, AAOMS, and the Colorado Association of Oral Surgery.

14000 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 320

Centennial, CO 80112

303.493.1933

WWW.IVEYOFS.COM

Prosthodontics is a dental specialty focusing on the restoration or replacement of damaged or missing teeth with crowns, bridges, dental implants and dentures. We also provide treatment for oral cancer with necessary appliances before and after surgery. We pride ourselves on providing quality dentistry, built from more than 35 years of combined experience in Denver. We work with many of the finest general practitioners and dental specialists to restore lost function and esthetics, whether it is a single tooth or a full-mouth reconstruction.

All children deserve to have healthy smiles for life!

At Sunrise, we strive to create a safe (and fun!) first dental experience for every patient. Dr. Crespi’s passion for kids and conservative approach to dentistry are the foundation of her patient care philosophy.

“I believe creating both educational and interactive dental experiences from day one is the key to our success,” Dr. Crespi says. “When both my patients and their parents leave happy, I know we’ve achieved our goals.”

GENERAL DENTISTRY

GENERATIONS FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

DR. LINDSAY COMPTON

3 5280 Top Dentist 2024

We enjoy treating all patients who seek exceptional dental care in a warm, friendly atmosphere. This philosophy establishes a trusting relationship between us and our patients. We are committed to providing a welcoming, comfortable environment for all patients we treat, regardless of their dental condition.

8595 Ralston Road, Arvada, CO 80002

303.421.2131 | WWW.ARVADADENTIST.COM

ENDODONTICS

ROOT OF ENDODONTICS

EMMANUEL PAGUIO, DDS, MS

9 5280 Top Dentist 2024

We want to introduce you to our new name, logo, and website! It has been nearly 10 years here; so, we decided to revitalize ourselves as we do with our smiles. Although our outward appearance has changed, our core values have not. We are still a family-owned, small business. Dr. Paguio is a Board-Certified endodontist and proud to serve our community, working together to save smiles!

9950 W. 80th Avenue, Suite 21, Arvada, CO 80005

303.422.0607 | WWW.ROOTOFENDO.COM (COMING SOON!)

GENERAL DENTISTRY

HIGHLANDS RANCH DENTAL CARE

DR. LYNELLE ZABEL 12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At the heart of our practice, dental health harmonizes with beauty. Here, every smile is a showcase of wellness and an expression of artistic skill—be it through the transformative process of veneers, the intricate detail of implants, or the comprehensive approach to routine procedures. We’re excited to introduce Digital Smile Design, a window to your smile’s future, digitally envisioned, uniquely yours. Let us shape your smile into a radiant display of confidence.

9137 Ridgeline Boulevard, Suite 150 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 | 303.470.0017

WWW.HIGHLANDSRANCHDENTALCARE.COM

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

SUGAR BUGS

DR. JULIE VUONG TAYLOR 17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. TANDI DONALDSON 15 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At Sugar Bugs Pediatric Dentistry, we make your child’s dental experience fun and educational. Whether conducting free exams, welcoming parents to be with their child for appointments, or ringing the No Cavity Cow Bell, the entire team is committed to providing a warm, compassionate dental home.

7578 Sheridan Boulevard, Arvada, CO 80003

303.427.9779 | WWW.SUGARBUGSDDS.COM

Sugar Bugs Sugar Bugs

Pediatric d entistry

 @SugarBugsPediatricDentistry

 /SugarBugsDDS

BLUE SKY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

DR. JENNIFER L. THOMPSON

12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Jenn and the Blue Sky team strive to make each dental experience fun and informative for the entire family. They create a kid-friendly atmosphere while providing exceptional pediatric dental care. Dr. Jenn offers free well-baby checks, in-office sedation, and parents are always welcome to accompany their child during the dental appointment.

9330 S. University Boulevard, Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 | 303.771.8300

WWW.BLUESKYPEDIATRICDENTISTRY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. KARLYN TAYLOR

7 5280 Top Dentist 2024

D.D.S. with Honors from University of Washington, 2008

General Practice Residency at University of Colorado, 2010

Our team sets us apart. From the first smile that greets you on arrival, to our highly skilled and compassionate dentist, you will know that you are a valued patient. We love developing longterm relationships with our patients.

2373 Central Park Boulevard, Suite 304

Denver, CO 80238

303.388.2400

CENTR AL PARK DENTAL

WWW.CENTRALPARKDENTALDENVER.COM

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

GENERAL DENTISTRY

PLATTE CANYON DENTAL

CHRISTINA LINN, DMD

2 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Christina Linn wholeheartedly believes that a healthy smile is fundamental to an individual’s overall health and well-being. Her favorite part of dentistry is truly getting to know her patients and helping them feel at ease in the dental setting.

5950 S. Platte Canyon Road, Suite D-9 Littleton, CO 80123

303.797.2286

WWW.PLATTECANYONDENTAL.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

PEARL DENTISTRY

DR. STEFANIE WALKER 13 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. AMANDA POOLER

Excellence in Dentistry & Aesthetics. At Pearl Dentistry, Drs. Stefanie Walker and Amanda Pooler provide modern care and individualized attention for each patient. As a boutique practice, the duo focuses on superior cosmetic results, restorative dentistry, BOTOX treatments, Invisalign, dental implant restorations, and overall preventative care.

2200 W. 29th Avenue Denver, CO 80211

720.440.9296

WWW.PEARLDENTISTRYDENVER.COM

PERIODONTICS

LITTLETON IMPLANTS & PERIODONTICS

RYAN M. JENKINS, DMD

6 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Ryan Jenkins is a board-certified periodontist and dental implant surgeon. Our practice strives to provide the most advanced and optimal surgical care to our patients, including dental implants and LANAP laser periodontal therapy, in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 540 Littleton, CO 80120 | 303.797.1211

WWW.LITTLETONIMPLANTPERIO.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

PEAK VIEW DENTAL

JENNIFER SIBO, DDS, FAGD, D. ABDSM

12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

MERCY VASKA, DMD

Dr. Sibo and Dr. Vaska are committed to understanding and meeting their patients’ needs in a relaxed and compassionate environment. Using state-of-the-art technology, including same day crowns and dental lasers, Dr. Sibo ensures that every patient has the tools needed to achieve optimal oral health and wellness.

ENDODONTICS

4344 Woodlands Boulevard, Suite 140 Castle Rock, CO 80104 | 303.660.9333

WWW.PEAKVIEWDENTAL.COM

ENDODONTICS OF CHERRY CREEK & DTC

SCOTT M. MALONEY, DMD, MS 16

JESUS M. MACHADO, DDS, MSD 7

SPENCE T. GIBBS, DMD, MSD 4

16 7 4 5280 Top Dentist 2024

We honor the tradition and history that has earned us our reputation by prioritizing treatment outcomes, patient satisfaction, and professional collaboration.

303.321.7930

WWW.CHERRYCREEKENDO.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

BRADBURN VILLAGE DENTISTRY

DR. HEATHER STAMM-WINTER

5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. ERIC WINTER

12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

In a world that is often rushed and hurried, we maintain a philosophy of personalized care that really stands out to our patients. Patients truly appreciate the time we take to get to know them as we determine together how their lives can be enhanced through integrative, exceptional, whole-body dentistry. 11961 Bradburn Boulevard, Suite 200, Westminster, CO 80031

303.466.3222 | WWW.BRADBURNVILLAGEDENTISTRY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

JACLYNN SPENCER, DDS

14 5280 Top Dentist 2024

D.D.S. from University of Colorado School of Dentistry Member, 5280 Study Club

Brighton Smiles has been providing outstanding dentistry in the community for more than 20 years. Leading edge technology allows Dr. Jaci and her team to combine beauty and function in dentistry. Comprehensive education, combined with a caring touch, makes Brighton Smiles a wonderful place for family check-ups, as well as complex cosmetic dental needs. Schedule an appointment today.

30 South 20th Avenue, Suite D Brighton, CO 80601 | 303.659.3062

WWW.BRIGHTONSMILES.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DENVER TECH

DENTISTRY

DR. DANIEL SELNER 17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. ANDREA TAYLOR 16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. KYLE GRIFFITH 10 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Denver Tech Dentistry has been serving the Denver community for over 50 years. Our collaborative approach assures each patient receives the highest quality, personalized care that encompasses a focus on enhancing their overall dental health and appearance.

8181 E. Tufts Avenue, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80237

720.488.9090 | WWW.DENVERTECHDENTISTRY.COM

ENDODONTICS

EVOLUTION

ENDODONTICS + PERIODONTICS

DR. SHAUN SOUCIE 12 5280 Top Dentist

2024

Choose the most advanced care for your overall health and wellness. Our synergistic dual specialty practice provides the most comprehensive endodontic and periodontic patient experience. Soundwave and Laser advanced irrigation, in addition to anti-bacterial therapy, facilitates the debridement of complex root anatomy. 3D imaging fosters minimally invasive techniques to maintain the innate strength of your teeth. Periodontal therapy enhances esthetics, restores function, and quality of life. Precise, efficient, minimally invasive care with beautiful, predictable, long-term results.

753 Maleta Lane, Suite 201, Castle Rock, CO 80108

720.221.7774 | WWW.EVOLUTIONENDO.COM

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

5280 PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

DR. CRAIG OWENS 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. DEREK OWENS 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At 5280 Pediatric Dentistry, we strive to make every dental visit fun for both the patient and their parents. With 22 years of combined experience, we are brothers, native to Colorado, who are committed to treating your family as if they were our own.

11960 Lioness Way, Suite 170 Parker, CO 80134 | 303.601.5280

WWW.5280PEDIATRICDENTISTRY.COM

ORAL + MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

HIGHLANDS RANCH

ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY

RYAN HAMBLETON, DMD 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Highlands Ranch Oral & Facial Surgery is honored to be listed in 5280 among such talented and successful dental professionals. Our mission at Highlands Ranch Oral & Facial Surgery is to provide an exceptional clinical experience through service, compassion and professionalism.

300 Plaza Drive, Suite 175 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 720.996.0210 | WWW.HRSURGERY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

EC FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY

DR. EWELINA CIULA 4 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. MELISSA HATZIDAKIS 4 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Drs. Ciula and Hatzidakis welcome YOU. We are highly trained, compassionate, and diligent dentists that prioritize patients and provide specialized treatment for each individual. From routine check-ups and cleanings to complex dental procedures, we have the expertise and experience to meet your unique needs and help you achieve optimal oral health.

700 Broadway, Suite 1133, Denver, CO 80203

303.863.1177 | WWW.ECFAMILYDENTIST.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. CURTIS JOHNSEN

13 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Johnsen has trained in progressive techniques aimed to maximize your smile’s potential. He’s attained postgraduate honors with fellowships in the Pierre Fauchard dental honor society & Academy of General Dentistry, and mentorship at the Kois Center for Advanced Dental Learning. He is passionate about blending the art and science of dentistry to meet the unique dental needs of our patients.

2349 Wadsworth Boulevard Lakewood, CO 80214

303.232.5555

WWW.DOCTORJOHNSEN.COM

ORTHODONTICS

KAPLAN

7 5280 Top Dentist 2024

“I love using my talents to bring about positive, lasting changes in the lives of my patients and, quite literally, giving them a reason to smile.” Rangewood Orthodontics opened 20 years ago with a mission to provide our community with exceptional orthodontic care. Today we pride ourselves on being BRILLIANTLY DIFFERENT! We offer cutting edge technology with SPARK, Invisalign, and Damon braces, providing exceptional results in a fast, efficient time frame. We treat the entire family with same-day starts and payment plans.

6566 N. Marksheffel Road Colorado Springs, CO 80923 | 719.596.3113

WWW.RANGEWOODORTHODONTICS.COM

DR. CHRIS J. DUMAS

9 5280 Top Dentist 2024

D.D.S. from University of Missouri-Kansas City General Practice Residency, Truman Medical Center-Lakewood Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry

Dr. Dumas takes the time necessary to focus on the treatment that is right for each individual patient. His attention to detail and concern for the overall health and well-being of his patients is second to none! We are currently welcoming new patients into our practice, and we look forward to meeting you and your family. 6900 E. Belleview Avenue, Suite

PERIODONTICS

MOUNTAIN TOP PERIODONTICS & IMPLANTS

DR. ADAM WEAVER 16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

A Top Dentist since 2009, with 25 years of experience, Dr. Weaver stays on top of the latest treatment options and technology.

Dr. Weaver is a certified Pinhole Gum Surgery Specialist. He practices advanced Periodontal Plastic Surgery and computerguided implant technology. He works with the best dentists in Colorado to provide comprehensive dental treatment options.

8000 E. Prentice Ave., Ste. D7 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

303.740.0080

WWW.MTPERIO.COM

ENDODONTICS

3920 N. Union Blvd., Ste. 380 Colorado Springs, CO 80907

719.594.0091

WWW.MYPERIOCARE.COM

ELEVATED ENDODONTICS

JASON READ, DMD, MS

8 5280 Top Dentist 2024

ELLEN MACDONALD, DDS, MS

3 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At Elevated Endodontics, Drs. MacDonald and Read specialize in microscopic endodontics. Our team is full of joyful servants who love what they do, and take pride in calming anxious patients and providing a comfortable, pain free environment. We will be the beginning of a new chapter of positive dental memories! 720.895.1717

WWW.ELEVATEDENDO.COM

COLORADO REGIONAL ORAL SURGERY

NICHOLAS A. POLITANO, D.D.S. 12

SARA A. WEINSTEIN, D.D.S. 9

ERIC J. REIMER, D.D.S.

12 9 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Colorado Regional Oral Surgery has been dedicated to providing outstanding comprehensive clinical patient care for over four decades. As you look for a trusted oral and maxillofacial surgery practice, we look forward to working with you using our patient centered care model. ORAL

303.431.0033

303.727.8595

WWW.COREGIONALOS.COM

DR. JOHN CHEN 8 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. JENNIFER STILL

We thrive to provide the highest quality of care. Prosthodontists go through three years of extra training after dental school, specializing in restoring smiles and missing teeth. Our office focuses on full mouth reconstructions, implant restorations, removable dentures, and cosmetic dentistry. We look forward to meeting and welcoming you to our practice!

6240 S. Main Street, Suite 215, Aurora, CO 80016

303.627.5755 | WWW.UPTOWNPROSTHODONTICS.COM PROSTHODONTICS

MILENA HALEK, DDS 10 5280 Top Dentist 2024

TARA RATHBURN, DDS 9 5280 Top Dentist 2024

LISA COBURN, DDS

At Broadway Smiles, it is our goal to provide you with the highest quality of dentistry possible in a relaxed and professional atmosphere. We offer a variety of services including general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. Visit us today to see how we can help you achieve your perfect smile.

2430 North Broadway, Suite 101 Boulder, CO 80304 | 303.786.8899

WWW.BROADWAYSMILESDENTIST.COM

DR. ANN SOMERS 14 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. NICK POULOS 13 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR.

GENERAL DENTISTRY

WYNKOOP DENTISTRY

ERIN CHERRY, DDS 8 5280 Top Dentist 2024

MEGHAN HOLUB, DDS 2 5280 Top Dentist 2024

NIKA GUTIERREZ, DDS 1 5280 Top Dentist 2024

CAITLIN GRIMES, DDS

Our atmosphere is laid back, and we always strive to provide an amazing experience. We are the first certified green office in Denver, offer 3-D x-rays, provide same day crowns, are Platinum Plus Invisalign providers, and offer a variety of digital solutions providing the highest quality care for our patients. We can’t wait to meet you!

1501 Wazee Street, Suite 1A, Denver, CO 80202 303.572.4487 | WWW.WYNKOOPDENTISTRY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. HALEE LESCH

7 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dental Hygiene School, Texas Woman’s University; D.D.S., University of Texas Health Science Center; AEGD Residency, University of Oklahoma; Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry Award

Dr. Lesch has been passionate about dentistry since kindergarten—which led her to become a hygienist, before going on to dental school. Because of her background in hygiene, Dr. Lesch has always focused on prevention by educating and empowering her patients. At Lesch Family Dental, our patients are treated like family. We believe in providing the highest quality dentistry that gives long-lasting results.

9950 W. 80th Avenue, Suite 12, Arvada, CO 80005

303.424.6226 | WWW.LESCHFAMILYDENTAL.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

CHELSEA FREIBERG, DMD

4 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Freiberg owns a true general family practice in her home town with an innovative in-house lab. Her family has served the dental community since 1954. She is passionate about providing excellent dental care and accommodating her patients’ needs. She is dedicated to her continuing education in restorative and implant dentistry.

255 Union Boulevard, Suite 495

Lakewood, CO 80228 | 303.989.1423

WWW.FREIBERGFAMILYDENTISTRY.COM

ORTHODONTICS

MEADOWS ORTHODONTICS

DAN REJMAN, DDS, MS

13 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Dan Rejman is a Board Certified Orthodontic Specialist serving Castle Rock and surrounding communities. Kindness and small-town values are the foundation of Meadows Orthodontics, and our patients and parents love our incredible staff!

TWO CONVENIENT CASTLE ROCK LOCATIONS

3993 Limelight Avenue, Suite B Castle Rock, CO 80109

848 N. Ridge Road, Suite D Castle Rock, CO 80104

303.660.0112 | WWW.MEADOWSORTHODONTICS.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. GREGORY D. BENNETT

7 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Gregory Bennett of Arvada Dental Center & Implants is proud to offer Zygoma and All-On-4 implants, Advanced fullarch restorations, CBCT technology, IOS scanners, 3D printing capabilities, and a full-service, on-site lab to support the highest standard of care for dental implant patients. He has a team of dentists that also perform cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, and same day crowns to his patients in the greater Denver metro area.

6695 Wadsworth Boulevard, Suite A Arvada, CO 80003 | 303.997.2038

WWW.ARVADADENTALCENTER.COM

HIGHLAND SMILES

DR. JENNIFER ROHLEDER

11 5280 Top Dentist 2024

D.D.S., University of Nebraska Medical Center

Dr. Jennifer Rohleder and the team at Highland Smiles realize that just as each person is unique, so is each smile. We deliver comprehensive customized dental solutions utilizing state-of-the-art technology to create your most ideal smile. Highland Smiles—more than just your smile.

3480 W. 32nd Avenue

Denver, CO 80211

303.623.0407

WWW.HIGHLANDSMILES.NET

As a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Natalie Schafer provides expert care to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the mouth and jaw and is highly skilled in the placement of dental implants. Dr. Schafer offers comprehensive procedures including bone grafts, sinus lifts, extractions, and is proficient in providing outpatient IV sedation. She and her team pride themselves on providing personalized care for every patient.

Dr. Woods provides exceptional dental care in a familyfriendly environment. His dedication to offering individualized patient care in a relaxed atmosphere sets this office apart. Dr. Woods also has a passion for cosmetic dentistry and is an instructor with the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum, and is very excited to welcome Dr. Krista Moore to the team!

WWW.SIGNATUREDENTISTRYOFARVADA.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DENTISTRY AT GOLDEN RIDGE

DR. JAMIE RICHARD 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. CHRISTINA VERSCHAVE

9 5280 Top Dentist 2014-2022

Dr. Jamie Richard and Dr. Christina VerSchave practice in their stateof-the-art dental office in beautiful Golden, Colorado. Through a strong focus on patient-specific, comprehensive care, incorporating the most innovative technology, and excelling in continuing education, Team Dentistry at Golden Ridge will provide you with elite, quality care!

755 Heritage Road, Suite 120, Golden, CO 80401 303.395.3333 | WWW.DENTISTRYGOLDENRIDGE.COM

GENERAL, COSMETIC DENTISTRY

BRANIN CENTER FOR DENTISTRY

DR. STEFAN BERGERON 3 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. JOSEPH HARBERG

DR. ANGELA PHAN

DR. SCOTT DUDLEY

Great Dentistry and great dental experiences come from highly trained doctors who own their own businesses and who put their reputations on the line, every day, for every patient, every time. Branin Center’s for Dentistry reputation is built on trust, integrity, and excellence.

Broomfield | Golden | Wheat Ridge | Superior 970-233-4777 | WWW.BRANINCENTER.DENTAL

ORTHODONTICS

DR. NICOLE EBERLE

12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

D.D.S. from University of Iowa; B.A. from Northwestern University; Orthodontic Residency and M.S. at University of Iowa; Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics

Dr. Eberle is a board-certified orthodontist who takes pride in her personalized approach to orthodontic treatment. She believes that beautiful, healthy smiles are possible for all ages. Whether kids or adults, braces or Invisalign, Eberle Orthodontics is a family-friendly environment where everyone knows your name.

55 Madison Street, Suite 280 Denver, CO 80206 | 303.320.0307

WWW.SMILESBYEBERLE.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

GROUT FAMILY DENTISTRY

DR. JEFFREY B. GROUT 11 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. MEGAN KACK

Friendly. Caring. Empathetic. Honest. Exceptionally qualified. This is a genuine reflection of our dedication to education, satisfaction, open communication, and patient-focused care in the south Littleton area since 1971.

PERIODONTICS

8 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 101 Littleton, CO 80120 | 303.730.1222

WWW.GROUTFAMILYDENTISTRY.COM

COLORADO PERIODONTAL ASSOCIATES

DR. JOSEPH K. WILL 17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. MADELINE SAUNDERS 8 5280 Top Dentist 2024

The focus of our practice is to incorporate the latest technologies and science to first educate, then treat, our patients. This includes a dedication to provide a relaxed environment so that we can reach the desires of our patients comfortably. From the receptionist to the doctors, we maintain a great attitude that we hope will spread to our patients.

10050 W. 41st Avenue, Suite 201

Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 | 303.232.3443

WWW.COLORADOPERIOIMPLANTS.COM

ENDODONTICS

BRIAN WARNER, DMD

3 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Brian Warner, DMD is a Board-Certified endodontist in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Warner offers a full range of endodontic treatments including root canal treatment, surgical endodontics, and treatment of traumatic injuries and endodontic emergencies. Care will be taken to thoroughly examine, diagnose, and treat your chief concern. His goal is not only to provide excellent endodontic treatment, but also to leave you with the best experience possible.

5400 Idylwild Trail, Suite C Boulder, CO 80301

720.722.4111

WWW.WARNERDMD.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

CHATEAUX FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

DR. BRANDI BOTTOMS 16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Voted a Top Dentist since 2009, with 17 years of experience, Dr. Bottoms provides compassionate care with a gentle touch. At Chateaux Dental, we believe in giving our patients a relaxed, caring, and friendly experience. We pride ourselves on providing comprehensive and preventative care, including implant restorations and esthetic dentistry. Offering Botox, Juvederm, laser treatments, same day crowns, and we are also now Invisalign Providers!

13606 Xavier Lane, Suite F, Broomfield, CO 80023 303.465.4500 | WWW.CHATEAUXDENTAL.COM

ORTHODONTICS

SLOSS & CARPENTER ORTHODONTICS

ERIN A. SLOSS, DDS, MS 16 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Board Certified Orthodontist

Located near Park Meadows mall, Dr. Sloss has been serving the Centennial area for 19 years. She specializes in treating children, teens, and adults; and volunteers on the cleft palate team at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. Her meticulous eye and gentle hands will fine tune your smile to keep you happy for the rest of your life! Call us to schedule your complimentary consultation! #smilesarealwaysinstyle

9094 E. Mineral Avenue, Suite 220, Centennial, CO 80112 303.799.7733 | WWW.SC-ORTHO.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

CHERRY CREEK DENTAL SPA

DR. MELISSA GOODPASTER 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. KIRA ABAKUMOV 1 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Dr. Melissa Goodpaster crafted a vision to provide the highest quality dental care in an elegant and tranquil spa-like environment. Her thoughtful concept has successfully alleviated many fears and misconceptions around visiting the dentist and created a unique experience that doesn’t feel like a dental office at all.

155 S. Madison Street, Suite 220 Denver, CO 80209 | 303.835.0033

WWW.CHERRYCREEKDENTALSPA.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

4TH AVENUE FAMILY DENTISTRY

CHAD A. BRAUN, DDS 13 5280 Top Dentist 2024

CHRISTOPHER A. WHITESTONE, DDS 11

13 11 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Our focus is on providing you with a safe, comfortable, professional dental experience. We are conveniently located in the Cherry Creek North neighborhood, and have been practicing in this location for 35 years. Drs. Braun and Whitestone will strive to treat your family in a comprehensive, conservative, and caring manner.

390 University Boulevard, Denver, CO 80206

303.333.5361 | WWW.4THAVENUEFAMILYDENTISTRY.COM

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

HOPE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

DR. LISA D. PHILLIPS, DDS 3 5280 Top Dentist 2024

Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, Children’s Hospital Colorado Pediatric Dental Residency Program

Hope Pediatric Dentistry is located in Downtown Westminster. Dr. Lisa and her talented team are dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming, and compassionate atmosphere for children and their families. The heart of the practice is building lasting connections and nurturing lifelong relationships.

5724 W. 89th Avenue, Westminster, CO 80031

303.429.HOPE (4673)

WWW.HOPEPEDIATRICDENTISTRY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

KREIDER FAMILY DENTISTRY

DR. CHANDRA KREIDER 17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. PING-PING LUCERO

We focus on providing friendly and customized dental care for you and your family. We enjoy getting to know our patients on a personal level in order to help them achieve optimal dental health. While we place an emphasis on preventive dental care, we also pride ourselves on our ability to comfortably restore your smile. It would be our pleasure to welcome you to join our dental family.

3955 E. Exposition Avenue, Suite 312, Denver, CO 80209

303.744.3636 | WWW.KREIDERFAMILYDENTISTRY.COM

PAUL C. MADLOCK, DMD, MD

12 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DMD, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

MD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

For 16 years we have provided safe, quality care in a warm and modern environment with state of the art equipment: dynamic implant guidance, lasers, 3D imaging, minimally invasive surgery, narcotic free pain relief, and endoscopic facial reconstruction. We are honored to care for you.

108 North Rubey Drive, Golden, CO 80403

303.215.9944 | WWW.CANYONPOINTSURGERY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

DR. MEGAN HARBAUGH

15 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At Glenn Family Dentistry, Dr. Megan Harbaugh and her team pride themselves on their gentle and compassionate personalized care. Dedicated to providing quality dentistry and superior service, Dr. Harbaugh and her talented team go the extra mile to help patients achieve healthy smiles and total wellness in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

3600 S. Beeler Street, Suite 120 Denver, CO 80237 | 303.779.2592

WWW.GLENNFAMILYDENTISTRY.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

HOLLY DENTAL ASSOCIATES

KURT E. NIELSEN, DDS 9 5280 Top Dentist 2024

LANDIS C. SCHOLES, DDS 8 5280 Top Dentist 2024

We are dedicated to making you feel at home in a comfortable and stress-free environment. Our goal is to deliver quality care in an affordable and timely manner, using the latest technological advances in dentistry. Your needs and best interests are our priority.

8010 S. Holly Street, Suite 100, Centennial, CO 80122 303.694.6400 | WWW.HOLLYDENTAL.COM

PEDIATRIC, GENERAL DENTISTRY

COLORADO TONGUE TIE

DR. JESSE WITKOFF 17 5280 Top Dentist 2024

DR. CHAD FRUITHANDLER 1 5280 Top Dentist 2024

At Colorado Tongue Tie, our goal is to educate and support the well-being of families by addressing restricted oral tissues (ROTs). We cater to all patients, from infants to adults, providing personalized care with an understanding of the diverse needs at each life stage.

4704 Harlan Street #350, Denver, CO 80212

720.507.0077

WWW.COLORADOTONGUETIE.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

STUDIO Z DENTAL

TOM ZYVOLOSKI, DDS, IBDM, AIAOMT 6

ZADE FARAJ, DDS 5

THOMAS FOW, DDS

6 5 5280 Top Dentist 2024

For us, the aim is not just being the best dentists; it is the satisfaction and long-term health of our patients. We built our award-winning practice on happy referrals. You will always receive the highest quality service from our trusted, caring, holistic dentists. We also offer surgical services.

818 W. South Boulder Road, Louisville, CO 80027

303.802.4313 | WWW.STUDIOZDENTAL.COM

GENERAL DENTISTRY

CITY CENTER DENTAL GROUP

JUSTIN PEARSON, DDS 9 5280 Top Dentist 2024

SAHEL KHORSHIDIAN, DDS 3 5280 Top Dentist 2024

We are excited to announce our new office location by Swedish Hospital on South Clarkson. A state-of-the-art new space, same high quality, comprehensive focus. It is a pleasure yet again to be nominated for this prestigious award!

3601 S. Clarkson Street, Suite 400 Englewood, CO 80113 | 303.744.5000

WWWW.CITYCENTERDENTALGROUP.COM

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when his wife suggested CFI, which happened to be in the market for a new executive director in early 2009. Although the nonprofit had been around for 13 years, the momentum and early successes it enjoyed under Desrosiers had given way to funding challenges under its second leader, T.J. Rapoport. “CFI was in really bad condition when I took over,” Athearn says. “It was about to fold. But as the saying goes, ‘Never hesitate to exploit a crisis.’ ”

Exploit is one word for it. Resolve is another. Under Rapoport, who could not be reached for comment, CFI had become overly reliant on government funding—an unpredictable source of income. Athearn knew CFI needed to diversify and saw untapped opportunities with individual donors. In his mind, people who like to climb tall mountains often have several things in common: They’re determined. They’re accomplished in their professional and

personal lives. They have free time for outdoor recreation. Most important, they have financial resources. “These are the sticky donors,” Athearn says. “The people who stick around because they believe in the cause. But we had to find them, and that’s not easy when the Forest Service won’t let you put ‘This Trail Was Built By’ signs on their land. So we did it the grassroots way.”

Athearn and his staff wrapped their trucks with images of people working on trails. They redesigned the warning signs they were required to post when building a trail to include the CFI logo. They trained their field crews to interact with hikers, all of whom they considered potential donors. CFI also benefitted from a relationship with Bill Middlebrook, founder of 14ers.com and a onetime CFI board member. “Middlebrook was the pied piper bringing people in,” Athearn says. “Then I tried to get to know those people and understand them. I’d ask them about their favorite peaks and then would tell them about the projects we might have going on there.”

Between 1996 and 2008, the nonprofit rarely recorded more than $45,000 in annual donations from individuals. In 2023, CFI

received roughly $1 million from individuals and family-run foundations, a number that accounted for about half of the organization’s total annual funding. “Lloyd was CFI’s savior,” says McEllhiney, who has worked with Athearn for 15 years in her position as program manager for the Forest Service’s Colorado Fourteeners Program. “He’s an amazingly intelligent, articulate, driven human.”

FOR BETTER OR WORSE, CFI and the Forest Service are inextricably linked, which means Athearn and McEllhiney have been, too. Although the agency is the landowner on 84 percent of Colorado’s named fourteeners and has funded its internal Colorado Fourteeners Program since 2001 (when McEllhiney became the program’s founding manager), the service doesn’t have the budget, the staff, the ingenuity, or the necessary nimbleness to maintain or build high alpine routes. “CFI is one of the most technically skilled trail-building organizations in the nation,” McEllhiney says. “There’s no way the work would’ve gotten done without CFI; the Forest Service’s regulations and HR policies for its employees wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. Hike before sunrise? Nope. Camp in

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the backcountry? Nope. Also, we don’t have the skills. And Lloyd’s right when he says that there’s nothing too crazy for them to consider. They are crazy, but they are crazy people who get things done.”

Since 1994, the Forest Service and CFI have entered into dozens of so-called Challenge Cost Share Agreements that allow CFI and its partners to work on Forest Service lands and outline the breadth of work and funding sources, with the Forest Service typically chipping in only about $1 for every $10 to $28 that comes from a group like CFI. The partnership has had its ups and downs—funding snarls, bureaucratic red tape, disagreements about priorities—but the process they’ve streamlined over the years is working.

The original objective was for every fourteener to have at least one sustainable, standard route to the summit. Those paths, nearly all designed by McEllhiney through a four-year process, were not drawn up to make the hike from the trailhead to the summit easier. The byways have been arranged to limit the impacts to the local ecosystems.

Often dragging out-of-breath biologists with her, McEllhiney would snake up the mountains, placing multicolored stake flags

in the ground, zigging here to avoid a patch of Ranunculus gelidus (Arctic buttercup) and zagging there to skirt a colony of Saussurea weberi (Weber’s saw-wort), rare or unique plants found in Colorado’s alpine tundra zone that are fragile enough to perish after just five errant footsteps. “The soil up there is thin and rocky and slow to develop. The freezethaw cycle is relentless. Water availability is variable. And the UV radiation at 13,000 feet is high,” says Brian Elliott, a biologist who worked with McEllhiney to route trails around imperiled species on 19 Colorado fourteeners. “These plants are irreplaceable populations. Once gone, they don’t come back fast, or sometimes at all.”

Once McEllhiney outlined a trail, Athearn and his crew—often Cronin and VenmanClay, since 2012—would analyze her notes, slope gauge readings, and GPS coordinates. After suggesting changes to the design based on their trail-building expertise, they would spec out the features necessary to bring the trail to life and then find ways to make it happen in difficult terrain in short windows of time.

Athearn has, at times, had to hire helicopters to deliver thousands of pounds of building materials to remote mountainsides

when “shopping local”—i.e., using logs and rocks from the surrounding terrain—isn’t possible. When marauding cattle damaged CFI vehicles in the field, crews had to figure out how to erect barriers to protect their equipment. Ingenious seasonal workers figured out how to build solar power systems that could keep critical satellite phones charged (and also conveniently be used to fire up a blender for daiquiris). Just last year, Athearn’s team had to handle a situation in which a pack horse broke its leg in a talus field on Uncompahgre Peak and had to be put down and buried in the backcountry. The crew had to take over for the animal using pack frames to carry the load. “We are the partner who helps Loretta get the actual building done,” Athearn says. “No matter what.”

And build they have. As CFI begins its 30th summer season this month, the tally sheet looks like this: The nonprofit has spent tens of millions of dollars over the past three decades building at least one sustainable route on 36 fourteeners, all of which currently rate a C- or better. On these routes, work may not be fully complete, but a trail is largely in place and hiker footsteps are falling where they should. CFI is hoping to raise funds that

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would allow further reconstruction work on Mt. Columbia and Mt. Wilson, where existing routes need to be extended from where previous work ended.

CFI has inventoried 15 other existing social routes, six of which the nonprofit has no current plans to improve. Of the other nine, major reconstruction work is under way on two—Mt. Shavano and the Black Cloud route on Mt. Elbert. The nonprofit has also developed a plan for a reroute on Mt. Princeton, but reconstruction awaits funding. Route planning work has also occurred on Castle and Conundrum peaks and Snowmass Mountain but needs environmental analysis and approval from the Forest Service. Three other routes, one on Mt. Lindsey and two on Mt. Sherman, are awaiting a different kind of approval: legal access to cross private land. (The rest of the peaks either have routes that are too dangerous to inventory, were built by the Forest Service alone, are maintained by the National Park Service, or were built by organizations other than CFI, such as the Rocky Mountain Field Institute.)

“We’re in a much different place than we were nine or 10 years ago,” Athearn says. “Over the next five years, the current huge

projects will be resolved. Then we can pivot to ongoing maintenance, modest reconstruction, dealing with Mother Nature when she throws us a landslide, and working on private-land access issues.” The last item on that to-do list is a relatively new frontier for CFI, one that will determine if the public can ever follow a sustainable trail to legally touch the top of every 14,000-footer in the state.

JOHN REIBER HAS never enjoyed being a gatekeeper. He’s always wanted the public to have access to the lands he’s owned, some of which have included mining claims on Mt. Democrat, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Bross, three of the four fourteeners that make up the famed Decalibron Loop outside of Alma. Some of the land he owns has been in his family since the 1950s; he bought terrain on Mt. Democrat in 2010. But a decision in 2019 by the U.S. Court of Appeals changed Reiber’s mind about being so generous.

The original case stemmed from an incident in 2008, when Colorado Springs resident James Nelson was seriously injured while riding his bicycle on a path on United States Air Force Academy land. The court upheld a lower court’s decision to award the Nelson

family $7.3 million, saying that the academy knew about the sinkhole Nelson pedaled into and had shown a “willful or malicious failure” to warn recreationists of a known hazard that was likely to cause harm.

The Air Force Academy argued that it was protected by the Colorado Recreational Use Statute (CRUS), which gives immunity to landowners who allow people to use their properties for recreational purposes without a fee. When the Court of Appeals upheld the award, ruling the “willful or malicious failure” language in CRUS provided an exception to the protection the statute provides landowners, Reiber and others—including the owners of 14,042-foot Mt. Lindsey in the Sangre de Cristo range—closed their lands for fear of being sued.

“John’s property is very easy to get to, meaning casual tourists and undereducated recreationists can get themselves in trouble pretty easily,” says Athearn, who has worked with Reiber on access and sustainable trailbuilding on his land. “He has old mining shafts on his land, and if a dad wants to, say, hold his kid by the ankles and hand him a flashlight to look down in there…well, that means John is exposed. If we wanted people

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In 2023, the Fix CRUS Coalition, made up of more than 4,000 individuals and 49 businesses, government agencies, land trusts, and nonprofits, including CFI, formed to try to amend CRUS so that landowners could feel secure enough to continue allowing public access. The bill Fix CRUS introduced during the 2023 state legislative session never made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the weeks and months after that bill failed in March, Reiber collaborated with the coalition on some workarounds for the 2023 hiking season—creating an online waiver that allowed limited public access—and ultimately sold 300 acres on Mt. Democrat to the Conservation Fund, which later gave the land to the Forest Service. But he said that if changes to CRUS weren’t made in the state Legislature in 2024, he might have to consider closing the loop again.

Both Reiber and Athearn, as well as many others, testified in support of a new bill—SB 24-058—that passed both houses and was sent to Governor Jared Polis, who signed it into law on March 15. The legislation updates

CRUS and provides better protection for landowners who want to allow recreation on their properties, so long as they post signs alerting users to known hazards at the trailhead. “Like most anything, neither side got everything it wanted,” Reiber says, “and it’s going to take some work to implement things. I had hoped for the ‘willful or malicious’ language to be changed, but there is enough benefit for landowners for it to be effective.”

In the fourteener world, that’s a big deal. For CFI, it means that the first step toward conversations that could make Mt. Lindsey, Mt. Bross, Mt. Sherman, and other peaks legally accessible has been taken. “People want to see these peaks, they have checklists to check off,” Athearn says. “It’s like a private art collection or a private golf course; if something is offlimits, people want it that much more. And just because they’re private doesn’t mean we can’t find a way to allow access.”

THE HISTORICAL LAND surveys Athearn had of Mt. Shavano were all wrong. For years, he and McEllhiney had been under the impression that the summit was on public land and that there were three private parcels—mining claims—blocking the public’s

way up. Instead, based on physical mining claim markings on the mountain, it appeared that one of the claims encompassed the summit. That claim was owned by a person named Joseph McDaniel of Arkansas. “We called every McDaniel in the Arkansas phone book,” Athearn says. “We finally found a Joseph McDaniel Jr., whose mother and late father owned the top of Mt. Shavano.”

CFI had never been interested in purchasing real estate, but Athearn couldn’t see any other way to protect Mt. Shavano and allow legal access to its rocky summit. So after months of court hearings to determine heirship from Joseph McDaniel Sr.’s will, which was handwritten on a yellow legal pad, CFI purchased the claim atop Mt. Shavano. The nonprofit was also able to buy the other two private parcels. For all three claims, CFI spent $50,000 in 2017 to acquire 31 acres of mountainside, which it will give to the Forest Service when trail improvements are complete.

With the land issues resolved, McEllhiney set about finishing Mt. Shavano’s foot-byfoot trail design—a 1,200-hour undertaking in total—that would accommodate roughly 7,000 hiker use days a season. The nearly $2 million route would run 4.5 miles and gain

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4,600 feet. It would require CFI to build three miles of completely new trail and heavily reconstruct 1.5 miles of the original social trail. Two contingents of seasonal workers would need to fell 180 trees, remove 310 stumps, move 1,189 large rocks, place 30,961 cubic feet of backfill soil, build 269 timber check steps and 1,855 cribbed rock steps, and install 23,364 square feet of rock wall. The workers would also have to close and restore the environment surrounding roughly 2.5 miles of the existing social trail. The project is scheduled to wrap up in 2027.

McEllhiney will not oversee the completion of the longest trail she’s ever designed: The 60-year-old plans to retire in August after 35 years with the Forest Service. “There comes a time when the old body says, ‘Enough is enough,’ ” she says, “and I am at that point.”

Athearn knows what a change that will be for him and CFI. “It’s the loss of a trusted partner,” he says. “Working with federal agencies is tough because of their decentralized nature. People don’t stay in positions very long, so you’re constantly adapting to new people. When people like Loretta stay in one place and know how to work the system, things get done.” Without McEllhiney running interference, CFI will have to hope the Forest Service continues to allow the nonprofit to do what it does best: protect the peaks and people’s ability to get out there to experience them.

In the meantime, CFI staffers will be hard at work this month preparing for summertime projects on Mt. Elbert and Mt. Shavano. They’ll coach new Peak Stewards, volunteers whom CFI sends out to the fourteeners to educate hikers about leave no trace principles. They’ll coordinate the Adopt-a-Peak program, which facilitates volunteers to do trail maintenance projects or vegetation restoration work. They’ll train seasonal workers to use griphoists and rock bars safely. They’ll manage the logistics of housing and feeding those workers in highelevation backcountry camps that take more than a week to physically set up.

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Most important, they’ll remind themselves that no matter how grueling the work might be, there’s a reason why they’re all there. For some, it’s because they love seeing the sunrise in the mountains. For others, it’s because they can’t imagine a 9-to-5 job. Still others like the physical challenge. For Athearn? “I do this because of that day in Yosemite at the top of Vogelsang,” he says. “I want people to have that experience, to be able to access places that cause personal growth and deliver a sense of accomplishment. That’s what the fourteeners do, and someone needs to conserve them.”

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Nickie K. Lê LÊDOWNS DENTISTRY 4809 Argonne St., Suite 220 303-578-7655 ledownsdentistrygvr.com

Tatiana Lehnert ACCORD DENTAL 2121 S. Oneida St., Suite 321 303-796-8767 accorddentalgroup.com

Brett R. Levin ESPIRE DENTAL 6825 E. Tennessee Ave., Suite 621 303-333-2221 espiredental.com

Alexandra Lindauer WYNKOOP DENTISTRY 1501 Wazee St., Suite 1A 305-572-4487 denverwynkoopdentist.com

Clifford S. Litvak

LITVAK & WOLLER ESTHETIC COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY 695 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 380 303-777-8850 litvakwollerdds.com

Gabriel A. Luttrell UNION ORTHODONTICS & PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 3690 S. Yosemite St., Suite 200 303-558-1458 smilewithunion.com

Juliann C. Lyons

BURCK FAMILY DENTISTRY

6825 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 201 303-756-6862 denverclearbraces.com

James W. Makowski

MAKOWSKI DENTAL 1220 S. Parker Road, Suite 104 303-751-5558 makowskidental.com

Anis Manshad MOUNTAIN VIEW

DENTAL ASSOCIATES

4590 Lowell Blvd. 303-455-8962 mountainviewdds.com

Aous Manshad MOUNTAIN VIEW DENTAL ASSOCIATES 4590 Lowell Blvd. 303-455-8962 mountainviewdds.com

Chelsea F. Mayer CITY SMILES FAMILY DENTAL PRACTICE 100 Spruce St., Suite 100 303-363-6363 city-smiles.com

Kareen K. McIntosh

MCINTOSH DENTISTRY 495 Uinta Way, Suite 200 303-366-4700 mcintoshdentistry.com

James McLain DOWNING ST. DENTAL 2121 S. Downing St. 303-733-8885 downingstreetdental.com

Ben Mollner MOLLNER DENTISTRY 975 Lincoln St., Suite 203 303-861-0862 mollnerdentistry.com

Nate Mollner MOLLNER DENTISTRY 975 Lincoln St., Suite 203 303-861-0862 mollnerdentistry.com

Rena Mollner MOLLNER DENTISTRY 975 Lincoln St., Suite 203 303-861-0862 mollnerdentistry.com

Yevgeniy Monastyrskiy SPECTRUM DENTAL GROUP 6660 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 201 303-388-5599 spectrumdent.com

Thomas E. Ouellette 1391 Speer Blvd., Suite 540 303-296-1402 lododentist.com

William P. Paini ADVANCED AESTHETIC DENTISTRY 1164 Elati St. 303-246-0100 ddsdenver.com

Cynthia M. Parkinson 55 Madison St., Suite 320 303-355-3080

Nika Pesaran

WYNKOOP DENTISTRY 1501 Wazee St., Suite 1A 303-572-4487 denverwynkoopdentist.com

Thomas H. Pyne 12075 E. 45th Ave., Suite 333 303-371-9131 tompynedds.com

John T. Raabe

RAABE FAMILY DENTISTRY 4200 E. Eighth Ave., Suite 200 303-320-0160 dendds.com

Gary M. Radz

DENVER PLACE DENTISTRY 999 18th St., Suite 1300 303-298-1414 downtowndenverdentist.com

Maureen K. Roach

METROPOLITAN DENTAL CARE 1400 Glenarm Place, Suite 200 303-534-2626 metrodentalcare.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

Stephen A. Robertson 3401 S. Oneida Way, Suite A 303-756-2914

Stephen C. Rogers BRANIN CENTER FOR DENTISTRY 7555 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 310 720-702-9018 branincenter.dental

Jennifer Rohleder HIGHLAND SMILES 3480 W. 32nd Ave. 303-623-0407 highlandsmiles.net

Eric C. Rossow

ASPEN DENTAL PRIVATE PRACTICE OF CHERRY CREEK 3300 E. First Ave., Suite 300 720-438-4208 cherry-creekdentist.com

Daniel J. Selner

DENVER TECH DENTISTRY 8181 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 550 720-488-9090 denvertechdentistry.com

David M. Singer

CODY DENTAL GROUP 4301 E. Amherst Ave. 719-745-4664 codydental.com

Douglas W. Smith

CODY DENTAL GROUP 4301 E. Amherst Ave. 303-758-5858 codydental.com

Allison Soffer DOWNING STREET DENTAL 2121 S. Downing St. 303-733-8885 downingstreetdental.com

James H. Stambaugh

CODY DENTAL GROUP 4301 E. Amherst Ave. 303-758-5858 codydental.com

Kate S. Steele

STEELE DENTISTRY 8655 Montview Blvd., Suite 100 303-278-3353 steeledental.com

Stephanie S. Stratil

THE DENTISTS ON PEARL 1905 S. Pearl St. 303-498-9207 thedentistsonpearl.com

Nazeli Tarjan

ICON DENTAL 1425 Market St., Suite 100 720-645-2153 icondentaldenver.com

Andrea L. Taylor DENVER TECH DENTISTRY 8181 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 550 720-488-9090 denvertechdentistry.com

Karlyn Taylor

CENTRAL PARK DENTAL 2373 Central Park Blvd., Suite 304 303-388-2400 centralparkdentaldenver.com

Kurt K. Tsumura MIDTOWN DENTAL 1800 Vine St. 303-377-2345 midtowndentaldenver.com

Eric W. Van Zytveld

1391 Speer Blvd., Suite 540 303-296-3851 ericvanzytvelddds.com

Amanda Vanderstelt ALIGNED ORTHODONTICS 1215 S. Pearl St. 303-521-3333 alignedonpearl.com

Leon Vilner ACCORD DENTAL 2121 S. Oneida St., Suite 321 303-796-8767 accorddentalgroup.com

Dennis Waguespack

BRIDGECREEK PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 8751 E. Hampden Ave., Suite C-6 303-755-4003 bridgecreekdentistry.com

Stefanie S. Walker PEARL DENTISTRY 2200 W. 29th Ave. 720-961-2251 pearldentistrydenver.com

Dawn M. White METROPOLITAN DENTAL CARE 1400 Glenarm Place, Suite 200 303-534-2626 metrodentalcare.com

Christopher A. Whitestone 4TH AVENUE

FAMILY DENTISTRY

390 University Blvd. 303-333-5361 4thavenuefamilydentistry.com

Margie Williams WILLIAMS FAMILY DENTISTRY 4624 N. Central Park Blvd. 303-945-2699 margiewilliamsdds.com

Chadwick N. Williamson PRIMARY DENTAL 5801 W. 44th Ave., Unit C 720-248-9744 primarydental.com

James R. Woller LITVAK & WOLLER ESTHETIC COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY 695 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 380 303-777-8850 litvakwollerdds.com

Ryan C. Woody WOODY DENTAL 5989 E. Colfax Ave. 303-388-9000 woodydentaldenver.com

Cynthia D. Wright

THE DENTISTS ON PEARL 1905 S. Pearl St. 303-498-9207 thedentistsonpearl.com

Joshua Wyte WYTE SMILES 2131 S. Grape St. 303-753-9916 wytesmiles.com

EDGEWATER

Darren Bennett

SLOANSIDE DENTAL

2045 Sheridan Blvd., Suite H 303-274-1100 sloansidedental.com

ENGLEWOOD

Benjamin C. Bass

CHERRY HILLS DENTAL ASSOCIATES

6501 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 120 303-757-8446 cherryhillsdentist.com

Michael K. Diorio

3601 S. Clarkson St., Suite 320 303-762-9575 dioriodds.com

Bryan D. Gibbs

CHERRY HILLS

DENTAL ASSOCIATES

6501 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 120 303-757-8446 cherryhillsdentist.com

Paul M. Hayes

ENGLEWOOD DENTAL EXCELLENCE

3701 S. Clarkson St., Suite 210 303-781-2811

Jason L. Heiken

10111 Inverness Main St., Suite E 303-781-3603 jasonheikendds.com

Sahel Khorshidian

CITY CENTER DENTAL GROUP

800 Englewood Parkway, Suite A-201 303-744-5000 citycenterdentalgroup.com

Mark Pasternak

INVERNESS FAMILY DENTISTRY

125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 230 303-792-9904 pasternakdmd.com

Justin B. Pearson

CITY CENTER DENTAL GROUP

800 Englewood Parkway, Suite A-201 303-744-5000 citycenterdentalgroup.com

John D. Pfalzgraf

CHERRY HILLS

DENTAL ASSOCIATES

6501 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 120 303-757-8446 cherryhillsdentist.com

Ryan Redfearn

FIT TO SMILE DENTAL 3601 S. Clarkson St., Suite 200 303-762-8046 fittosmile.com

Thomas C. Reed

CITY CENTER DENTAL GROUP 800 Englewood Parkway, Suite A-201 303-744-5000 citycenterdentalgroup.com

Christopher L. Shank

MOUNTAIN VIEW DENTAL CARE 125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 310 303-768-9877 mountainviewdentaldtc.com

Kelly A. Shibilski

UNKEL & SHIBILSKI DENTAL 125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 360 720-875-1130 uandsdental.com

Stephen L. Unkel

UNKEL & SHIBILSKI DENTAL 125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 360 720-875-1130 uandsdental.com

EVERGREEN

P. Jenny Foster

FOSTER FAMILY DENTAL 30940 Stagecoach Blvd., Suite E-250 303-674-6777 fosterfamilydental.com

Kelly S. Last ELEVATION DENTAL 30772 Southview Drive, Suite 200 303-674-6264 elevationdental.net

Kenneth E. LeVos LEVOS DENTISTRY 30752 Southview Drive, Suite 200 303-674-5725 levosdentistry.com

Alex R. Roberts

BUFFALO PARK DENTISTRY 28577 Buffalo Park Road, Suite 260 303-674-7741 buffaloparkdentistry.com

FEDERAL HEIGHTS

Jason R. Van Wagenen

ADVANCED DENTAL 1557 W. 84th Ave. 303-426-4860 advdental.net

Alan Wong FEDERAL HEIGHTS FAMILY DENTISTRY 8411 N. Stacy Drive 303-429-6411 federalheightsdental.com

FORT COLLINS

Arica Abrames WELLS & ABRAMES DENTAL 702 W. Drake Road, Building G 970-493-9299 wellsabramesdental.com

Kenneth B. Allen

ESPIRE DENTAL 2117 Custer Drive 970-221-3700 espiredental.com

Jonathan M. Anderson PARAGON DENTAL 4745 Boardwalk Drive, Building D, Suite 102 970-552-7874 paragondds.com

Sharla E. Aronson

ARONSON FAMILY DENTAL 4027 E. Boardwalk Drive 970-472-0488 alive-dental.com

Arlie J. Burnham

PEAK FAMILY DENTAL 2021 Battlecreek Drive, Unit C 970-229-0099 peakfamilydental.com

Lindsey L. Cosper SPRING CREEK DENTAL 2001 S. Shields St., Suite C-1 970-482-8883 mydentistfortcollins.com

Kerrie E. Cunningham

ALPINE DENTAL HEALTH 1136 E. Stuart St., Building 3, Suite 3140 970-482-1520 alpinedentalhealth.com

Bradley W. Eckhardt FRONT RANGE DENTAL CENTER 2720 Council Tree Ave., Suite 260 970-673-7321 frontrangedentalcenter.com

Geoffrey R. Engelhardt ENGELHARDT & NELSON FAMILY DENTISTRY 1136 E. Stuart St., Building 4, Suite 104 970-484-4890 nocodentist.net

Cory E. Foster 2000 Vermont Drive, Suite 210 970-223-5258 drcoryfoster.com

Wes Galyardt BIGHORN FAMILY DENTAL 2105 Bighorn Road, Suite 200 970-226-5400 bighornfamilydental.com

Richard Gray POUDRE VALLEY FAMILY DENTAL 2032 Lowe St., Suite 100 970-221-3020 poudrevalleyfamilydental.com

Patrick M. Harrison BIGHORN FAMILY DENTAL 2105 Bighorn Road, Suite 200 970-226-5400 bighornfamilydental.com

Daniel A. Holmes HOLMES DENTAL 2133 S. Timberline Road, Suite 100 970-221-2499 holmesdds.com

Nicole Z. Holmes HOLMES DENTAL 2133 S. Timberline Road, Suite 100 970-221-2499 holmesdds.com

Jordan Humbert CENTRE FAMILY DENTISTRY 1001 Centre Ave. 970-407-1001 fortcollinsdentist.com

Sandra Hunter FRONT RANGE DENTAL CENTER 2720 Council Tree Ave., Suite 260 970-673-7321 frontrangedentalcenter.com

Abbey Kramer DENTAL CENTER OF THE ROCKIES 1424 E. Horsetooth Road, Suite 4 970-223-2886 dentalcenteroftherockies.com

Jacqueline M. Kramer DENTAL CENTER OF THE ROCKIES 1424 E. Horsetooth Road, Suite 4 970-223-2886 dentalcenteroftherockies.com

Shiloh D. Lindsey ESPIRE DENTAL 2117 Custer Drive 970-682-7167 espiredental.com

Michael G. McDill Jr. ALPINE DENTAL HEALTH 950 S. Taft Hill Road 970-484-5297 alpinedentalhealth.com

Sara A. Megna SHORES FAMILY DENTISTRY 4360 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 100 970-226-2920 shoresfamilydentistry.com

Ciaran Murphy HARBOR DENTAL 2726 Illinois Drive, Unit 101 970-377-2456 harbordentalclinic.com

Michael P. Murphy

MURPHY DENTAL 2038 Caribou Drive, Suite 101 970-469-7074 murphydentalfc.com

Vinna C. Norris 1221 E. Elizabeth St., Suite 2 970-221-1400 dentistsfortcollins.com

Kathryn A. Radtke

FRONT RANGE DENTAL CENTER 2720 Council Tree Ave., Suite 260 970-673-7321 frontrangedentalcenter.com

Veronica D. Ray RAY DENTAL 901 E. Harmony Road, Suite 110 970-698-7320 drveronicaray.com

Edmund L. Robison 1008 Driftwood Drive, Suite A 970-226-5433

Joseph M. Roeder

GREYROCK FAMILY DENTISTRY 1023 Robertson St. 970-484-6880 greyrockfamilydentistry.com

Mesa Roth

ALPINE DENTAL 950 S. Taft Hill Road 970-484-5297 alpinedentalhealth.com

Travis R. Willey

GLACIER CREEK DENTAL 3027 E. Harmony Road, Suite 120 970-267-0993 glaciercreekdental.com

Adam J. Youngquist 1103 S. Shields St. 970-484-3213

FOXFIELD

Michael J. Miller

FOXFIELD DENTAL 16350 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 114 720-870-0401 foxfielddental.com

GLENDALE

Kate Hakala

HAKALA FAMILY DENTISTRY 425 S. Cherry St., Suite 100 303-321-8967

hakalafamilydentistry.com

GOLDEN

Stefan Bergeron

BRANIN CENTER FOR DENTISTRY

350 Indiana St., Suite 150 720-764-0064 branincenter.dental

John M. Burchfield Jr.

GOLDEN DENTAL CARE 2007 Jackson St. 303-279-3992 goldendentalcare.com

Dallas D. Kenson

GOLDEN DENTAL SOLUTIONS 1218 Arapahoe St. 303-277-9600 mygoldendentist.com

Jamie I. Richard DENTISTRY AT GOLDEN RIDGE 755 Heritage Road, Suite 120 303-395-3333 dentistrygoldenridge.com

GREELEY

Bryan S. Casseday 1815 61st Ave., Suite 103 970-351-6200 drbcgreeley.com

Joseph S. Thompson

THOMPSON ADVANCED DENTISTRY 5150 W. 20th St. 970-351-6500 greeleysmiles.com

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Lissa Alconcel

GREENWOOD DENTAL ARTS

8490 E. Crescent Parkway, Suite 370 303-740-9353 greenwooddentalarts.com

Robin M. Asbury METRO SMILES

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 460E 303-768-8443 smilesbydrrobin.com

Eva Bodoni

8000 E. Prentice Ave., Suite B-7 303-221-1588

Aurora G. Burluc

DTC DENTAL CARE

8480 E. Orchard Road, Suite 4300 303-771-1009 auroraburlucdds.com

Eric G. D’Hondt

GREENWOOD DENTAL ASSOCIATES

7000 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 205 303-773-0960 greenwooddental.com

Chris J. Dumas

6900 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 203 303-796-8668 www.drdumas.com

Charles Fischer

GREENWOOD DENTAL ARTS

8490 E. Crescent Parkway, Suite 370 303-740-9353 greenwooddentalarts.com

Brett Kessler

LANDMARK DENTAL STUDIO

5425 Landmark Place, Suite 307 303-773-8012 landmarkdentalstudio.com

Carolyn Kittell

SMILE ESSENTIALS

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 435-E 303-779-9472 smileessentialsdental.com

Rachel L. LePera

GREENWOOD DENTAL ASSOCIATES 7000 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 205 303-773-0960 greenwooddental.com

Ryan Mickle

LANDMARK DENTAL STUDIO 5425 Landmark Place, Suite 307 303-773-8012 landmarkdentalstudio.com

Stacey N. Miller

INSPIRED DENTISTRY 7447 E. Berry Ave., Suite 240 303-741-2717 staceymillerdds.com

Hanh Phi

NOUVELLE DENTISTRY 8000 E. Belleview Ave., Suite E-15 303-770-8870 nouvelledentistry.com

Kelly Santarelli

SMILE ESSENTIALS 8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 435-E 303-779-9472 smileessentialsdental.com

Reinuka Trippel

ORCHARD FAMILY DENTISTRY 5900 S. University Blvd., Suite C-2 303-220-8075 ofdentistry.com

Catherine Vieregger

VIBRANCE COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY 7400 E. Crestline Circle, Suite 230 303-770-1116

Steven K. Zervas

VILLAGE DENTAL 5670 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Suite 404 720-730-9140 villagedentaldtc.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Brent D. Bailey

COLORADO PRECISION DENTISTRY AND ORTHODONTICS 66 W. Springer Drive, Suite 204 303-791-0472 copdo.com

Anna Burger

HIGHLANDS DENTAL 2201 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Suite C-6 303-220-1122 myhighlandsdental.com

Eric Chatterley

CHATTERLEY FAMILY DENTISTRY 9299 S. Broadway, Suite 200 303-791-6700 chatterleydentistry.com

Michelle O. Haynes

HIGHLANDS RANCH SMILES 9461 S. University Blvd. 303-470-1377 hrsmiles.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

Tony Hong

CLEAR SMILE DENTAL CARE 1509 Park Central Drive, Suite 200 303-770-8278 dentisthighlandsranch.com

Amanda McCabe

HIGHLANDS RANCH SMILES

9461 S. University Blvd. 303-470-1377 hrsmiles.com

Christopher A. McConnell

200 W. County Line Road, Suite 240 303-791-6900 chrismcconnelldds.com

Elizabeth McInerney

HIGHLANDS RANCH

FAMILY DENTISTRY

541 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 101 303-346-1118 rysnerdental.com

Courtney S. McKeever

HIGHLANDS RANCH SMILES 9461 S. University Blvd. 303-470-1377 hrsmiles.com

Kyle O’Donnell

ALPINE VISTA DENTAL 200 W. County Line Road, Suite 210 303-791-0413 alpinevistadental.com

Sarah D. Parsons

COTTONWOOD DENTAL GROUP 6660 Timberline Road, Suite 130 303-694-9740 cottonwooddentalgroup.com

Amy M. Roberts

303 DENTAL GROUP 300 Plaza Drive, Suite 150 303-683-3332 303dentalgroup.com

Eric T. Rysner

HIGHLANDS RANCH

FAMILY DENTISTRY

541 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 101 303-346-1118 rysnerdental.com

Philip E. Wimpee

COLORADO SMILE DESIGN

9135 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 120 303-979-2900 coloradosmiledesign.com

Lynelle J. Zabel

HIGHLANDS RANCH DENTAL CARE

9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 150 303-470-0017 highlandsranchdentalcare.com

KEENESBURG

Thomas Croghan

DENTAL DEPOT 100 Main St. 720-735-9121

LAFAYETTE

Gregory D. Keene

KEENE SMILES 255 W. South Boulder Road 303-665-5586 keenesmiles.com

Leonid Polinkovsky

LAFAYETTE DENTAL EXCELLENCE

511 Crossing Drive, Suite 200 303-664-1001 lafayettedentalexcellence.com

Dawn Wehking

COMPLETE FAMILY & AESTHETIC DENTISTRY

204 E. Baseline Road 303-665-4000 dentistlafayette.com

Gordon H. West

BOULDER COUNTY SMILES 1140 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 201 720-896-8166 bouldercountysmiles.com

LAKEWOOD

Eric S. Adler

NORTHSTAR DENTAL 860 Tabor St., Suite 100 303-234-1112 northstardentalco.com

Travis J. Barr INCLINE FAMILY DENTISTRY 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Building D305 303-985-1615 inclinedentistry.com

Gregory A. Bauer

BEAR CREEK FAMILY DENTAL 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite D-309 303-988-6767 dentistlakewoodco.com

David G. Collins

BELMAR PARK DENTAL CARE 1555 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 1 303-986-9522 belmarparkdental.com

Daniel K. Duvall 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 316 303-986-0043 danielduvalldds.com

Christopher D. Elson 7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 403 303-972-2700 chriselsondds.com

Chelsea M. Freiberg FREIBERG FAMILY DENTISTRY 255 Union Blvd., Suite 495 303-989-1423 freibergfamilydentistry.com

Brian A. Furgason 10881 W. Asbury Ave., Suite 100 303-988-6938 drbrianfurgason.com

Leana K. Grace

GRACE & LEEDY FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY 10881 W. Asbury Ave., Suite 210 303-989-0452 graceleedydentistry.com

Scott Greenhalgh 3190 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300 303-988-9060

scottgreenhalghdds.com

Hang Hoang SIMPLE SMILES DENTAL 275 S. Sheridan Blvd., Suite 114 720-638-9797

simplesmilesco.com

Krystal Hoversten ALL ABOUT BRACES 2020 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 18-A 303-462-1462 aabraces.com

Curtis D. Johnsen 2349 Wadsworth Blvd. 303-232-5555 doctorjohnsen.com

Katherine T. Johnson

BALANCED DENTAL STUDIO 7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Unit 104 303-900-1206 balanceddentalstudio.com

Julia T. Kasper

COLORADO FAMILY DENTISTRY 255 Union Blvd., Suite 410 720-477-4424 cofamilydentistry.com

Sam Kawakami

DENVER WEST DENTAL GROUP 14062 Denver West Parkway, Building 52, Suite 120 303-279-5050 denverwestdentalgroup.com

Casey Klein

CALLAHAN & KLEIN DENTAL 12790 W. Alameda Parkway, Suite B 303-984-2630 ckfamilydds.com

Mark Leedy

GRACE & LEEDY FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY 10881 W. Asbury Ave., Suite 210 303-989-0452 graceleedydentistry.com

Brian S. Levitin MILE HIGH SMILES 8015 W. Alameda Ave., Suite 250 303-232-1830 milehighsmiles.com

Michael J. Lueck

MCARTHUR DENTISTRY 2535 S. Lewis Way, Suite 207 303-935-9448 mcarthurdentistry.com

Jacqueline Wright O’Beirne 608 Garrison St., Suite Q 303-985-4415 smilesbydrjackie.com

James P. Phillips 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite D-325 303-989-8551

Brian J. Polidori

COLORADO PREMIER DENTAL 6565 W. Jewell Ave., Suite 1A 303-935-3465 coloradopremierdental.com

Thomas H. Pott

WHITE ROCK FAMILY DENTAL 12600 W. Colfax Ave., Suite B-160 303-237-0307 whiterockfamilydental.com

Marin Rosenvold ELSKA DENTAL 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 303-D 303-988-6115 elskadental.com

Grace E. Rudersdorf

GOLDEN HILL FAMILY DENTISTRY 11290 W. Alameda Ave., Suite A-100 303-237-1553 smilewithgrace.com

Emily Saunders

WHITE ROCK FAMILY DENTAL 12600 W. Colfax Ave., Suite B-160 303-237-0307 whiterockfamilydental.com

Tariq Sawaqed

LAKEWOOD DENTAL OF COLORADO 84 Garrison St., Suite A 303-233-1112 lakewooddentalco.com

Jessica A. Stevens

STEVENS FAMILY DENTAL 3190 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300 303-867-3701 stevensfamilydental.com

Barbara D. Swankhouse

SWANKHOUSE DENTAL 363 S. Harlan St., Suite 110 303-935-6559 swankhousedental.com

David Swanson

ASSOCIATED DENTAL PROFESSIONALS 8015 W. Alameda Ave., Suite 170 303-232-2929 associateddentalpros.com

Kelly Thompson

BELMAR DENTISTRY 15 Wadsworth Blvd. 303-936-3700 belmardentistry.com

Marcus J. Walker 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite D-325 303-989-8551

Mark Whatcott

COLORADO ADVANCED DENTISTRY 10871 W. Florida Ave. 303-986-9337 cadentistry.net

LITTLETON

Amy L. Becker

HIGHLINE FAMILY DENTISTRY 2 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 125 303-794-6800 highlinefamilydentistry.com

Chad M. Belongea

SOUTHWEST PEDIATRIC

DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS

WITH ADULT DENTISTRY 6931 S. Pierce St. 303-978-1104 swpdo.com

Claire-Marie Bender

WINDERMERE FAMILY DENTISTRY 2100 W. Littleton Blvd., Unit A 303-798-4571 windermerefamilydentistry.com

David Bevans 7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 100 303-798-1454

Jason L. Blanchard

BLANCHARD & RICHARDSON

FAMILY DENTISTRY 8089 S. Lincoln St., Suite 102 303-794-9271

Shane Bowen SOUTHBRIDGE DENTISTRY

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 202 303-798-4967 southbridgedentistry.com

Dana M. Boyd-Page PAGE DENTAL ARTS

10026 W. San Juan Way, Suite 150 303-794-4542 pagedentalarts.com

Allison H. Brown HIGH FOREST DENTAL 8246 W. Bowles Ave., Suite S 303-951-3717 highforestdental.com

Victor H. Burdick Jr. LITTLETON RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY 26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 720 303-794-4424 burdickdentistry.com

C. Daren Carlile COLUMBINE FAMILY DENTAL 6901 S. Pierce St., Suite 335 303-973-1900 carliledentalcare.com

Cade Carlson CARLSON FAMILY DENTISTRY & IMPLANTS 9859 W. Coal Mine Ave. 303-932-6018 carlsonfamilydentistry.com

Lejon Carreon CARREON FAMILY DENTISTRY 10268 W. Centennial Road, Suite 100 303-933-2066 carreondental.com

Anne Casson LITTLETON FAMILY DENTAL 26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 375 303-797-3867 littletonfamilydental.com

Ryan L. Cooper SUNCREEK DENTAL GROUP 7761 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 250 720-794-9668 suncreekdental.com

Amy Copeland COPELAND FAMILY DENTAL 1420 W. Canal Court, Suite 170 303-791-8530 copelandfamilydental.com

G. Heath Copeland COPELAND FAMILY DENTAL 1420 W. Canal Court, Suite 170 303-791-8530 copelandfamilydental.com

David D. Daugherty

ASPEN VIEW DENTAL 5104 S. Field St., Suite A 303-935-3737 aspenviewdental.com

Tricia Doukas SERENITY DENTAL 26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 760 303-224-0400 serenitydentallittleton.com

David Flack

FLACK FAMILY DENTISTRY

5035 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite B-2 303-933-3111 familydentistrylittleton.com

Marcie A. Flack

FLACK FAMILY DENTISTRY

5035 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite B2 303-933-3111 familydentistrylittleton.com

David C. Geck 10288 W. Chatfield Ave., Suite 103 303-973-9663 dentistinlittleton.com

Alan C. Goral

KEN CARYL DENTAL CENTER 10789 Bradford Road, Suite 100 303-933-2273 kencarylsmiles.com

Jeffrey Grout GROUT FAMILY DENTISTRY 8 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 101 303-730-1222 groutfamilydentistry.com

Robert D. Hendry

HENDRY DENTAL 9200 W. Cross Drive, Suite 407 303-933-4117 hendrydental.com

Kayee Ho Herzberg

KEN CARYL DENTISTRY 7631 Shaffer Parkway, Suite B 303-973-5280 kencaryldentistry.com

Alison Hoover

SOUTHBRIDGE DENTISTRY 7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 202 303-798-4967 southbridgedentistry.com

Bruce H. Johnson 8246 W. Bowles Ave., Suite S 303-989-0577 brucehjohnson.com

Alexandra Kantor COLUMBINE CREEK DENTISTRY 4760 W. Mineral Ave., Suite 60 303-327-9567 columbinecreekdentistry.com

Stephanie S. Karlin

DAKOTA RIDGE DENTAL 13402 W. Coal Mine Ave., Suite 270 303-933-2420 dakotaridgedental.com

Susan Kutis

BLUE SAGE DENTAL 10354 W. Chatfield Ave., Suite 100 303-973-1112 bluesagedental.com

Christina Linn

PLATTE CANYON DENTAL 5950 S. Platte Canyon Road, Suite D9 303-797-2286 plattecanyondental.com

Darlyne M. Loper 1279 W. Littleton Blvd. 303-794-3969 drloperdentist.com

Shawn Maloy

OLD TOWN DENTAL 5419 S. Curtice St. 303-798-4515 old-town-dental.com

Cara McCallum CANYON VIEW DENTISTRY 7641 Shaffer Parkway 720-389-8199 canyonviewdentist.com

Christopher R. Morris 7720 S. Broadway, Suite 430 303-795-1443 drchristophermorris.com

Todd S. Oldroyd

OLDROYD FAMILY DENTISTRY 10106 W. San Juan Way, Suite 120 303-795-6444 oldroyddmd.com

Cristiana Oltean SKY DENTAL 11757 W. Ken Caryl Ave., Unit J 303-979-9488 skydentalcolorado.com

Erik A. Palmberg 2 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 170 303-741-4600 yourdrycreekdentist.com

Jason P. Rand KEN CARYL DENTAL CENTER 10789 Bradford Road, Suite 100 303-933-2273 kencarylsmiles.com

Brian L. Richardson BLANCHARD & RICHARDSON FAMILY DENTISTRY 8089 S. Lincoln St., Suite 102 303-794-9271

Mollie E. Richardson RIVERSIDE DENTAL 2630 W. Belleview Ave., Suite 260 720-524-3854 riversidedental-co.com

Elliott Rotert OLDROYD FAMILY DENTISTRY 10106 W. San Juan Way, Suite 120 303-795-6444 oldroyddmd.com

Ryan Scheidel SOUTH BROADWAY DENTAL CARE 7261 S. Broadway, Suite 102 303-798-2305 southbroadwaydentalcare.com

Emily Sciarrone SERENITY DENTAL 26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 760 303-224-0400 serenitydentallittleton.com

Brian J. Svoboda

SOUTHBRIDGE DENTISTRY 7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 202 303-798-4967 southbridgedentistry.com

David R. Tomasetti 7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 100 303-798-2822

Bradley C. Weekes

COMFORT DENTAL 8420 W. Coal Mine Ave. 303-904-2273 comfortdental.com

Morgan Yoxall

SUMMIT FAMILY DENTISTRY 12999 W. Bowles Drive 303-989-9010 summitfamilydentistry.com

LONE TREE

Adam Almeida

ALMEIDA & BELL

AESTHETIC DENTAL CENTER 8683 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite 200 303-858-9000 almeidadental.com

Sandra C. Ambida

AMBIDA FAMILY DENTISTRY 9695 S. Yosemite St., Suite 225 303-790-8338 ambidadental.com

Christopher J. Baer

BAER DENTAL 9695 S. Yosemite St., Suite 327 303-557-6453 baerdental.com

Kelly R. Freeman

LONE TREE FAMILY DENTISTRY 10455 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 101 303-790-0234 lone-treefamilydentistry.com

Jeanice E. Jones

MILE HIGH SMILES & ESTHETICS 10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 102 303-790-4300 milehighsmilesandesthetics.com

Eugene Liu WILLOW CREEK DENTAL 9400 Station St., Suite 175 303-779-2797 willowcreekdds.com

Joseph O’Leary MEADOWS DENTAL GROUP 7430 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 100 303-558-6042 parkmeadowsdentalgroup.com

Angela M. Osborn OSBORN ADVANCED DENTISTRY 9105 Kimmer Drive 303-799-9993 osborndental.com

Scott Peppler

MEADOWS DENTAL GROUP 7430 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 100 303-558-6042 parkmeadowsdentalgroup.com

Michael K. Rollert

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 8683 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite 120 720-452-2144 rockymountainoms.com

LONGMONT

Dan J. Maurer

LONGMONT COMPLETE DENTISTRY 2211 Mountain View Ave., Unit 1 303-772-7000 longmontcompletedentistry.com

Peter G. Mertz

MERTZ FAMILY DENTISTRY 1325 Dry Creek Drive, Suite 304 303-678-1111 mertzfamilydentistry.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

Todd M. Roby

TODD M. ROBY FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY 1055 17th Ave., Suite 203 303-776-2020 toddrobydds.com

LOUISVILLE

Zade Faraj

STUDIO Z DENTAL

818 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 100 303-802-4313 studiozdental.com

Michael A. Israelson

LOUISVILLE FAMILY DENTAL 168 Centennial Parkway, Suite 190 303-666-4499 louisvillefamilydds.com

Carrie Leypoldt

LOUISVILLE FAMILY DENTAL 168 Centennial Parkway, Suite 190 303-666-4499 louisvillefamilydds.com

Tom Zyvoloski STUDIO Z DENTAL 818 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 100 303-802-4313 studiozdental.com

LOVELAND

Kiley A. Barrett BARRETT FAMILY DENTISTRY 2992 Ginnala Drive 970-663-2133 barrettfamilydentistry.com

Pamela B. Davis DAVIS & PARKER FAMILY DENTAL 4223 N. Taft Ave. 970-667-6040 davisfamdental.com

John M. Dildine 2664 Abarr Drive 970-667-2248

Dale F. Feichtinger

MCKEE FAMILY DENTISTRY 2998 Ginnala Drive, Suite 101 970-669-1236 mylovelanddentist.com

Nicole M. Ferrara IMPLANT & GENERAL DENTISTRY OF NORTHERN COLORADO 2975 Ginnala Drive, Suite 100 970-663-1000 implantdds.com

Michael A. Lovato HOLLOW BROOK DENTAL 2160 Hollow Brook Drive 719-633-0049 hollowbrookfamilydentistry.com

Andrew D. Maples WEST LAKE DENTAL 650 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Suite 200 970-669-1444 westlakedentalco.com

Steven R. McArtor MCKEE FAMILY DENTISTRY 2998 Ginnala Drive, Suite 101 970-669-1236 mylovelanddentist.com

Ashley E. Parker DAVIS & PARKER

FAMILY DENTAL 4223 N. Taft Ave. 970-667-6040 davisfamdental.com

Anne E. Ross

ROSS FAMILY DENTISTRY 1627 E. 18th St. 970-667-1236 ross-family-dentistry.com

NORTHGLENN

Bryan J. Rieker

RIEKER SMILES 11150 Huron St., Suite 211 303-452-9200 riekersmiles.com

Jamie E. Suman

NEW DAY DENTISTRY 11310 Huron St., Suite 210 303-428-8560 newdaydentistrycolorado.com

Brian Wearner WEARNER FAMILY DENTISTRY 10465 Melody Drive, Suite 207 303-452-8813 wearnerdentistry.com

PARKER

John J. Ahern RIDGEGATE DENTAL 11949 Lioness Way, Suite 300 303-226-0023 ridgegatedental.com

Rodney Lamar Allen 10219 Parkglenn Way, Suite100 720-851-6784 rodneyallendds.com

Kara Arnold RIDGEGATE DENTAL 11949 Lioness Way, Suite 300 303-226-0023 ridgegatedental.com

John R. Brockman BROCKMAN FAMILY DENTISTRY 11949 Lioness Way, Suite 200 303-799-4333 brockmanfamilydentistry.com

Yuki Dykes LOTUS FAMILY DENTAL 18300 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 105 303-690-0800 lotusfamilydental.com

Angela S. Evanson 17167 Cedar Gulch Parkway, Suite 202 303-805-9999 evansondds.com

Rabia Farrkh PARKER DENTISTRY 12947 S. Parker Road, Suite 2 303-676-8516 parkerdentistry.com

Christopher Green GREEN DENTAL CARE 19551 Hess Road, Suite 100 720-845-5252 dentistparker.com

Holly B. Sletten 19621 Solar Circle, Suite 202 720-851-1676 hollyslettendmd.com

SUPERIOR

Michael L. Bailey

SUPERIOR DENTAL GROUP 1697 E. Coalton Road, Suite B 303-494-9400 superiordentalgroup.com

THORNTON

Jessica Barron

BARRON FAMILY DENTAL 10305 Washington St. 303-284-6463 barronfamilydental.com

Erica A. Derby

APPLETREE DENTAL 2800 E. 136th Ave. 719-257-4686 appletreesmile.com

Alan H. Gurman ALPINE DENTAL CENTER 9351 Grant St., Suite 550 303-428-6367 alpinedentalcenter.net

Shane Hoelz ALL ABOUT BRACES 901 E. 120th Ave., Unit E 303-452-0077 aabraces.com

Brian Hutchison

HIGHPOINTE DENTAL 9760 Grant St., Suite 100 720-583-1425 highpointedental.com

Andrei Ionescu TIMBER DENTAL CARE 13591 Grant St. 720-306-8787 timberdentalcolorado.com

Carrie W. Mauterer APPLETREE DENTAL 3984 E. 120th Ave. 303-255-4855 appletreesmile.com

Jonathan L. Olivier

THE DENTAL CENTER 12880 Colorado Blvd., Suite 230 303-529-6802 thedentalcenter.us

Lance E. Smith

THORNCREEK COSMETIC & FAMILY DENTISTRY 12297 Pennsylvania St., Suite 1 303-920-4199 thorncreekcosmeticdentistry.com

Mark P. Smith

THE DENTAL CENTER 12880 Colorado Blvd., Suite 230 303-529-6802 thedentalcenter.us

Lori M. Trembath

TREMBATH DENTISTRY 12774 Colorado Blvd., Suite 171 720-710-5071 trembathdentistry.com

Travis D. Whiteley

HIGHPOINTE DENTAL 9760 Grant St., Suite 100 720-583-1425 highpointedental.com

WESTMINSTER

Alexander P. Acevedo

SEDONA DENTAL 13533 Huron St., Suite 100 303-452-3982 sedonadentalgroup.com

Joanne L. Bancroft

J. B. DENTAL 8501 Turnpike Drive, Suite 200 720-458-6561 jbdentist.com

Joseph D. Bertagnolli

BERTAGNOLLI DENTAL 7280 Bradburn Blvd. 303-429-6222 bertagnollidental.com

Jack W. Choi

SEDONA DENTAL 13533 Huron St., Suite 100 303-452-3982 sedonadentalgroup.com

Stanley L. Jeranko

STANDLEY SHORES

DENTAL GROUP 10071 N. Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 100 303-420-9720 ssdgsmiles.com

Jonathan Lewis

NORTHPARK DENTAL GROUP 10359 Federal Blvd., Suite 110 303-466-2300 northparkdentalgroup.com

Jamie Marquez ARROW DENTAL 14697 Delaware St., Suite 260-B 720-328-3750 arrowdentalsmiles.com

Katy McClure NORTHPARK DENTAL GROUP 10359 Federal Blvd., Suite 110 303-466-2300 northparkdentalgroup.com

Kathleen M. Murphy JEPSEN, MURPHY & ASSOCIATES DENTAL 2921 W. 120th Ave., Suite 210 303-452-4556 jepsenmurphyandassociates.com

Jenna Nicholson THE SMILE SUITE 11225 Decatur St., Suite 101 720-679-9689 smilesuitedentist.com

Alexander Park SEDONA DENTAL 13533 Huron St., Suite 100 303-452-3982 sedonadentalgroup.com

Justin S. Petracek

STANDLEY SHORES DENTAL GROUP 10071 N. Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 100 303-420-9720 ssdgsmiles.com

Heather L. Stamm BRADBURN VILLAGE DENTISTRY 11961 Bradburn Blvd., Suite 200 303-466-3222 bradburnvillagedentistry.com

Eric A. Winter

BRADBURN VILLAGE DENTISTRY 11961 Bradburn Blvd., Suite 200 303-466-3222 bradburnvillagedentistry.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Erin Cettie

APPLEWOOD DENTAL 12495 W. 32nd Ave., Suite 2 303-237-2707 applewooddentalwheatridge.com

Daniel G. Christiansen

DENTAL CARE OF WHEAT RIDGE 7900 W. 44th Ave., Suite 105 303-422-5817 dentalcareofwheatridge.com

Tina L. Christiansen

DENTAL CARE OF WHEAT RIDGE 7900 W. 44th Ave., Suite 105 303-422-5817 dentalcareofwheatridge.com

Bryan M. Dahler

TEETH RIDGE DENTAL 6525 W. 44th Ave. 303-421-8753 drbooey.com

Tiffany Manzo

APPLEWOOD DENTAL 12495 W. 32nd Ave., Suite 2 303-237-2707 applewooddentalwheatridge.com

Lauren K. Peterson

HÄLSA DENTAL 10050 W. 41st Ave., Suite 101 303-940-0125 halsadental.com

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

ARVADA

Dustin Haupt AVOS DENTAL SPECIALISTS 14769 W. 87th Parkway 720-798-1200 avosds.com

Nicholas A. Politano COLORADO REGIONAL ORAL SURGERY 8025 Club Crest Drive 303-431-0033 coregionalos.com

Sara Weinstein COLORADO REGIONAL ORAL SURGERY 8025 Club Crest Drive 303-431-0033 coregionalos.com

Randall J. Russell ELEVATED ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 6240 S. Main St., Suite 225 720-870-1451 elevatedomfs.com

Ashraf Sedhom ORAL SURGERY CENTER 11246 E. Mississippi Ave. 303-344-0810 oralsurgerycenter.com

BOULDER

Benjamin Foley

FOLEY & LE ORAL, MAXILLOFACIAL, AND DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY

1420 28th St., Suite 100 303-444-2255 foleyoralsurgery.com

Thao Le

FOLEY & LE ORAL, MAXILLOFACIAL AND DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY 1420 28th St., Suite 100 303-444-2255 foleyandleoralsurgery.com

Brandon Luter

BOULDER ORAL SURGERY & DENTAL IMPLANTS

3450 Penrose Place, Suite 120 303-447-9735 boulderoralsurgery.com

Terry Nedbalski

BOULDER ORAL SURGERY & DENTAL IMPLANTS

3450 Penrose Place, Suite 120 303-447-9735 boulderoralsurgery.com

CASTLE ROCK

Kristopher L. Hart

CASTLE ROCK ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY 2352 Meadows Blvd., Suite 205 303-663-7890 castlerockoralsurgery.com

Julie A. Lesnick

CASTLE ROCK ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY 2352 Meadows Blvd., Suite 205 303-663-7890 castlerockoralsurgery.com

CENTENNIAL

Ryan N. Dobbs

SADDLE ROCK INSTITUTE 7380 S. Gartrell Road 720-826-8900

SaddleRockInstitute.com

Austin Ivey

IVEY ORAL AND FACIAL SURGERY 14000 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 320 303-493-1933 iveyofs.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Matthew D. D’Addario

ASSOCIATES IN MAXILLOFACIAL & ORAL SURGERY 1755 Telstar Drive, Suite 210 719-599-0500 amoscolorado.com

Jessica L. Duru

SPRINGS DENTISTRY 6665 Delmonico Drive, Suite C 719-599-5700 springsdentistry.com

Rebecca Facy

COLORADO MAXILLOFACIAL & ORAL SURGEONS 4105 Briargate Parkway, Suite 240 719-434-1584 coloradomax.com

Donald J. Hull

ASSOCIATES IN MAXILLOFACIAL & ORAL SURGERY 1755 Telstar Drive, Suite 210 719-599-0500 amoscolorado.com

Michael S. Kunkel

PIKES PEAK ORAL SURGERY 3475 Briargate Blvd., Suite 102 719-264-6070 pikespeakoralsurgery.com

Karl “Kipp” Pennau ORAL SURGERY ASSOCIATES OF COLORADO SPRINGS 5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 100 719-473-2650 oralsurgerycolorado.com

Michael D. Terveen SPRINGS FAMILY DENTAL 1935 N. Union Blvd. 719-634-4805 springsfamilydental.com

Kevin J. Wright ASSOCIATES IN MAXILLOFACIAL & ORAL SURGERY 1755 Telstar Drive, Suite 210 719-599-0500 amoscolorado.com

Michael R. Zachar COLORADO ORAL SURGERY GROUP 6110 Barnes Road 719-301-4451 coloradooralsurgerygroup.com

DENVER

Matthew K. Alleman

COLORADO ORAL SURGERY

400 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 450 303-744-1369 coloradooralsurgery.com

Steven D. Barney

5280 ORAL SURGERY & DENTAL IMPLANTS

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 105 720-638-3888 5280-os.com

Tasos Belegratis YOUTH DENTAL & VISION 1400 Grove St. 303-953-8801 denveryouthdentistry.com

Brian J. Fangman

ALTITUDE ORAL MAXILLOFACIAL IMPLANT CENTER

5600 W. 44th Ave. 720-328-4990 altitudeofs.com

Chad Fruithandler

COLORADO TONGUE TIE

4704 N. Harlan St., Suite 350 720-507-0077 coloradotonguetie.com

Michael A. Hale

COLORADO ORAL SURGERY

400 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 450 303-744-1369 coloradooralsurgery.com

Travis Hamilton

COLORADO ORAL SURGERY

400 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 450 303-744-1369 coloradooralsurgery.com

Steven R. Nelson

NELSON & WELLS ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 202 303-758-6850 nelson-rollert-wells.com

John R. Nesiba

CHERRY CREEK ORAL SURGERY AND DENTAL IMPLANTS

3955 E. Exposition Ave., Suite 520 303-777-1603 cherrycreekoralsurgery.com

Adam Olsen

PERFECT TEETH SPECIALTY CENTER

1699 S. Colorado Blvd., Building A, Suite J 303-639-6000 perfectteeth.com

S. Matthew Schacht

DENVER ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 130 Rampart Way, Suite 100 303-341-7151 omsdenver.com

Zachary T. Wells

NELSON & WELLS ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 202 303-758-6850 oralsurgerydenver.com

Jesse R. Witkoff

COLORADO TONGUE TIE 4704 N. Harlan St., Suite 350 720-507-0077 coloradotonguetie.com

ENGLEWOOD

Lauren E. Basile

COLORADO SURGICAL ARTS 3701 S. Clarkson St., Suite 300 303-806-8600 cosurgicalarts.com

Daniel Escalante

DRY CREEK ORAL SURGERY 125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 100 303-773-8228 drycreekoralsurgery.com

Jeremy Jannuzzi

DRY CREEK ORAL SURGERY 125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 100 303-773-8228 drycreekoralsurgery.com

James R. Lessig

ADVANCED ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 10120 E. Dry Creek Road, Suite 100 303-768-8570 advancedoms.com

Thomas S. Michalik

ADVANCED ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 10120 E. Dry Creek Road, Suite 100 303-768-8570 advancedoms.com

Nicholas Nagaki

COLORADO SURGICAL ARTS 3701 S. Clarkson St., Suite 300 303-806-8600 cosurgicalarts.com

Julia R. Plevnia

DRY CREEK ORAL SURGERY 125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 100 303-773-822 drycreekoralsurgery.com

Thomas L. Stone

COLORADO SURGICAL ARTS 3701 S. Clarkson St., Suite 300 303-806-8600 cosurgicalarts.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

ERIE

Eugene C. Kang

ASPEN ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY 671 Mitchell Way, Suite 100 303-954-0049

aspenoralsurgery.com

EVERGREEN

Jonathon S. Jundt

EVERGREEN ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 28000 Meadow Drive, Suite 110 720-990-5500

evergreenoms.com

FORT COLLINS

Aaron T. Liddell

COLORADO ORAL SURGERY 400 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 450 303-744-1369

coloradooralsurgery.com

Gregg L. Lurcott

COLORADO ORAL SURGERY 400 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 450 303-744-1369 coloradooralsurgery.com

Mark F. Orr

FORT COLLINS ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 2014 Caribou Drive, Suite 100 970-225-9555 fortcollinsoms.com

GLENDALE

M. Juliana DiPasquale

DENVER METRO ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS

4500 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 410 303-321-0333 dmoms.com

Kevin M. Patterson

DENVER METRO ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS 4500 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 410 303-321-0333 dmoms.com

GOLDEN

Paul C. Madlock

CANYON POINT IMPLANT & ORAL SURGERY 108 N. Rubey Drive 303-215-9944 canyonpointsurgery.com

GREELEY

Joshua Gresehover

REYNOLDS ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY 7251 W. 20th St., Building P 970-663-6878

reynoldsoralfacial.com

Daniel Yacoob

PRECISION ORAL SURGERY 1831 65th Ave., Suite 3 970-353-5826 precisionos.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Ryan D. Hambleton

HIGHLANDS RANCH ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY 300 Plaza Drive, Suite 175 720-996-0210 hrsurgery.com

Jeremy K. Miner

ORAL SURGERY OF THE ROCKIES 8671 S. Quebec St., Suite 100 303-791-3232 oralsurgeryoftherockies.com

E. Marc Weideman

ORAL SURGERY OF THE ROCKIES

8671 S. Quebec St., Suite 100 303-791-3232 oralsurgeryoftherockies.com

LAFAYETTE

Curtis Hayes

COAL CREEK ORAL SURGERY & DENTAL IMPLANT CENTER 1771 Cherokee Trail 720-588-2505 coalcreekoms.com

LAKEWOOD

Huyen Hoang

SIMPLE SMILES DENTAL 275 S. Sheridan Blvd., Suite 114 720-638-9797 simplesmilesco.com

Haeman Noori

PEAK OMS

2290 Kipling St., Suite 2 303-232-5637 peakoms.com

Anne L. Stearns

PEAK OMS

2290 Kipling St., Suite 2 303-232-5637 peakoms.com

LITTLETON

David R. Bundy

RED ROCKS ORAL SURGERY 9200 W. Cross Drive, Suite 603 303-932-7458 redrocksoralsurgery.com

Daniel E. Esposito

IMPLANT AND ORAL SURGERY CENTER

6179 S. Balsam Way, Suite 100 303-933-8282 implantandoralsurgery.com

Richard L. McLain

RICHARD MCLAIN, ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 201 303-798-4553 tmoms.net

LONE TREE

Joseph M. Catalano

CATALANO ORAL SURGERY 10103 Ridgegate Parkway, Suite 214 303-768-8222 catalanooralsurgery.com

LONGMONT

Kevin M. Andrus

LONGMONT ORAL, FACIAL & IMPLANT SURGERY

1551 Professional Lane, Suite 260 303-772-8870 longmontoralsurgery.com

Bryan Chai

BOULDER ORAL SURGER & DENTAL IMPLANTS

1325 Hover St., Suite 101 303-772-8585 boulderoralsurgery.com

Benjamin T.J. Howard LONGMONT ORAL, FACIAL & IMPLANT SURGERY 1551 Professional Lane, Suite 260 303-772-8870 longmontoralsurgery.com

LOVELAND

Mark R. Auble

RANGE VIEW ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY

1996 Rocky Mountain Ave. 970-669-4802 rangeviewsurgery.com

Ralph R. Reynolds

REYNOLDS ORAL & FACIAL SURGERY

3520 E. 15th St., Suite 102 970-663-6878 reynoldsoralfacial.com

PARKER R. Beryl Hunter 9870 Mangano Lane, Suite 200 303-840-7400 drbhunter.com

THORNTON Blake Ballenger

PRECISION ORAL SURGERY 12880 Colorado Blvd., Suite 100 303-451-6767 precisionos.com

Meena Bhatti

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 2750 E. 136th Ave., Suite 101 720-452-2144 rockymountainoms.com

Michael A. Burnham

PRECISION ORAL SURGERY 12880 Colorado Blvd., Suite 100 303-451-6767 precisionos.com

WESTMINSTER

Douglas S. Hong NORTH DENVER ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 12213 Pecos St., Suite 100 303-255-0500 northdenveroms.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Natalie J. Schafer

WHEAT RIDGE ORAL SURGERY 7760 W. 38th Ave., Suite 102 303-421-4010 wheatridgeoralsurgery.com

ORAL MEDICINE

DENVER

Kevin S. Berry

TMJ THERAPY & SLEEP CENTER OF COLORADO 1660 S. Albion St., Suite 1008 303-691-0267 tmjtherapyandsleepcenter.com

ORTHODONTICS

ARVADA

Michael Berger

BERGER ORTHODONTICS 14749 W. 87th Parkway, Unit B 720-627-8818 bergerorthodontics.com

Jason A. Messingham

MESSINGHAM ORTHODONTICS 7991 Vance Drive, Suite B 303-456-5339 messinghamortho.com

Deepa Vyas

VYAS ORTHODONTICS 16205 W. 64th Ave., Suite 101 303-940-8880 vyasortho.com

AURORA

David Beebe

RISAS DENTAL AND BRACES AURORA 11479 E. Colfax Ave. 303-261-8496 risasdental.com

David Garlock

GARLOCK ORTHODONTICS 6240 S. Main St., Suite 220 303-627-6212 garlockortho.com

Keith J. Kohrs

KOHRS ORTHODONTICS 2900 S. Peoria St., Suite B 303-750-3660 kohrsortho.com

BOULDER

Jan Yamashiro

YAMASHIRO ORTHODONTICS 1717 Folsom St. 303-443-3774 orthodontistinboulder.com

BRIGHTON

Albert Eng

ENG ORTHODONTICS 195 Telluride St., Suite 6 303-498-0351 engortho.com

BROOMFIELD

Christopher M. Biety

BIETY ORTHODONTICS 925 Main St., Suite D 303-469-4191 bietyorthodontics.com

Brian C. Bohman

BOHMAN ORTHODONTICS 13605 Xavier Lane, Suite D 720-887-8357 bohmanorthodontics.com

CASTLE ROCK

Mark D. Gregston

CROSSROADS ORTHODONTICS 2240 Mercantile St., Suite 203 303-758-2366 crossroads-ortho.com

Daniel Rejman

MEADOWS ORTHODONTICS 3993 Limelight Ave., Suite B 303-660-0112 meadowsorthodontics.com

CENTENNIAL

Jeffrey W. Haskins

VILLAGE ORTHODONTICS 15454 E. Orchard Road 720-625-8520 villageorthodontics.com

Kirk J. Nielson

ADVANCED ORTHODONTICS 16756 E. Smoky Hill Road 303-248-7200 aobraces.com

Erin A. Sloss

SLOSS & CARPENTER ORTHODONTICS 9094 E. Mineral Ave., Suite 220 720-637-5818 sc-ortho.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

John H. Bailey

BAILEY ORTHODONTICS

817 Village Center Drive, Suite 110 719-598-2800 bailey-smiles.com

Kimberly Batterson 15 Widefield Blvd. 719-390-7926 kb-ortho.com

Russell H. Ford

PINE TOP ORTHODONTICS

9475 Briar Village Point, Suite 315 719-481-9199 pinetoporthodontics.com

Matthew Gaworski

GAWORSKI & ZITTERKOPF ORTHODONTICS

6140 Tutt Blvd., Suite 250 719-596-2477 drmattgaworski.com

Jenée Kaplan

RANGEWOOD ORTHODONTICS 7560 Rangewood Drive, Suite 200 719-596-3113 rangewoodorthodontics.com

Michele J. Mathews

MICHELE J. MATHEWS ORTHODONTICS 415 W. Rockrimmon Blvd., Suite 100 719-598-7700 springsorthodontics.com

John N. Ordahl ORDAHL ORTHODONTICS 3505 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite 215 719-596-3098 ordahlortho.com

James P. Ziuchkovski

6010 Erin Park Drive, Suite 2 719-593-7942 thebraceguys.com

CRESTED BUTTE

Matthew H. Caspersen CRESTED BUTTE DENTAL 80 Glacier St. 970-349-5880 crestedbuttedentist.com

DENVER

Lia D. Baros

ORTHODONTICS IN THE HIGHLANDS

4390 N. Sheridan Blvd. 303-433-7500 orthointhehighlands.com

Michael D. Bellon BELLON ORTHODONTICS

7200 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 203 303-692-9610 drbellon.com

Gary P. Benson

BENSON ORTHODONTICS

3200 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 420 303-722-1202 bensonortho.com

Isaac Chung

I-ORTHODONTICS

3650 E. First Ave., Suite 301 720-740-0967 i-ortho.com

Gregory W. Dietmeier

DIETMEIER ORTHODONTICS

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 201 303-758-3114 dietmeierortho.com

Nicole E. Eberle

EBERLE ORTHODONTICS

55 Madison St., Suite 280 303-320-0307 smilesbyeberle.com

Nathan Helm

HELM ORTHODONTICS

4809 Argonne St., Suite 240 303-371-0371 helmortho.com

Gina Kessler

TOWNCENTER DENTISTRY AND ORTHODONTICS

7479 E. 29th Place 720-734-6008 tcdodenver.com

Joanna Z. Levin LOWRY ORTHODONTICS

125 Rampart Way, Suite 301 303-366-9090 lowryorthodenver.com

Renee Moran

FOUNDATIONS ORTHODONTICS

4380 S. Syracuse St., Suite 501 303-694-4330 foundations-orthodontics.com

Trent Nestman NESTMAN ORTHODONTICS 2206 Kearney St. 720-735-9800 nestmanortho.com

Justin Owens OWENS ORTHODONTICS

1780 S. Bellaire St., Suite 345 303-744-1701 owensorthodontics.com

Robert T. Rudman

ADVANCED ORTHODONTIC CARE 4500 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 850 303-331-0222 cherrycreeksmiles.com

Spencer Lee Schneider

CENTRAL PARK ORTHODONTICS 2373 Central Park Blvd., Suite 302 303-316-7846 centralparkorthodonticsdenver.com

Theresa L. Shaver

ALL ABOUT BRACES 2250 S. Monaco Parkway 303-476-6233 aabraces.com

Clifton C. Speaks

SPEAKS ORTHODONTICS 3141 Irving St., Suite 201 720-740-0986 speaksorthodontics.com

Brian Trommeter TROMMETER ORTHODONTICS 8354 Northfield Blvd., Suite 2730 720-420-4320 trommeterortho.com

ENGLEWOOD

Jack E. Duran

ORTHODONTICS EXCLUSIVELY 3601 S. Clarkson St., Suite 430 303-789-9257 duran4braces.com

EVERGREEN

John M. DuRussel

EVERGREEN ORTHODONTIC SPECIALISTS

30960 Stagecoach Blvd., Suite W100 303-674-1122 evergreensmiledocs.com

Bryan E. Williams

WILLIAMS ORTHODONTICS

32045 Castle Court, Suite 102 303-670-5878 williamsorthodontics.net

FORT COLLINS

Mark D. Crane

CRANE & SEAGER ORTHODONTICS

4144 S. Timberline Road, Suite 100 970-226-6443 craneseagerortho.com

Bradley E. Goings GOINGS ORTHODONTICS

4733 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101 970-377-1888 goingsorthodontics.com

Timothy C. Hardy

TAFT HILL ORTHODONTICS

1015 S. Taft Hill Road, Unit K 970-400-9701 tafthillorthodontics.com

Laura D. Milnor

MILNOR ORTHODONTICS

1103 S. Shields St. 970-484-3214 milnororthodontics.com

D. Craig Seager

CRANE & SEAGER ORTHODONTICS

4144 S. Timberline Road, Suite 100 970-226-6443 craneseagerortho.com

Adam Timock

TIMOCK FAMILY ORTHODONTICS

3221 Eastbrook Drive, Suite A-103 970-680-1007 timockfamilyortho.com

Jared Ward WARD ORTHODONTICS 2720 Council Tree Ave., Suite 266 970-818-8798 wardortho.com

GREELEY

Bradford N. Edgren ORTHODONTIC ASSOCIATES OF GREELEY 3400 W. 16th St., Building 4-V 970-356-5900 drbradsmiles.com

Dana A. Gamblin

DANA ORTHODONTICS 1815 61st Ave., Suite 101 970-353-3747 danasmiles.com

David D. Richter

RICHTER ORTHODONTICS 6244 W. Ninth St. 970-392-1733 richterorthodontics.com

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Mark Y. Iritani

PATRA WATANA PEDIATRIC

DENTISTRY & IRITANI ORTHODONTICS

8925 E. Union Ave. 303-740-7088 denverorthopedo.com

Matthew Iritani

PATRA WATANA PEDIATRIC

DENTISTRY & IRITANI ORTHODONTICS

8925 E. Union Ave. 303-740-7088 denverorthopedo.com

Derek A. Straffon 303 SMILES

8745 E. Orchard Road, Suite 513 303-758-3414 303smiles.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Richard G. Elliott

ELLIOTT ORTHODONTICS

537 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 105 303-791-4411 elliottortho.com

Tyler Karlin

KARLIN ORTHODONTICS 9305 Dorchester St., Suite 103 303-470-9488 karlinorthodontics.com

Brandon J. Linn

BRANDON LINN ORTHODONTICS 6660 Timberline Road, Suite 260 303-688-9617 blortho.com

LAFAYETTE

Brian C. Leypoldt

LAFAYETTE FAMILY ORTHODONTICS 1376 Miners Drive, Suite 106 720-699-8855 lafayettefamilyorthodontics.com

LAKEWOOD

Voytek Bobak

BOBAK ORTHODONTICS 1840 S. Wadsworth Blvd. 303-988-0844 bobakortho.com

Stephen L. Carter

CARTER ORTHODONTICS 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite D-310 303-986-7846 carterortho.com

Michael R. Duryea

DURYEA ORTHODONTICS 13131 W. Alameda Parkway 303-987-0500 duryeasmiles.com

Dafne I. Ellis

LAKEWOOD ORTHODONTICS 255 Union Blvd., Suite 430 303-988-2780 lortho.com

Lina Kulkarni-Politano

KULKARNI ORTHODONTICS 2535 S. Lewis Way, Suite 106 303-238-1338 kulkarniortho.com

David T. Mershon

ALL ABOUT BRACES 2020 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 18-A 303-462-1462 aabraces.com

LITTLETON

Galen T. Callender 9200 W. Cross Drive, Suite 250 303-973-7771 galencallender.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

Matthew J. Goergen

SOUTHWEST PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS WITH ADULT DENTISTRY

6931 S. Pierce St. 303-978-1104 swpdo.com

Gary M. Holt

HOLT ORTHODONTICS

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 102 303-798-0928 drgaryholt.com

Wade Housewright

INSPIRE ORTHODONTICS

414 E. Mineral Blvd., Suite B 303-754-0040 inspireorthodontics.com

Kurt Niepraschk

NIEPRASCHK ORTHODONTICS 8966 W. Bowles Ave., Unit L 303-978-1316 drkurtortho.com

Scott Ohmart

OHMART ORTHODONTICS

10146 W. San Juan Way, Suite 230 303-979-0211 ohmartorthodontics.com

Shari L. Wolsky

WOLSKY ORTHODONTICS

721 Southpark Drive, Unit B 303-795-2591 wolskyorthodontics.com

LONE TREE

Brooks Barefoot

TOTAL ORTHODONTICS

10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 300 303-779-0565 total-orthodontics.com

Kevin L. Theroux

TOTAL ORTHODONTICS

10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 300 303-779-0565 total-orthodontics.com

LONGMONT F. Richard Beckwith

MOUNTAIN VIEW ORTHODONTICS 1800 W. Mountain View Ave. 303-651-1315 mtnvieworthodonticslongmont.com

Danielle DeLand

LONGMONT MODERN DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS

1234 S. Hover St., Suite 100 720-907-8770 longmontmoderndentistry.com

Laurel R. Martin

MARTIN FAMILY ORTHODONTICS

1361 Francis St., Suite 104 303-772-5055 martinfamilyorthodontics.com

Stephanie Ross

LONGMONT BRACES 1266 S. Hover St. 303-772-0510 longmontbraces.com

Melissa Venrick

LONGMONT ORTHODONTICS

1325 Hover St., Suite 102 303-651-7771 longmontorthodontics.com

LOUISVILLE

Damen M. Caraway

CARAWAY ORTHODONTICS

1760 Centennial Drive, Suite B 303-665-7333 carawayortho.com

Matthew Melcher

MELCHER ORTHODONTICS

315 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 111 303-666-9717 melcherorthodontics.com

Thomas J. Melcher

MELCHER ORTHODONTICS

315 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 111 303-666-9717 melcherorthodontics.com

Theodore W. Struhs

20 MILE ORTHODONTICS

11355 S. Parker Road, Suite 109 303-841-2262 20mileortho.com

LOVELAND

Ted E. “Theo” Mioduski III IMPLANT & GENERAL DENTISTRY OF NORTHERN COLORADO 2975 Ginnala Drive, Suite 100 970-663-1000 implantdds.com

Anthony Schiro ASCEND ORTHODONTICS

700 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Suite 100 970-667-3869 ascend-orthdontics.com

Carly Schiro

ASCEND ORTHODONTICS

700 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Suite 100 970-667-3869 ascend-orthodontics.com

Jon R. Stowers II STOWERS ORTHODONTICS 2520 Abarr Drive 970-667-9193 stowersorthodontics.com

PARKER

James Bloom

BLOOM ORTHODONTICS 11949 Lioness Way, Suite 100 720-743-0700 bloomsmiles.com

Jeffrey L. Collins

PARKER ORTHODONTICS 19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite C 303-841-5500 parkerorthodontics.com

Brent Hoggan

BRENT HOGGAN ORTHODONTICS 10219 Parkglenn Way, Suite 101 303-840-8505 hogganortho.com

Cassy B. Wiggins

SUMMIT ORTHODONTICS 17167 E. Cedar Gulch Parkway, Suite 200 303-805-7111 summitorthodontics.com

THORNTON

Gregory B. Stoll

STOLL ORTHODONTICS 2750 E. 136th Ave., Suite 200 303-450-2211 stollsmiles.com

WESTMINSTER

Carolyn Cronin

CRONIN & CZARNIK

ORTHODONTICS

5150 W. 80th Ave. 303-428-3613 mycoloradosmile.com

Scott C. Czarnik

CRONIN & CZARNIK

ORTHODONTICS

5150 W. 80th Ave. 303-428-3613 mycoloradosmile.com

Gary Dixon

DIXON ORTHODONTICS

9910 Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 300 303-430-4200 drdixonortho.com

Shon J. Peterson

PETERSON ORTHODONTICS

11265 Decatur St., Suite 400 303-452-4656 petersonortho.com

Ronald E. Unterseher

UNTERSEHER ORTHODONTICS

10359 N. Federal Blvd., Suite 200 303-466-1955 druortho.com

Larry T. Weddle Jr.

WEDDLE ORTHODONTICS

905 W. 124th Ave., Suite 180 303-255-3339 drweddle.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Kevin C. Chapman

CHAPMAN ORTHODONTICS

8852 W. 38th Ave. 303-421-9814 chapmanorthodontics.com

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

ARVADA

Tandi V. Donaldson

SUGAR BUGS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

7578 Sheridan Blvd. 303-427-9779 sugarbugsdds.com

Bryan P. Savage WEST METRO

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 15530 W. 64th Ave., Suite H 303-422-3746 westmetrokidsdental.com

Julie Vuong Taylor

SUGAR BUGS PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 7578 Sheridan Blvd. 303-427-9779 sugarbugsdds.com

Betty Yip

CLOVER KIDS DENTISTRY 14749 W. 87th Parkway 720-805-0707 cloverkidsdentistry.com

LaShica Young WEST METRO

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 15530 W. 64th Ave., Suite H 303-422-3746 westmetrokidsdental.com

AURORA

Erin W. Carpenter

CARPENTER PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 25521 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite 210 303-617-5437 carpenterpediatricdentistry.com

Davood Manshadi

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL 15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B 303-341-5437 mykidschoicedental.com

Christopher Patterson

EPIC DENTISTRY FOR KIDS

390 S. Potomac Way, Suite A 720-721-3600 epicdentistryforkids.com

Vidya Patuvilan

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL 15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B 303-341-5437 mykidschoicedental.com

Olesya Tsurkina

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL 15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B 303-341-5437 mykidschoicedental.com

BOULDER

Michael D. Jones

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY BOULDER 3400 Penrose Place, Suite 107 303-443-8250 ddschild.com

Ian M. Kott

KOTT PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 1440 28th St., Suite 1 303-938-1000 kottpediatricdentistry.com

Jeffrey Wong WONG ORTHODONTICS 3400 Penrose Place, Suite 203 303-444-6680 drwongortho.com

CASTLE PINES

Jonathan D. Sierk

SIERK CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY 361 Village Square Lane, Suite 100 303-865-4066 sierkchildrensdentistry.com

CASTLE ROCK

Layne P. Benzley

CASTLE ROCK SMILES

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 753 Maleta Lane, Suite 104 720-770-5058 castlerocksmiles.com

Shane R. Christensen

ENDODONTICS OF COLORADO 19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite 8 303-805-4141 endoofco.com

Bianca M. Hoffman

CASTLE ROCK SMILES

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

753 Maleta Lane, Suite 104 720-770-5058 castlerocksmiles.com

Purvi V. Shah

PEDIATRIC DENTICARE

3750 Dacoro Lane, Suite 120 303-663-3388 pediatricdenticare.com

Michael K. Townsend

CASTLE ROCK KIDS’ DENTISTRY 2352 Meadows Blvd., Suite 200 303-814-1335

castlerockkidsdentistry.com

CENTENNIAL

Ines Quintanilla

WEST METRO PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 7180 E. Orchard Road, Suite 301 303-422-3746 westmetrokidsdental.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Clinton T. Callahan SPRINGS PEDIATRIC DENTAL CARE 13335 Voyager Parkway, Suite 100 719-265-9600 springspediatricdentist.com

Andrea T. D’Addario

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 6071 E. Woodmen Road, Suite 200 719-638-7673

rockymountainpediatricdentistry.com

Derek G. Kirkham

COLORADO SPRINGS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

9480 Briar Village Point, Suite 301 719-522-0123

cspediatricdentistry.com

Corban Stettler

KIDS ROCK PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 5430 E. Woodman Drive 719-424-4668

kidsrockdentistry.com

Janelle Tonn

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 6071 E. Woodmen Road, Suite 200 719-638-7673 rockymountainpediatricdentistry.com

Sean F. Vostatek

SIMPLY KIDS DENTAL 1910 Vindicator Drive, Suite 103 719-598-5437 simplykidsdental.com

DENVER

Lisa A. Carlson-Marks

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY OF CHERRY CREEK 4500 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 840 303-377-1148 childrensdentistryco.com

Roger Castro

KIDS MILE HIGH PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS 2373 Central Park Blvd., Suite 305 303-399-5437 kidsmilehigh.com

Elizabeth D. Crespi SUNRISE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 3650 E. First Ave., Suite 301 720-660-2467 sunrisepedsdentistry.com

Kojo Danso

CHERRY CREEK PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

5055 E. Kentucky Ave., Suite A 303-757-8844 cherrycreekpediatricdentistry.com

Jean M. Felton

LOWRY PEDIATRIC DENTAL HEALTH

8111 E. Lowry Blvd., Suite 200 303-343-2803 lowrykidsdmd.com

Rebecca Goldberg

A WILD SMILE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

2975 Roslyn St., Suite 160 720-945-1234 awildsmile.com

Michael Hong

UNION ORTHODONTICS & PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

3690 S. Yosemite St., Suite 200 303-558-1458 smilewithunion.com

Tim Nichols

TENNYSON PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

4383 Tennyson St., Suite 1-F 303-423-4383 denverkidsdentist.com

Chris Roberts GREEN VALLEY KIDS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 4809 Argonne St., Suite 230 303-371-4485 greenvalleykids.com

John M. Rubenstrunk

SOUTHMOOR PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 100 303-758-6057 southmoorkids.com

Rosalyn Shkolnikov

NORTHFIELD PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 5665 N. Beeler St., Suite 140 720-577-2844 northfieldpedsdentistry.com

Scott D. Smith

SOUTHMOOR PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 100 303-758-6057 southmoorkids.com

Kelsey D. Snavely

TENNYSON PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 4383 Tennyson St., Suite 1-F 303-423-4383 denverkidsdentist.com

Sarah G. Villaseñor RISE & SHINE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 1780 S. Bellaire St., Suite 655 303-758-0223 riseandshinesmiles.com

ENGLEWOOD

Julie N. LeBlanc

LITTLE ROCKIES KIDS DENTAL 10371 Parkglenn Way, Suite 260 720-638-6114 littlerockieskidsdental.com

A. Patrick Smithwick III KIDS MILE HIGH PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS

125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 300 303-779-5306 kidsmilehigh.com

ERIE

Namrata G. Hardy HARDY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS

3200 Village Vista Drive, Suite 110 720-900-3119 hardypedoortho.com

EVERGREEN

Brianne E. Hills

ALL KIDS DENTAL

908 Nob Hill Road, Suite 300 303-670-5437 allkidsjungle.com

Kyle A. Klepacki

ALL KIDS DENTAL

908 Nob Hill Road, Suite 300 303-670-5437 allkidsjungle.com

FORT COLLINS

Rachel Ecker

BIG GRINS

3221 Eastbrook Drive, Building A, Suite 101 970-407-1020 gobiggrins.com

Gregory D. Evans

BIG GRINS

3221 Eastbrook Drive, Building A, Suite 101 970-407-1020 biggrinswithdrgreg.com

Joseph A. Guido

FOCO KIDS DENTISTRY

1241 Riverside Ave. 970-632-0306 focokidsdentistry.com

Ihsan Larsen

FOCO KIDS DENTISTRY

1241 Riverside Ave. 970-632-0306 focokidsdentistry.com

Shivaun J. McArtor

MOUNTAIN KIDS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

260 E. Horsetooth Road 970-224-3600 mountainkidspediatricdentistry.com

Katie Rusnak

MOUNTAIN KIDS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

260 E. Horsetooth Road 970-224-3600 mountainkidspediatricdentistry.com

Ryan B. Taylor

THE TOOTHZONE NETWORK

712 Whalers Way, Suite A-100 970-223-8687 toothzonenetwork.com

Keith A. Van Tassell

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY OF THE ROCKIES

4609 S. Timberline Road, Suite 103-B 970-484-4104 rockieskidsdds.com

GREELEY

Matt Whitesides

WILD FOR A SMILE

1819 61st Ave., Suite 101 970-506-1339 wildforasmile.com

GREENWOOD VILLAGE Patra Watana

PATRA WATANA PEDIATRIC

DENTISTRY & IRITANI ORTHODONTICS 8925 E. Union Ave. 303-740-7088 denverorthopedo.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Jennifer L. Thompson

BLUE SKY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

9330 S. University Blvd., Suite 210 303-771-8300 blueskypediatricdentistry.com

LAFAYETTE

Raelene Fulford

CAMP LITTLE TOOTH 110 Old Laramie Trail East, Suite 105 303-604-1000 camplittletooth.com

David T. Ramirez

FOOTHILLS PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

1140 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 102 303-604-9500 foothillspediatricdentistry.com

David M. Strange Jr.

PEDIATRIC DENTAL

GROUP OF COLORADO

300 Exempla Circle, Suite 460 720-890-9494 pediatricdentalgroupco.com

LAKEWOOD

Justin W. Cathers

PEDIATRIC DENTAL

GROUP OF COLORADO 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite B-104 303-984-9700 pediatricdentalgroupco.com

Ann Hoang

PEDIATRIC DENTAL

GROUP OF COLORADO 96 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 100 303-232-2155 pediatricdentalgroupco.com

LITTLETON

Courtney R. College

KIDS TO COLLEGE

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 10146 W. San Juan Way, Suite 220 303-979-9500 kids2collegedds.com

Autumn G. Hurd

DENTISTRY FOR CHILDREN

404 E. Mineral Ave., Suite A 303-798-4400 drgoodsmiles.com

Jayme Michalson

KIDS OFF BROADWAY

721 Southpark Drive, Unit A 303-347-1000 kidsoffbroadway.com

R. Scott Pankratz

SOUTHWEST PEDIATRIC

DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS WITH ADULT DENTISTRY 6931 S. Pierce St. 303-978-1104 swpdo.com

Mary Connolly Savoy

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL 15159 E. Colfax Ave. 720-449-2811 mykidschoicedental.com

LONE TREE

Nick W. Miner

LONE TREE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 10450 Park Meadows Drive 303-793-0899 lonetreepediatricdentistry.com

Kathleen Waguespack

COLORADO KIDS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 9227 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite 100 720-500-3843 ckpd.com

LONGMONT

Edward Christensen

FOOTHILLS PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 916 S. Main St., Suite 302 303-702-9501

foothillspediatricdentistry.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

LOUISVILLE

Belinda Campbell

YOUNG DENTISTRY FOR CHILDREN

325 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 4 303-604-0710 youngdentistryforchildren.com

Jill A. Decker

YOUNG DENTISTRY FOR CHILDREN

325 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 4 303-604-0710 youngdentistryforchildren.com

Keaton N. Howe

YOUNG DENTISTRY FOR CHILDREN

325 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 4 303-604-0710 youngdentistryforchildren.com

Nicole C. McNear

YOUNG DENTISTRY FOR CHILDREN

325 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 4 303-604-0710 youngdentistryforchildren.com

LOVELAND

Katie S. Galm

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY OF LOVELAND 2800 Madison Square Drive, Suite 1 970-669-7711 tropicalteeth.com

PARKER

Ashley Barefoot

SWEETPEA CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

9870 Mangano Lane, Suite 100 303-841-9009 sweetpeadentistry.com

C. Marc Jones

COLORADO CHILDREN’S DENTAL CENTER

9256 S. Jordan Road 303-627-8300 ccdcsmiles.com

Beth L. Nielsen

SWEETPEA CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

9870 Mangano Lane, Suite 100 303-841-9009 sweetpeadentistry.com

Craig Owens

5280 PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 11960 Lioness Way, Suite 170 303-601-5280 5280pediatricdentistry.com

Derek Owens

5280 PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 11960 Lioness Way, Suite 170 303-601-5280 5280pediatricdentistry.com

Marc D. Thomas

CANYON RIDGE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 19551 Hess Road, Suite 110 303-841-7900 canyonridgepediatricdentistry.com

THORNTON

T Jay Robinson

JUNIOR SMILES 9645 Washington St., Suite 100 303-455-3313 kidsdentalsmile.com

TIMNATH

Katie B. Foster

TIMNATH KIDS DENTISTRY

4650 Signal Tree, Unit 1100 970-530-4442 timnathkids.com

WESTMINSTER

Nelle V. Barr

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

5150 W. 80th Ave. 303-427-1951 ddschild.com

Grace Diehl

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

5150 W. 80th Ave. 303-427-1951 ddschild.com

Stacy Jackson

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

5150 W. 80th Ave. 303-427-1951 ddschild.com

Cara L. Mudd

RIDGEVIEW PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

14697 Delaware St., Suite 210 303-650-0310 ridgeviewkids.com

Lisa D. Phillips

HOPE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

5724 W. 89th Ave. 303-429-4673 hopepediatricdentistry.com

David D. Schleicher

CORNERSTONE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 11961 Bradburn Blvd., Suite 300 303-280-5437 cornerstonekidsdentist.com

Sean R. Whalen

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

5150 W. 80th Ave. 303-427-1951 ddschild.com

Stormi Winter

RIDGEVIEW PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

14697 Delaware St., Suite 210 303-650-0310 ridgeviewkids.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Farah Hagman

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL

5375 W. 38th Ave. 303-476-6292 mykidschoicedental.com

Ashwini Shivashankarappa

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL

5375 W. 38th Ave. 303-476-6292 mykidschoicedental.com

Zachary A. Young

KIDS CHOICE DENTAL

5375 W. 38th Avenue 303-476-6292 mykidschoicedental.com

PERIODONTICS

AURORA

Eric M. Beckman

PERIODONTAL ASSOCIATES

2900 S. Peoria St., Building D 303-755-4500 periodontalhealth.com

Douglas A. Heller

PERIODONTAL ASSOCIATES

2900 S. Peoria St., Building D 303-755-4500 periodontalhealth.com

Pamela K. McClain

MCCLAIN, SCHALLHORN, AND FERGUSON PERIODONTICS

11200 E. Mississippi Ave. 303-696-7885 periocolorado.com

Rachel A. Schallhorn

MCCLAIN, SCHALLHORN, AND FERGUSON PERIODONTICS

11200 E. Mississippi Ave. 303-696-7885 periocolorado.com

BOULDER

Jonathan C. Boynton

BOULDER IMPLANTS & PERIODONTICS

2575 Pearl St., Suite 330 303-938-8300 boulderimplant.com

Christine M. Cole

BOULDER PERIODONTICS

3400 Penrose Place, Suite 103 303-449-1301 boulderperiodontics.com

John R. Dodge

PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

2601 N. Broadway 303-447-0460 dodgeperio.com

Giles B. Horrocks

BOULDER PERIODONTICS

3400 Penrose Place, Suite 103 303-449-1301 boulderperiodontics.com

W. Patrick Misischia FLATIRONS PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY

350 Broadway, Suite 130 303-449-0410 flatironsperio.com

Anthony C. Rademacher PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS 2601 N. Broadway 303-447-0460 dodgeperio.com

CENTENNIAL

Eric Anderson

AURORA PERIODONTICS AND IMPLANT DENTISTRY 20971 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite 202 303-400-1100 perioaurora.com

Kyle Losin

CENTENNIAL PERIODONTICS & IMPLANTS

7960 S. University Blvd., Suite 200 303-762-0621 centennialperio.com

Maria Petroche

DENVER PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY 7384 S. Alton Way, Suite 101 303-721-1173 denver-perio.com

Heather R. Richardson

DENVER PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY 7384 S. Alton Way, Suite 101 303-721-1173 denver-perio.com

Dan Thousand PERIODONTAL ASSOCIATES

2101 E. Arapahoe Road 303-795-5700 denverperioimplants.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Geoffrey B. Haradon

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

PERIODONTAL SPECIALISTS

685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 200A 719-574-4867 rmperiohealth.com

Karl P. Lackler

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

PERIODONTAL SPECIALISTS 685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 200A 719-574-4867 rmperiohealth.com

Justin Tullis

SOUTHERN COLORADO

PERIODONTICS & IMPLANTS 9475 Briar Village Point, Suite 300 719-475-9023 socoperio.com

DENVER

Emilio Arguello

ALTURA PERIODONTICS

3690 S. Yosemite St. 303-695-0990 yourdentalimplants.com

Eric A. Dale

ADVANCED PERIODONTAL SOLUTIONS AND DENTAL IMPLANTS 501 S. Cherry St., Suite 220 303-377-9102 ericdaledds.com

Kyle Diehl

CENTRAL PARK PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS 2979 Iola St. 720-703-9116 periocp.com

Gregory G. Farthing 7150 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 100 303-753-1717 farthingperio.com

Heather Renee Hong

ALTURA PERIODONTICS 3690 S. Yosemite St. 303-695-0990 yourdentalimplants.com

Kimberly Marshall

POULOS, SOMERS & MARSHALL 700 Broadway, Suite 1135 303-832-4867 poulosandsomers.com

Neil Neugeboren

ALTURA PERIODONTICS

3690 S. Yosemite St. 303-695-0990 yourdentalimplants.com

Alan Pomeranz

ALTURA PERIODONTICS

3690 S. Yosemite St. 303-695-0990 yourdentalimplants.com

Nicholas M. Poulos

POULOS, SOMERS, & MARSHALL 700 Broadway, Suite 1135 303-832-4867 poulosandsomers.com

Ann Somers

POULOS, SOMERS, & MARSHALL

700 Broadway, Suite 1135 303-832-4867 poulosandsomers.com

Andreea Torok

BLACK MOUNTAIN FAMILY DENTISTRY

1540 S. Holly St., Suite 2 303-757-5885 blackmountaindentistry.com

Arthur Yagudayev

ALTURA PERIODONTICS

3690 S. Yosemite St. 303-695-0990 alturaperio.com

FORT COLLINS

Jessica Allen

NORTHERN COLORADO PERIODONTICS

4033 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 100 970-207-4061 nocoperio.com

Angie Lee

PERIODONTAL & IMPLANT CENTER OF THE ROCKIES

4803 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 110 970-999-5126 fortcollinsperiodontist.com

Todd Rosenzweig

ALPINE DENTAL HEALTH

950 S. Taft Hill Road 970-484-5297 alpinedentalhealth.com

Nicholas D. Shumaker

NORTHERN COLORADO PERIODONTICS

4033 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 100 970-207-4061 nocoperio.com

David K. Walton

WALTON IMPLANTS AND PERIODONTICS

4026 S. Timberline Road, Suite 120 970-482-2210 waltonimplants.com

GLENDALE

Amy M. Riffel PERIODONTICS OF CHERRY CREEK

4500 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 101 303-759-4133 ccperio.com

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Chad Brown DEER RUN DENTISTRY

8000 E. Prentice Ave., Suite A5 303-756-0723

Joseph N. Datar MERIDIAN PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

7447 E. Berry Ave., Suite 230 303-741-3300 meridian-perio.com

Colleen Leong MERIDIAN PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

7447 E. Berry Ave., Suite 230 303-741-3300 meridian-perio.com

Saroj K. Saha

DENVER PERIODONTAL, IMPLANT & ORAL WELLNESS

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 450, East Tower 303-779-6924 denverperioimplant.com

Adam F. Weaver

MOUNTAIN TOP PERIODONTICS & IMPLANTS

8000 E. Prentice Ave., Suite D-7 303-740-0080 mtperio.com

LAKEWOOD

Cherie A. Brown

DENVER DENTAL SPECIALTIES 7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 404 303-986-2212 denverdentalspecialties.com

LITTLETON

Janie L. Boyesen

BOYESEN PERIODONTICS 7761 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 240 303-979-1705 boyesenperio.com

Ryan M. Jenkins

LITTLETON IMPLANTS & PERIODONTICS

26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 540 303-797-1211 littletonimplantperio.com

Walt Vogl

ROCKY VIEW DENTAL CARE & IMPLANT CENTER

1 West Dry Creek Circle 303-797-6129 rockyviewdentalcare.com

LONE TREE

Michael J. Huber

8683 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite 210 303-799-3949 drmikehuber.com

LOVELAND

Chad Riggs PARTNERS IN PERIODONTICS

1625 Foxtrail Drive, Suite 100 970-669-7300 partnersinperio.com

NORTHGLENN

Tyler D. Borg

COLORADO GUM CARE

11178 N. Huron St., Suite 100 303-457-9617 coloradogumcare.com

Matthew A. Johanson

COLORADO GUM CARE

11178 N. Huron St., Suite 100 303-457-9617 coloradogumcare.com

Mark A. Wheeler

COLORADO GUM CARE 11178 N. Huron St., Suite 100 303-457-9617 coloradogumcare.com

PARKER

Maryanne B. Butler

MOUNTAINVIEW PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

10371 Parkglenn Way, Suite 240 720-851-6050 mountainviewperiodontics.com

WESTMINSTER

Scott Bennett

BENNETT DENTAL GROUP

5130 W. 80th Ave., Suite 202 303-429-3549 bennettdentalgroup.com

Samantha A. Campbell

WESTPARK PERIODONTICS

8501 Turnpike Drive, Suite 208 303-424-7757 westparkperiodontics.com

Christopher J. Sakkaris SUMMIT VIEW PERIODONTICS

13533 Huron St., Suite 300 303-450-3144 summitviewperio.com

Kirsten L. West-Bennett BENNETT DENTAL GROUP

5130 W. 80th Ave., Suite 202 303-429-3549 bennettdentalgroup.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Madeline Saunders

COLORADO PERIODONTAL ASSOCIATES

10050 W. 41st Ave., Suite 201 303-232-3443 perioco.com

Joseph K. Will COLORADO PERIODONTAL ASSOCIATES

10050 W. 41st Ave., Suite 201 303-232-3443 perioco.com

PROSTHODONTICS

AURORA

Brian Brada

COLORADO UNIVERSITY ANSCHUTZ

SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE

13065 E. 17th Ave. 303-724-6984 dental.cuanschutz.edu

John Chen

UPTOWN COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY AND PROSTHODONTICS

6240 S. Main St., Suite 215 303-627-5755 uptownprosthodontics.com

BOULDER

Andrew R. Johann

JOHANN PROSTHETICS OF BOULDER

3400 Penrose Place, Suite 104 303-449-9850 andrewjohannddsmspc.com

Ryan C. Lewis

JOHANN PROSTHETICS OF BOULDER 3400 Penrose Place, Suite 104 303-449-9850 andrewjohannddsmspc.com

Marisa Patt

BOCO DENTAL AND PROSTHODONTICS

5400 Idylwild Trail, Suite A 303-530-1212 bocodental.com

Anna E. Pitz

BOULDER RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY 350 Broadway St., Suite 201 303-494-7110 boulderrestorativedentistry.com

BROOMFIELD

Brian C. Aguirre

DENVER RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY

8181 Arista Place, Suite 140 303-427-4120 denverrestorativedentistry.com

Taylor Goggins

DENVER RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY

8181 Arista Place, Suite 140 303-427-4120 denverrestorativedentistry.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Emily R. Batson

1580 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., Suite 140 719-576-4247 batsondentistry.com

B. Todd Pickle

PICKLE PROSTHODONTICS 9480 Briar Village Point, Suite 300 719-599-0670 pickledental.com

DENVER

Brian C. Butler

BRIDGECREEK PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 8751 E. Hampden Ave., Suite C-6 303-755-4003 bridgecreekdentistry.com

Louisa I. Gallegos 90 Madison St., Suite 208 303-316-4034

louisagallegosdds.com

ENGLEWOOD

Konstantinos Harogiannis

DENTAL ARTS OF CHERRY HILLS 3575 S. Sherman St., Suite 3 303-789-2020 dentalartsofcherryhills.com

FORT COLLINS

Justin K. Liddle NORTHERN COLORADO DENTAL SPECIALTY AND IMPLANT CENTER 1221 E. Elizabeth St., Suite 4 970-825-0000 nocoprosth.com

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Aldo F. Leopardi

DENTEVITA PROSTHODONTICS 7400 E. Crestline Circle, Suite 235 720-488-7677 dentevita.com

LOVELAND

Andrew J. Bock NORTHERN COLORADO PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 1491 N. Denver Ave., Suite 102 970-669-6670 nocoprodentistry.com

WESTMINSTER

Ryan G. Cable MILE HIGH DENTAL & IMPLANT CENTERS 12031 Tejon St. 303-451-1111 milehighdentalcenters.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Austin Leong TRAILHEAD DENTAL 4350 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 360 720-242-6803 trailheaddental.com m

THE OVERSIMPLIFIED GUIDE TO:

Training For A Marathon

Just in case the Denver Colfax Marathon (May 19) inspires you to lace up, we asked Alex DeJournett, owner and coach of training group Runner’s Edge of the Rockies, to lay out how to get from the couch to the finish line in time for 2025’s race. —BARBARA O’NEIL

Dragging yourself out of bed to jog isn’t easy, so DeJournett suggests joining a running club Your new friends will teach you the basics and hold you accountable. 2

Those New Balances you wore to gym class won’t cut it. Instead, head to your local running shop to get fit by a professional Shoes with moderate cushion for comfort and stability—plus breathable mesh to prevent sweaty feet—are a good place to start.

3

Most novices only need four months of training before a marathon, but a year of prep can aid those who are, ahem, less physically inclined. Start with short jogs a few days a week, then add in a longer run—whatever distance you can handle—once a week to build endurance.

4

Cross-training in the gym won’t just make you stronger, it will also help prevent injuries. DeJournett incorporates resistance bands and weightlifting into his workouts—both of which increase balance, flexibility, and stamina.

5

Whether you start with one mile or three, keep adding distance to your weekly long run. Your goal: to reach 20 miles around a month before your marathon. If you make it that far, you should be able to hit 26.2 come race day.

Welcome to Westerly, a visionary new community where a unique sense of home is built into every detail. Where front-porch neighborhoods, parks and trails connect to shopping, dining, quality schools and exceptional amenities. Where natural beauty, simplicity and peace of mind make Westerly a place like no other.

Westerly Waypoint amenity center is under construction and will open late this summer.

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