A four-season state with almost unlimited sunny days, Colorado boasts the top-ranked ski resorts in the US, towering dunes, white water rapids and 39,000 miles of hiking trails. It also has 42 state parks and four national parks, including the incredibly popular Rocky Mountain National Park. Quite the outdoor paradise!
But there’s more to Colorado than stunning landscapes and scenic beauty. The state has a thriving cultural and live music scene, exciting cities, charming mountain towns and some of the best craft brews in the US. With so many options it can be hard to know where to start – these are the best experiences in Colorado.
1. Explore ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde National Park is a one-of-a-kind place, the largest and best-preserved Native American archaeological site in the US. Nestled in a stunning landscape of canyons and mesas near the Four Corners region, Mesa Verde is home to more than 5000 Ancestral Puebloan sites that developed over hundreds of years before being abruptly abandoned in 1300CE for reasons still unknown.
What remains is one of the most exhilarating adventures in the West: clambering down ladders, crawling through tight tunnels, and peering into elaborate cliff dwellings, all to puzzle over what life was once like here.
2. Enjoy the fall colors in Aspen
Just beyond the cowboy-meets-Hollywood glam of Aspen, the twin Maroon Bell mountains rise dramatically over a long mirrored lake. Surrounded by thick aspen groves, fall brings a sea of fluttering yellow and orange leaves. It’s sublime, a dream, and one of the best places in the state to see fall colors.
Planning tip: The trail near the lake can get crowded this time of year, especially in late September when the leaves are at their peak. Arrive before 8am for a parking spot, some solitude and the best chance at seeing wildlife. Otherwise, take the shuttle from town and hike deep into the aspen groves towards Crater Lake to take in the beauty without the crowd.
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3. Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park
The number one tourist draw in the state, Rocky Mountain National Park is quintessentially Colorado, attracting over 4.5 million visitors a year. Every view is a picture postcard: a vast landscape of soaring granite peaks (77 of its mountains top 12,000 feet), 147 shimmering lakes, flower-filled meadows and lush alpine forests.
But it’s no secret that RMNP can get jam-packed, especially in summer. Lose the crowds by leaving the roadside viewpoints and lacing up your hiking boots instead.
The park has 300 miles of trails catering to all levels of ability and ambition, from an easy stroll around Bear Lake to an epic trek up Longs Peak. Impressive vistas and perfect solitude also can be found on hundreds of thousands of acres of backcountry, areas home to herds of elk, scattered bighorn sheep, black bears and more.
4. Visit the ghost town of St Elmo
Following a bumpy dirt road to the abandoned mining settlement of St Elmo, it’s easy to imagine the prospectors who plied this same roadway, following tales of precious metal found deep in the Rockies. Tucked into the base of the Collegiate Peaks, St Elmo is Colorado’s best-preserved ghost town.
More than 40 buildings are still standing, most dating to the 1880s when the town hit its apex. Wandering past the saloon, billiards hall, courthouse and jail, visitors get a peek into Colorado’s past, when gold and silver ruled these hills. It serves as a modern-day reminder of the quick riches and busted dreams of the past, the making and breaking of the West.
5. Throw back a Colorado craft brew
Colorado takes its beer seriously, treating craft brewing like a high art. Almost any town you visit – from tiny Del Norte to beer-centric Fort Collins – has a favorite local brew or two (or 20). One thing’s for sure: you won’t go thirsty for an IPA in Colorado.
Planning tip: If you’re here in October, try to score tickets to the Great American Beer Festival. Held in Denver, the festival draws more than 1000 master brewers from across the nation, vying for Best of Show medals in categories like Best Coffee Beer, Best Barrel-Aged Strong Beer and many more.
6. Catch a concert at Red Rocks
There’s just something magical about experiencing a concert at Red Rocks – the sounds of instruments and song, the sight of people dancing, the dark sky scattered with stars and the iconic 400-foot-high red sandstone monoliths standing guard on either side. Once a sacred gathering place of the Ute tribe, today Red Rocks is world-renowned for its natural acoustics and stunning beauty, a one-of-a-kind amphitheater.
It’s no surprise big-name bands like The Beatles, U2, Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead have played and recorded albums here and that the venue continues to draw the world’s best musicians and performers. Just 15 miles from Denver, it’s easily accessible, too.
Planning tip: Do as the locals do and arrive early to catch the sunset before the show.
7. Soak in Glenwood Hot Springs
Perched at the end of a gorgeous canyon at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers, present-day Glenwood Hot Springs have been treasured for their healing properties for centuries. Long before the arrival of Europeans, the Ute bathed in these same steamy thermal waters, which they called yampah (great medicine).
Today, a historic resort sits on the site and the hot springs pump out 3.5 million gallons of mineral water a day, which flows through two pools, one a whopping 400ft long.
Planning tip: Temperatures range from 93°F to 104°F, warm enough to soak in even on a snowy January day. Bring your swimsuit and, if need be, your ski hat.
8. Drive the Million Dollar Highway
Deep in the San Juan Mountains, the Million Dollar Highway connects the towns of Ouray and Silverton. It is a mind-blowingly scenic drive and one of Colorado’s best road trips. Twenty-five miles of hairpin turns and tight S-bends cut through the Uncompahgre Gorge, whose steep mountainsides loom large and close, rising into lofty, mist-shrouded peaks, while the valley floor lies far below, dotted with fir trees and wildflowers.
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Planning tip: Drive with caution. The road is formidable, even in good weather, and the lack of guardrails doesn’t help. Take advantage of pullouts. The Red Mountain Pass (11,018ft) is a favorite for its 360-degree views.
9. Hula hoop in Telluride
It supposedly all started back in the ’90s when Colorado ski bum band String Cheese Incident started chucking hula hoops into the crowd at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Festival-goers turned the toys into dance partners, and the fad stuck. You can count on a large contingent of “hoopers” at every Telluride Bluegrass Festival show.
It’s just one of the many odd-ball pleasures of this amazing celebration of folk music and mountain life, held in Telluride every summer and drawing big-name bands and thousands of revelers. Telluride itself is stunningly beautiful, nestled in a narrow box canyon, surrounded on three sides by rugged peaks and even a waterfall. It’s not easy to get to, but it’s well worth the effort.
10. Surf down the tallest dunes in North America
Great Sand Dunes National Park sits like a surreal work of art next to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, an undulating dune field covering more than 30 square miles, its sandy peaks reaching hundreds of feet above the brush-covered valley floor. Climbing the dunes can be slow going – one step forward and a half step back in the ever-shifting sand – but that makes sand surfing down all the sweeter.
Special wood boards make for the best ride, and they can be rented from the Great Sand Dunes Oasis just outside the park or in nearby Alamosa. Sport your ski goggles and long socks, if you got ‘em – the sand gets everywhere.
Planning tip: If you’re here in late spring, count yourself lucky. The Medano Creek emerges temporarily alongside the dunes, creating a beach for paddling tubing, and, of course, sandcastle-making.
11. Discover the Mile High City’s street art
Unexpected and fabulous, Denver’s trendiest neighborhood, RiNo (River North) – a one-time industrial wasteland that’s now the heart of cool – is draped in murals covering every sort of surface, from restaurant doorways and parking lot walls to alleyways, power boxes and garage doors.
Bright, opinionated, and ever-changing, the artwork stops you in your tracks, speaking volumes about Denver’s diversity of people and thought, and its history and day-to-day life. Prepare to be wowed.
12. Paddle the Arkansas River
Brace yourself for icy waters as you paddle into a roaring set of waves on the Arkansas River, one of the longest and wildest rivers in the state. With more than 150 miles of open water running from Leadville to the scenic Royal Gorge, the Arkansas has everything from extreme rapids to mellow ripples and includes the iconic class-II run through Browns Canyon National Monument.
Planning tip: The best paddling happens between late May and early July. Pick up a trip in Buena Vista or Cañon City.
13. Visit Vail, the state’s best ski resort
You might think Vail is merely a playground for the rich and famous, and not a serious ski resort. Think again: beyond the glitz and glam (and shocking prices), Vail is truly one of the world’s finest places to take to the slopes, boasting more than 5000 skiable acres, 195 trails and some of the best on- and off-piste terrain anywhere.
The front side is a paradise of silky corduroy – Vail’s groomers are artists indeed – ranging from mellow greens to long rowdy black diamonds like Blue Ox. But don’t miss the backside, especially the legendary Blue Sky Basin and seven – count ‘em, seven – bowls. There’s so much steep ’n deep that you’ll lose track of what you’ve skied or ridden. Colorado has many outstanding ski resorts, true, but Vail will steal your heart.
14. Touch dinosaur bones
A must-see stop for dinophiles is Dinosaur National Monument, located in the desolate northwest corner of Colorado. It’s one of the few places on Earth where you can actually reach out and touch a dinosaur skeleton, snarling in its final pose, petrified eternally in rock and stone.
Home to one the largest fossil beds in North America, the dinosaur quarry here also shows off some 1500 prehistoric bones embedded in a cliff face. You’ll see everything from allosaurus to stegosaurus.
Planning tip: Ranger-led walks, talks and tours explain the site, and a bunch of hands-on exhibits add to the fun.
15. Summit a fourteener
Standing at the peak of a 14,000-foot mountain, taking in the view from the top of the world, is practically a rite of passage in Colorado. The state’s 50-plus “fourteeners” offer access and challenge to all levels of hikers, from those reachable only with technical climbing expertise to the two peaks with roads right to the top.
Drive to the top of Pikes Peak, hike the 3-mile trail to Quandary Peak near Breckenridge in Summit County or scale Mt Elbert (the tallest of them all). No matter, they all deliver big.
Planning tip: Travel the old-fashioned way to Pikes Peak aboard the cog train. One of only two cog railways in the US, it first carried passengers in 1892.
16. Sport your Stetson at the National Western Stock Show
Saddle up for one of the country’s biggest stock shows – the National Western Stock Show – a Denver tradition since 1906. Held every January, come here for more than 20 rodeos, 15,000 farm animals, dancing horses, dog shows and even yoga with baby goats.
Don’t miss the iconic kick-off parade, when dozens of Longhorn cattle are herded right through downtown Denver, high heels and power suits giving way to cowboy hats, chaps and impressive belt buckles.
17. Travel back in time on the Durango and Silverton Railroad
Little has changed in the Rocky Mountains in the 142 years since the Durango & Silverton Railroad first steamed along steep cliff edges, following the course of the Animas River.
It’s still all majestically rugged and lush with deep forests and panoramic vistas. Deer sightings are frequent, and some lucky visitors may get a glimpse of a moose, bears or mountain goats perched precariously on impossibly narrow rock shelves. For the most spectacular views, step onto the outdoor observation deck on the back of the train.
This family-friendly trip loops between Durango and Silverton; the latter is a former mining town, which at 9318ft above sea level, is among the highest in the US. There’s a two-hour layover before the train starts its return journey, giving you some time to explore the charming streets of Silverton, or you can spend the night and get to know the town and beautiful surrounding area better.
18. Sample Colorado wines in Grand Valley
Among the most elevated wine regions in the world, the Grand Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is home to over a quarter of the wineries in the state. Spanning over 75,000 acres along the Colorado River and sheltered by Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flattop mountain, Grand Valley encompasses two-thirds of Colorado vineyard acreage.
Bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the east and centered around Grand Junction and Palisade, there are more than 30 wonderful wineries waiting to be explored. All are set amidst red rocks, deep canyons, natural arches, lakes, high desert landscapes, orchards and the stunning McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.
19. Explore one of the country’s most haunted hotels
Author Stephen King stayed at The Stanley Hotel, had a bad dream and was inspired to write his bestselling novel, The Shining, which later became a hit film. The building is considered one of the most haunted spaces in the US and you can book a space on The Shining Tour to learn more about what inspired King to write his terrifying novel.
But you don’t have to be a ghost hunter to enjoy the hotel’s luxurious accommodations, architectural elegance, excellent restaurant and historic ambiance. Open since 1909 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Stanley is five miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, making it the perfect base for exploring the wild Colorado landscapes.
20. Celebrate Elktober in Estes Park
Hundreds of elk call the beautiful mountain village of Estes Park home each fall, frequenting its downtown streets and parks. The annual, three-day Elk Fest has been celebrated at the end of September since 1999 and features food, vendors, music, bugling contests and celebrations of Native American culture.
The weekend starts with the Rut Run 5K race along a scenic course of river views, brilliant fall colors and chances for elk encounters.
Local tip: Remember, this is a celebration of rut season and the bull elks are very territorial. Keep your distance. It’s a great weekend of fun for the whole family.
21. Live the cowboy lifestyle
Ever hankered to go on a cattle drive, sing songs around the campfire or saddle up for a guided tour on horseback through meadows and into the forests of the Rocky Mountains? Do all of this and more without compromising on comfort at the 8500-acre C Lazy U Ranch in Granby. Traditional cowboys may not have enjoyed gourmet meals, an onsite sommelier, deluxe accommodations and fun activities, but life’s too short not to lean into a little luxury. This dude ranch is a great option for a family vacation in the great outdoors – a range of kids clubs cater to little ranchers of all ages, giving parents some welcome time alone.