A GUIDE TO COLORADO’S NATIONAL PARKS
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Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park
- Photo courtesy of the National Parks System
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From the highest sand dunes in North America to one of the deepest canyons in the Western Hemisphere, Colorado lays claim to many of the nation’s unique natural and human wonders. Here’s your guide to discovering them …
National Parks:
Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Mesa Verde National Park
Why You Should Go
Mesa Verde is home to some of the most unique Ancestral Puebloan dwellings in the world. Well-preserved and well-studied, these dwellings have been inspiring interest in this ancient culture for more than 100 years. Tucked securely into cliff walls, the adobe-constructed homes are a novel sight to visitors who crane their necks skyward to see them. Ladders give guided groups access to the cliff dwellings, and informative park rangers offer educated glimpses into the daily lives of Ancestral Puebloans.
Amenities Offered
Some of the best camping within the park is provided at the Morefield Campground, where RV hookups are available. In Morefield’s full-service village, you have access to a restaurant (offering pancake breakfasts), gas station, RV dumping station, coin-operated laundry, complimentary showers, a gift shop and a grocery store.
Around the Park
For those itching for an open car window and picture-perfect Colorado photo opportunities, click on your seatbelt, start up your car and head out along the Trail of the Ancients or San Juan Skyway. On these driving tours, you’ll get a feel for the land on which the Ancestral Puebloans lived.
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Great Sand Dunes National Park
Why You Should Go
Nowhere else in the United States do mountains of sand stand higher than here in the Rocky Mountains. The tallest dune towers 750 feet high at an elevation of 8,700 feet above sea level. The entire dune field itself encompasses 30-square miles within the 150,000-acre park.
Aside from the dunes, this national park provides ample camping and hiking opportunities. Four-wheel driving is also available along the challenging Medano Pass — an off-road route that stretches roughly 25 miles from within the park to the town of Gardner.
Not To Be Missed
Regardless of the season, you’ll find park visitors strapped to skis and snowboards, or holding tight to sleds as they hit the sandy slopes and carve their way down dune faces. With or without snow, the dunes allow visitors to ride down them much as they do on the famous Colorado ski slopes. If you want to give it a try, just look for the steepest part of any dune and point yourself down it, gravity will take over from there.
Watchable wildlife is also abundant within the park. Keep your camera ready as pronghorn and mule deer are apt to venture close to your campsite.
Amenities Offered
The Pinyon Flats Campground offers 88 campsites in the summer, while half of the sites are closed off and inaccessible during the winter months. Each campsite provides visitors with fire grates, picnic tables and stunning views of the dunes. Flush toilets and potable water are also available on-site.
Around the Park
To the south is the breath-taking Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway. This road takes you over high mountain passes that cut through the San Isabel National Forest. Wildlife and scenic beauty abound in these raw Colorado surroundings.
To the west of the park is a drive through history — the Gold Belt Tour. This route follows historic railroad and stagecoach lines that once transported fortunes of gold and other precious deposits to Denver and beyond. Along the way, the skeletons of abandoned gold camps remind the traveler of the boom and bust environment that surrounded gold mining in Colorado. In addition to man-made structures and mineral riches, this trip showcases the natural beauty of profound drop-offs and sheer valley walls that continually pass your windows.
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Rocky Mountain National Park
Why You Should Go
As a tribute to the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, this park encompasses the pure and natural beauty of the region. With high-mountain lakes and streams, peaks more than14,000 feet, thick evergreen forests and thousands of acres of wildlife, this park conjures up what most people imagine when they think of the Rockies.
This national park finds its way onto most people’s travel itineraries. And with so much to see and do within its boundaries, there’s no wonder its popularity endures. There’s hardly a better place to experience the geographically defining Rocky Mountains than in a park dedicated to them.
Not To Be Missed
Open from Memorial Day to late autumn, Trail Ridge Road — topping out at 12,183 feet — is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Get an unforgettable look at the top of the Rockies while driving along this one-of-a-kind road.
Around the Park
Meandering through the park is Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road. Serving up perfect views of a few of Colorado’s finest 14ers (peaks higher than 14,000 feet), this 50-mile route is an exercise in the grandiose. Pristine forested areas, gorges, lakes and rivers are found tucked away among these towering mountains.
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Why You Should Go
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison introduces visitors to natural and human-constructed history. Since its documented European discovery in the 1700s, the gorge has been renowned for its dramatic scenery and recreational opportunities.
The Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad once traversed the mouth of this 2,000-foot fissure that plunges into the Rockies. Today, the train is paid homage by an informative railroad museum and ranger talks throughout the park.
Not To Be Missed
Take your pick, this national park provides an array of outdoor activities. Auto touring, wildlife viewing, camping, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and stargazing are among your many options.
Amenities Offered
The national park offers two camping locations, one along the north rim and the other along the south. Both sites offer vault toilets, tables and grills. Water is available during the warmer months of May to October. Electrical hookups are provided along the south rim’s loop B during these same months.
Around the Park
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is surrounded by scenic and historic drives. To the northwest lies the Grand Mesa Historic and Scenic Byway — a byway that features the expanse of Colorado’s fruit-producing Grand Valley. West of the canyon is the West Elk Loop, an enchanting circuit through canyons, mountain passes, aspen groves and cherry orchards.
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updated: 05/12/08
