1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
- Visit the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs at sunrise and watch the “Kissing Camels” rock formation glow before a snow-capped Pikes Peak. The city park is one of more than 50 family-friendly attractions in the Pikes Peak area.
- Cross the Continental Divide three times by driving the length of the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway.
- Carve turns down the slopes of Wolf Creek, Monarch or Ski Cooper, three of Colorado’s classic, hidden-gem ski areas where the powder is deep and the lift lines are short.
- Witness 15,000 birds swirl in the sky during the annual sandhill crane migration in late March at the Monte Vista and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuges near Alamosa.
- Explore the storied history of the Matchless Mine near Leadville, which held the promise of untold riches to “Silver King” Horace Tabor.
- Make the calf-burning climb to the top of Star Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, then sandboard your way to the bottom.
- Reach the 14,110-foot summit of “America’s Mountain,” Pikes Peak—either by car or cog railway.
- See greatness in the making with a tour of the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where athletes are now training for the and 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Board the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and travel through a pastoral and remote part of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.
- Visit one of Colorado’s largest historic districts in Salida, where sights include eclectic galleries and the occasional boat-carrying kayaker walking down Main Street to the Arkansas River.
- Experience Colorado’s oldest continuously settled town, San Luis, where you can see its deep-rooted Hispanic and Catholic heritage at the Stations of the Cross Shrine, the R&R Market and the Vega Commons.
- Run the wild rapids of Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River with a rafting outfitter.
- Cross your fingers and hope for the jackpot at any of the casinos located in historic downtown Cripple Creek.
- Let the lady dressed in Victorian-era clothing take your ticket, then have a seat and watch a show in the 128-year-old Tabor Opera House in Leadville.
- Earn your "masters degree in backpacking" by setting up camp beneath mounts Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Princeton or Columbia deep in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.
- Set foot in the newly renovated and widely praised Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs, or visit its sister site, the FAC Modern, which has brought in visiting exhibits on Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo.
- See the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Alamosa live up to their name. Legend has it that Spanish explorers were so inspired by the crimson-colored peaks at sunset that they named them the “Blood of Christ” mountains.
- Catch a show at the Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, which has been praised by USA Today for the quality of its productions.
- Travel along the old supply routes for the mining towns of South Central Colorado on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad, which originates in La Veta and travels past the Sangre de Cristo peaks to Alamosa and Antonito.
- Use Fairplay as your base camp for exploring the broad basin of South Park, the Mosquito Mountains or the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness.
- After a rafting excursion on the Arkansas River, take a load off in Buena Vista, where you can enjoy family-owned restaurants and local heritage at Turner Farm.
- Discover the history of the "greatest gold camp in the world" at Cripple Creek and the neighboring town of Victor.
- Tour the 18,000-acre United States Air Force Academy (located just north of Colorado Springs) with its showpiece Cadet Chapel — an architectural marvel with a jet-wing design and captivating stained glass.
- Spend the day at the foot of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs, where you can buy candy from an old-time store, purchase art from a local artisan or drink free mineral water from the legendary drinking springs.
- Gaze down1,053 feet to the Arkansas River from the highest suspension bridge in the world, the Royal Gorge Bridge outside Cañon City. Then, see the canyon from the rails via the Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
- Make the 11-mile hike up 14,420-foot Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado.
- Study the preserved fossils of prehistoric insects and petrified sequoia forests (yes, sequoias once thrived in Colorado) at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.
- Cruise through high-altitude valleys along the Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway, then stroll the charming main street of the former silver camp of Creede.
- Peruse masterful ceramic work at the Van Briggle Pottery studio in Colorado Springs.
- Indulge in a shopping spree in downtown Colorado Springs, where local boutiques offer a treasure trove for those looking to spruce up their wardrobe.
- Take the riveting Gold Belt Tour, which unites the mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor with Cañon City via Phantom Canyon and the aptly named Shelf Road.
- Discover Wheeler Geologic Area, a small park near Creede, with chalky white volcanic spires that rival Bryce Canyon in majesty.
- Photograph Crestone Needle at sunset or summit Huron Peak in early morning—just two ways to enjoy this region’s 29 fourteeners.
- Hop on board the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad, which originates in Leadville and takes passengers to the top of the nearby Continental Divide. The ride even includes a few wild stories from the tour guides.
- Head up Cottonwood Pass Road in late September, and see the aspens’ fall color at its peak from this quintessential Rocky Mountain back road.
- Travel the 129-mile Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway through the San Luis Valley and discover the history of Colorado’s first European settlements.
- Experience the life of a 19th-century military garrison at the Fort Garland Museum in Fort Garland.
- On a warm summer day, dunk your hat in the snowmelt-fed headwaters of the mighty Arkansas River above Leadville.
- Spend the day in Twin Lakes, where intriguing historic sites from the mining days, as well as two reservoirs ideal for boating, can be enjoyed beneath Mount Elbert, the state’s tallest peak.
- After a day touring the nearby Royal Gorge, settle in Cañon City for the night and sample a riesling made at a local winery.
- Take a four-wheel-drive excursion through St. Elmo and the ghost town of Hancock to the Alpine Tunnel—which, back in 1880, was the world’s highest and most expensive railroad tunnel.
- Learn the basics of fly-fishing with a guide on the Arkansas River, where in springtime, the blue-wing olive mayfly hatch makes trophy trout go into a feeding frenzy.
- Gab with the locals at one of a handful of hot springs in the San Luis Valley and get an insider's perspective on enjoying the area.
- Go for a nice, rigorous day hike to Halfmoon Lakes, situated in the Mount Massive Wilderness just west of Leadville.
- Join the locals of Salida at the Steam Plant Theater, where local, national and international artists perform in a renovated and historic steamworks.
- Build a sandcastle along Medano Creek—the stream that borders the Great Sand Dunes—without fear of a wave washing it away.
- Take a rest from the Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway in the small town of Westcliffe, which is set in the middle of gorgeous ranchland rimmed on the west by the imposing Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
- Picnic among the pines along Cottonwood Lake near Buena Vista and scan the rocky outcroppings for mountain goats.
- Raft the Lower Arkansas River through Bighorn Canyon or the Royal Gorge, where your focus shifts from frothy rapids to 1,000-foot granite cliffs.
- Follow snowshoe hare tracks in the snow while cross-country skiing at Mueller State Park.
Find More Regional Ideas Here.