Entry No. 92 — the Denver file — filed under: history
Riverside Cemetery
“67,000 graves now sit in waist-high weeds and wildflowers”
Denver's oldest operating cemetery (1876) got swallowed by the city it served — today it's boxed in by industrial lots, I-70 overpasses, and rail yards along Brighton Boulevard. After it lost its irrigation water rights in the early 2000s, the lawns died back to wild prairie grass, so 67,000 graves now sit in waist-high weeds and wildflowers. It made Colorado's Most Endangered Places list, yet the gates are open and you'll likely have all 77 acres to yourself. The headstones read like a directory of frontier Denver, veterans included.
The move: Wander the overgrown rows on a weekday morning reading the oldest 1870s–1880s stones, then walk it slow with coffee — it's quiet, strange, and weirdly beautiful in the prairie-gone-feral state.
📍 Before you go It sits along Brighton Blvd in Denver's gritty Swansea/Globeville industrial belt, about a half-mile north of I-70 and a short walk from the RTD N Line. A web of curving gravel lanes runs through the grounds, so you can drive in slowly or park and wander on foot; the Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery offer a self-guided tour brochure that maps notable residents like pioneer Clara Brown and roughly 1,000 veterans. The feral-prairie look peaks spring through fall; weekday mornings are quietest. Wear closed shoes and watch for uneven, sunken ground in the tall grass, and bring water — there are no facilities. Pair it with a coffee or brewery stop south down Brighton in RiNo. Hours shift seasonally, so check ahead.
- 📍 Swansea / Brighton Boulevard corridor, Denver
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 5201 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 (between Brighton Blvd and the South Platte River, near the RTD N Line)
Hours: Grounds generally open during daylight hours; it's an active cemetery, so visit respectfully. Confirm current gate hours via Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery / cemetery office before going.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · Wikipedia · coloradopreservation.org
last checked: 2026-06-07