Del Norte

Formerly a stage stop and a rowdy, ragtag supply town for miners, this agricultural town features tremendous outdoor adventures. Area hiking trails reveal massive peaks, rivers twisting through canyons and forests of aspen and pine. One section of the Rio Grande River boasts Gold Medal status; here big, brown trout bite hard and often. Each July, the Del Norte Mountain Bike Stage Race comes to town, offering a glimpse of Colorado's challenging cross-country biking.

Just outside Del Norte awaits Penitente Canyon, once a worship area for the devout Catholic sect Los Hermanos Penitente and now a worship area for devout rock climbers from around the world. The canyon has been featured in Climbing magazine and, with construction of a new campground nearby, it continues to attract enthusiasts of the ascent.

Back in town, visit the Rio Grande County Museum and Cultural Center, housing arrowheads, minerals and other relics from the time when John Charles Fremont and party froze to death during their expedition in the La Garita Mountains, north of Del Norte.