Over the years, I’ve shot footage of Denver for all kinds of video productions - from documentaries to commercials. I’ve explored plenty of locations and angles, but there are a few I return to again and again to capture that iconic Denver, Colorado look.

Video camera crew at Ferril Lake in Denver — Ferril Lake is a great time-lapse location © Tom Miller

I made this guide not just for our own clients and crews, but for out-of-town production teams needing to shoot in the Denver area. I know what it’s like to go to a new city and try to figure out the best scenic spots in a short amount of time. This is the guide I wish I had for every city I’ve ever had to shoot in!

All of these locations are within 30 minutes of downtown Denver, depending on traffic.

For each location you’ll find:

Exact directions with map links, and parking recommendations
Recommended times of day for the most cinematic natural light
Permitting info and local contacts to keep your shoot compliant and smooth

So what are some of the best Denver filming locations?

Let’s take a tour!

Table of Contents

Denver Museum of Nature and Science - Denver Skyline Against the Rocky Mountains

Iconic video and photo locations for shooting Denver from the Museum of Nature and Science — View from behind the Denver Museum of Nature and Science © Tom Miller

If you had to choose one location for a shot that immediately says ‘Denver” this would be it. It captures the skyline set against the snow capped Rocky Mountains, with a beautiful pond and City Park in the foreground - iconic!

Video production camera crew filming Denver skyline from behind the Museum of Nature and Science — Filming Denver’s skyline from Museum © Tom Miller

As local producer and fixer Kent Youngblood says, “The view from the Museum of Nature and Science overlooking City Park is one of Denver’s most iconic skyline shots. It’s a postcard come to life and at golden hour, it’s cinematic.”

Getting There: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is due east of Downtown Denver. You can park in the museum lot, and then walk behind the museum to the view point. You can also park in a nearby City Park space. The top of the steps gives you a great vantage point. You can also head down to the pond and play with the reflections on the water.

MAP TO DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE

Best Time of Day: The traditional time to shoot this is in the morning, the earlier the better. But as Kent says above, it really sparkles in the early evening as well. I would avoid mid day, unless you are deep in winter when the sun’s angle is raking more from the south.

Best Time of Year: This view has three distinct looks depending on the season:

🌲 Spring + Summer - Everything is lush and green. The trees partially block the view of the city, but you can shimmy to the left from the steps and get a better angle. Also, there is usually more snow on the mountains behind the city than later in the summer.

🍁 Fall - The trees in the foreground put on a show, displaying gorgeous colors and providing even more depth to your shot.

☃️ Winter - When the pond freezes over and everything is covered in a blanket of snow, this shot becomes so serene. You might even capture a cross country skier trekking by.

Denver museum in the winter - great location for video camera crews — Winter view of Denver and the mountains from behind the Museum of Nature and Science © Tom Miller

Permitting: For simple B-roll footage this is a breeze. I’ve shot here more than a dozen times and never been bothered. I’ve even had a security guard from the museum walk right past me. But if you have any lights, or a crew of 5 or more, or generally a larger footprint, you need to get a permit from the City of Denver. Technically, you need one if “equipment other than handheld cameras are being used.” Which means tripods. But again, I’ve never once been bothered without a permit with my tripod. But if you’re concerned, or have a bigger production, you can get a permit here.

Nearby Locations: Most folks go to the top of the steps behind the museum, grab their shot, and move on. But you can also wander down to the water and get some more fun angles. You can put someone on the bench overlooking the water. Or you can get the camera low (watch out for the goose poop!) near the water’s edge for some fantastic reflections. I’ve shot some great time-lapse down there. This all depends on what you need for your particular video production.

Diamond Hill Overlook - Closer-in City Views from the West

Denver camera crew filming city from Diamond Hill — View of Denver from Diamond Hill at dawn © Tom Miller

There are a lot of great angles to capture beautiful video footage or photos from the west side of Denver looking east. Diamond Hill overlook is one of my favorites because it’s high enough to show some perspective and pretty easy to get to.

Getting There - Diamond Hill is located west of I-25, around Zuni and 26th. There’s a large public sidewalk that runs parallel to I-25 with a nice view of the city. There are some buildings there, but sometimes the parking lot is closed off and security doesn’t really like you to park there. You can also just park at the motel (Inn at the Highland Denver Downtown) and walk across Zuni to the sidewalk overlooking I-25 and the city. Lock your car and watch your gear, as it can be a bit sketchy around there.

Map to Diamond Hill Denver Overlook

Best Time of Day: This shot is nice in the later afternoon or evening, as the buildings start to light up. Even nighttime works. Or you can shoot in the early morning as the sun starts to rise behind the buildings as we were doing in the above photo. In the winter months, the sun lines up right behind the city for a great sunrise. In mid summer (like above), the sun is too far north but you can get a nice warm glow.

Permitting: We’ve never run into issues shooting here, but with a large crew or actors you might want to check with the City of Denver to get a permit.

Confluence Park - Rapids, Kayakers, and a Great City View with a Trolley

Great location for a camera crew to shoot rapids and kayakers in Denver — South Platte River, Downtown Denver © Tom Miller

About five minutes away from Diamond Hill is Confluence Park - an urban park encompassing the juncture of Cherry Creek and the South Platte Rivers in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo). There are all kinds of great shots you can get in this area. Here are a few ideas:

Kayakers playing in the rapids - especially during summer weekends
Denver skyline and bridge with the river in the foreground
The Denver Trolley - departs at REI every 30 minutes in season - makes for fun foreground action (see video below) - Denver Trolley Info and Schedule

Denver Trolley revealing city view © Tom Miller

Getting There - Confluence Park is right behind REI, where you can park for up to an hour. Then when you’re done shooting, you can spend a few grand on outdoor gear! They also have a Starbucks there - fuel for camera crews around the world.

Map to REI Denver

You can also park at a little pocket park called Fishback Park. From there you get a nice city view and the trolly will go by right in front of you.

Map to Fishback Park

Best Time of Day: Later afternoon and evening is best, when the city is lit by the golden hour sun

Permitting: We’ve never run into issues shooting here, but with a large crew or actors you’ll need to get a permit with the City of Denver.

Nearby Locations: If you want people shots within the city, a great spot is the nearby pedestrian-only 16th Street Mall. It’s also good for grabbing quick person-on-the-street interviews. There’s a free shuttle you can hop on and off of to take you down the length of the mall. And check out the Larimer Square area as well. Super pretty at night with a ceiling of lights over the roads and restaurants.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre - Iconic Concert Venue with Stunning Views

Great location for video and photography crews to film denver from red rocks — Distant view of Denver skyline from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater © Teri K Miller

When most people think of Red Rocks, they recall their favorite concert in one of the best venues in the world. But few know that it’s also a park, and on most days it’s easy to get into. You can hike the trails among the incredible red rock formations, run up and down the amphitheater seats, or even walk onto the stage where the Beatles once performed! There’s a fun museum where you can check all the cool rock n’ roll history of Red Rocks.

Iconic Red Rocks steps make great vantage point to video and photo from for crews in colorado — Red Rocks Amphitheater © Teri K Miller

I’ve shot at Red Rocks many times - capturing beautiful scenic footage of the rock formations, trails, and the distant Denver skyline. I’ve also shot a few concerts. It’s a great venue for car commercials, and I’m sure has seen it’s fair share of feature and indie film shoots.

Getting There - Red Rocks is about 25 minutes southwest of downtown Denver. But can take much longer during evening rush hour, when folks are heading out of the city.

Once you’re there, Red Rocks has many parking lots and pull-off throughout the park, so you can get pretty close to your ideal shooting location. Just check the Red Rocks schedule to be sure there are no concerts when you’re trying to shoot.

Map to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater

Best Time of Day: This depends on what you’re trying to capture. Early mornings you can get the sun rising sharply behind the rocks in silhouette, and later afternoon the red rocks shine with the golden hour sun. It’s really pretty there in almost any time of day, and in any weather.

Permitting: We’ve never run into issues shooting here, but with a large crew or actors you’ll need to get a free film permit with the City of Denver.

Genesee view of the Colorado Rocky Mountains

View from Genesee overlooking the Rocky Mountains — The snow capped Rocky Mountains from the Genesee exit off I-70 in Colorado © Teri Miller

I’ll never forget the first time I saw this view. I was a kid driving with my big brother across the country from Florida to California. I experienced the awe that many do when driving west on Interstate 70 in Colorado. Just as you start to enter the mountains from the flatter plains of Denver, you crest a hill and suddenly the grandeur of the continental divide spreads out in front of you.

It’s an incredible vantage point to film or photograph from. I’ve shot what are called “bumpers” for Broncos and Nuggets television broadcasts here quite a few times. Bumpers are short video segments used to transition between program content and commercial breaks, or between segments within a program. Sadly my footage ends up getting partially covered up with a sponsor logo of some kind. But I guess that’s how we all get paid!

Getting There - This is the farthest location in our list, and depending on traffic is anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour or more. Not a great idea to go there in evening rush hour, or weekend mornings when everyone is heading up to the mountains.

Basically you head west on I-70, and exit at #254 - Genesee. Note, you exit before the view, so if you see the view you have missed the exit. There are parking lots on either side of I-70, and usually there is plenty of parking. You can shoot from the bridge (there is a nice space there, but be careful of the traffic) to get the mountains in the context of the road, or on a longer lens just the mountains themselves. You can also shoot from either of the ramp areas off to the left or the right by where you park.

Map to Genesee Overlook

Best Time of Day: Morning for bold front-lit mountains, evening for glorious sunsets.

Permitting: I’ve never had to deal with permitted here, but if you film in nearby Genesee Park with a larger crew, you’ll have to secure a free permit from the City of Denver.

Nearby Locations:

Buffalo Herd - You can see Denver’s heard of Buffalo from designated pull-offs along the highway, or from nearby Bison Meadow Overlook at Genesee Park, which is just up the road toward Genesee Park.
Skiing - About 45 minutes further up I-70 is the Loveland Ski Area, where you can get great shots of people skiing and snowboarding. Even closer is a much smaller ski resort called Echo Mountain.
Lookout Mountain - Great view of the continental divide one direction and Golden, Colorado and the plains the other. From various spots around Lookout Mountain, you can even see the Denver skyline and on clear days on towards Kansas and Nebraska! Map to Lookout Mountain.

Final Thoughts

Denver’s skyline and surrounding scenery offer a visual range most cities can only dream of — and these locations have delivered for me time and again, from television shows to intimate documentaries. With the right light, a bit of planning, and the details I’ve shared here, you’ll be set to capture shots that truly say “Colorado.”

If you’re planning a shoot in the Denver area and want a local crew who knows the best angles, light, and logistics, let’s talk. My team at Big Pictures Media has filmed everywhere on this list (and plenty more), and we’d be happy to help you bring your vision to life!

My Top Five Locations for Shooting Denver Scenics