Walk. Limelight Boulder and Moxy Boulder sit directly across from campus, steps from The Sink and the 13th Street bars.
Zachary Epps, Google Maps
Downtown Boulder and Pearl StreetVisiting fans pick this
1 mile. HOP or SKIP bus, e-bike or walk. Hotel Boulderado, St Julien and Hyatt Place Pearl Street are here, along with the Friday night Pearl Street Stampede and the AB1 airport bus stop.
Michael Wu PhD, Google Maps
Canyon Boulevard
HOP bus or car. CU Athletics lists Residence Inn Boulder Canyon Boulevard and Hilton Garden Inn as lodging partners.
Broomfield
Car via US 36. Omni Interlocken, Renaissance Flatiron and Residence Inn Interlocken are CU lodging partners and a fallback when Boulder sells out.
Around the stadium
From a specialist guide
The Hill, along 13th Street between Euclid and Broadway, sits right across from campus with bars, cheap eats and The Sink. Pearl Street and downtown Boulder are one mile north, about 5 to 10 minutes on the HOP or SKIP bus.
Map of the area
Tap a pin to see the place.
Getting to Folsom Field
From Denver International
From a specialist guide
DEN Denver International Airport. It is about a 45-minute drive to Boulder outside rush hour, or about an hour on RTD's AB1 bus to Downtown Boulder Station.
On game day
Checked at the source
Free East Campus game-day shuttle to Folsom Field. HOP bus to CU Boulder campus and The Hill. SKIP bus on Broadway to Broadway at The Hill. RTD AB1 from the airport, about 60 min to Downtown Boulder Station.
Parking and tailgating at Folsom Field
Tailgating
Checked at the source
Campus lots open six hours before kickoff, no earlier than 8 AM, and close one hour after the event. Main campus lots are $35 and fill every game; pay by text after you park. No overnight parking and no saving spaces. The official pregame areas are the Franklin Field Tailgate Zone on the east side of the stadium and the Benson Tailgate Zone on Benson Field. Reserved Benson Field tailgate spaces go through the Buff Club ([email protected]). New in 2026: a free pregame street party on Colorado Avenue with food trucks, a giant TV, a DJ and games. Chip's Kids Club for families is on Duane Field. Charcoal and gas grills are allowed in the lots. Deep fryers, oil cooking and open fires are not. No vending or selling in the lots. No open containers on streets, sidewalks, alleys or any public area, and never serve anyone under 21. Inside the stadium, beer and wine are sold at vendor stands. CU Boulder is smoke free, including marijuana and vapes. RVs park in Lot 544 on East Campus for $120, paid by credit card on game day only. Arrive early; spaces go only while room remains. No overnight stays.
Game day at Folsom Field
Getting in
Checked at the source
Bag policy: Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a one-gallon clear freezer bag, or a small clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No backpacks or diaper bags. There are no lockers, and items left at the gates are thrown away.
Cashless: Folsom Field is cashless, with no ATMs. Concessions open two hours before kickoff and close with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Re-entry: No re-entry. Once you leave the stadium you cannot come back on the same ticket.
Touring the stadium
Checked at the source
Ralphie, the live buffalo mascot, leads the team onto the field in a horseshoe run before kickoff and again before the second half. Five handlers run with her at up to 25 mph. Be in your seat early so you do not miss it. Greet the team as it arrives on the east side of Folsom Field along Franklin Field. In 2025 the walk started about two and a half hours before kickoff.
After the final whistle
Checked at the source
Expect up to 60 minutes to get out of the campus lots after the game. Traffic leaving campus takes priority for the first hour, so do not try to drive onto campus then. The free East Campus shuttle runs for one hour after the game ends.
One thing to avoid
From a specialist guide
Don't bring a backpack or any bag that is not clear: there are no lockers and items left at the gates are thrown away. Don't leave the stadium mid-game, because there is no re-entry.
Food and drink at Folsom Field
Bars near the stadium
Checked at the source
The Sink, Google Maps
The Sink
1165 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302
Pizza and burger bar on The Hill since 1923, with walls and ceilings covered in caricatures and customer graffiti. Robert Redford once worked here as a janitor.
Away fans: everyone; a Boulder must-see for visitors as much as students.
West End Tavern, Google Maps
West End Tavern
926 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302
Old Boulder tavern in a building that once housed the police station, with 20 taps, a big whiskey list and a heated rooftop deck facing the Flatirons.
Away fans: locals' bar that welcomes everyone; good for a post-game whiskey.
Jonathan Palomo, Google Maps
Post Brewing Co.
2027 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302
Brewpub known for gluten-free fried chicken and easy-drinking house beers, listed on CU Athletics' dining guide.
Away fans: easygoing brewpub; a good group stop the night before.
Things to do around Folsom Field
Listed in the order they happen on game day. Each one earns points.
Outing65 points
Chautauqua Park under the Flatirons
The Chautauqua grounds started in 1898 and sit at the foot of the Flatirons, where many of Boulder's best-known trails begin.
Free. The day before
Photo40 points
Flatirons photo
The tilted sandstone slabs above Boulder give the city its signature view.
Free. The day before
Eat65 points
Burger at The Sink
It's a century-old pizza and burger bar on The Hill in Boulder, with every inch of the walls covered in caricatures and graffiti.
$. The day before
Ritual90 points
Pearl Street Stampede
The night before each home game, the marching band, spirit squad and CU teams parade down the Pearl Street Mall, starting at 7 PM on the 1300 block.
Free. 18 hours 30 minutes before kickoff
Tailgate75 points
Ralphie's Road street party
New for 2026, Colorado Avenue fills with food trucks, a giant TV, a DJ and games before kickoff.
Free. 3 hours before kickoff
Ritual50 points
Buff Walk on Franklin Field
You can line the path on the east side of Folsom Field and watch the team walk into the stadium.
Free. 2 hours 30 minutes before kickoff
Ritual100 points
Watch Ralphie run
Ralphie the live buffalo charges around Folsom Field with her handlers before kickoff, one of the great sights in college football.
Free. 15 minutes before kickoff
Seats and views at Folsom Field
Where each part of the stadium sits, and what you see from it.
Lower level101 to 124; north loge boxes 140 to 179200 level200 to 220Club levelFlatirons Club 301, 302, 401, 402East suite level and above651 to 679; 760 to 771Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.
