North of Boulder and located at the confluence of the North and South St Vrain Creeks, the Town of Lyons, Colorado is nicknamed “Double Gateway to the Rockies” for its dual highways that can take you up the North and South St. Vrain Canyons to Rocky Mountain National Park (just 20 miles west) and beyond. It also enjoys very easy access to several of its neighboring cities—Denver (43 mi), Boulder (17 mi), and Longmont (12 mi).
Lyons is a colorful foothills town nestled in the shadow of Long’s Peaks, and it takes pride in its small-town appeal (2,137 population for 2020). West Main Street is lined with inviting shops and restaurants, and the town is studded with public art installations. Numerous galleries offer creative wares, from ceramics and jewelry to authentic American Indian artwork.
For outdoors enjoyment also right in town, the LaVern M. Johnson Park has everything from picnic and playground areas, to camping grounds, sports fields, a volleyball pit, splash pad in summer and skate park in winter. It also boasts a Whitewater Park, a quarter-mile stretch of water for kayakers and tubers to enjoy.
The town has become a premier music destination and home to Planet Bluegrass, a 20-acre outdoor concert venue. Lyons hosts year-round music festivals, with an emphasis on bluegrass and folk, including RockyGrass, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Winter Wonderland Music Series and the free Sandstone Summer Concert Series.
Lyons has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than the national average. If you live in Lyons, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in the community is 1 in 127. To compare nationally, the US average across communities from the largest to the smallest, is 1 in 39.
There are two public schools in Lyons: 1) Lyons Middle Senior High School has been awarded the John Irwin School of Excellence and is listed among the top 8% of all high schools in the State of Colorado; and 2) Lyons Elementary School is a highly-rated public school that ranked better in 2019 than 94% of elementary schools in Colorado.