Colorado.com Staff Writer

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<p>In a state as geographically diverse as Colorado, even the typical Centennial State experience resists the idea of pigeonholing; you’ll find everything from high desert to sand dunes to towering fourteeners within our borders, all begging for enthusiastic exploration.</p>


 7 Colorado Adventures You Didn’t Know About

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Cliff camping in Estes Park with Kent Mountain Adventure Center

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<p>But if any kind of thinking is quintessentially Coloradan, it’s thinking outside the box — so we’ve rounded up seven fun, funky and totally unexpected ways to explore our great outdoors and Come to Life.</p>
<h2>1. Canyoning in Ouray</h2>
<p>Where there are mountains and rivers, there will be canyons — leave it to Coloradans to find a completely immersive way to explore them. The southwestern Colorado town of <a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/ouray">Ouray</a>, rightly nicknamed the “Switzerland of America,” is a perfect place to try your hand at canyoning: an all-levels sport that involves descending (safely) into the void and mastering a variety of terrain before climbing back out.</p>
<p>Under the tutelage of the expe­rienced guides at <a href="https://www.colorado.com/adventure-tours/canyoning-colorado">Canyoning Colorado</a>, you’ll learn how to downclimb, scramble and rappel before you tackle the ultimate challenge: a controlled descent down a 50-foot water­fall, directly under the flow. All equipment, including wetsuits, is provided; no experience is necessary, but a reasonable level of fitness is required.</p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> You’ll be in good company at Ouray’s <a href="http://www.colorado.com/hotel/beaumont-hotel-spa">Beaumont Hotel</a> — everyone from Theodore Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey has stayed in this stately 1886 property, which consistently makes best-of lists from <em>Condé Nast Traveler</em>.</p>
<h2>2. Donkey Racing in Cripple Creek</h2>
<p>Set in the shadow of Pikes Peak, the charming mountain community of <a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/cripple-creek">Cripple Creek</a> first attracted the nation’s attention during the Gold Rush, when the Cripple Creek &amp; Victor Gold Mine yielded a rich vein of the precious metal. Though the mine is still in operation more than 100 years later, today the descendants of its original work team are the main attraction.</p>
<p>Now in its 88th year, <a href="https://www.cripplecreekdonkeys.com/">Cripple Creek Donkey Derby Days</a> in summer is a whimsical way to experience a bit of ’niner heritage. Visitors from all over the world come to watch the town’s donkey herd — whose lineage does date back to the Gold Rush — compete in a variety of races and events. A pancake breakfast adds to the frontiersmen flavor of the festival.</p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> Hole up at <a href="http://www.colorado.com/bed-and-breakfast/carr-manor">Carr Manor</a>, which began its service to the community in 1905 as Cripple Creek High School and was converted to a luxury boutique hotel in 1983. Charming historic touches like the original classroom chalkboards remain throughout the property. </p>
<h2>3. Heli Fly-Fishing in Somerset</h2>
<p>Less than a 90-minute drive from <a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/grand-junction">Grand Junction</a>, the breathtaking high desert and ruddy sandstone outcroppings of <a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/gateway">Gateway</a> are already a bit off the beaten path. And when you take off on the Ultimate Heli-Fly Fishing Adventure with <a href="https://gatewaycanyonsairtours.com/">Gateway Canyons Air Tours</a>, you'll also be technically above the beaten path.</p>
<p>Adventure-savvy anglers, take note: This one-of-a-kind trip gives you the opportunity to get a jaw-dropping aerial view of panoramic vistas of cactus-dotted mesas transitioning to snow-streaked mountains hugging lush valleys. Then you'll touching down on <a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/somerset">Somerset</a>'s <a href="http://barzxranch.com/index.html">Bar ZX Ranch</a> for a day of fly-fishing in scenic solitude, knowing the mountain-fed lakes are brimming with 12 species of massive trout.</p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> Keep the indulgent vibes going strong with a stay at <a href="https://www.colorado.com/resort/gateway-canyons">Gateway Canyons resort</a>. You'll be tucked within the stunning red rocks of Unaweep Canyon and can revel in treats like a full-service spa, upscale Western dishes served al fresco, swank pools flanked by sandstone towers and more.</p>
<h2>4. Cliff Camping in Estes Park</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/estes-park">Estes Park</a> and its main at­traction, <a href="http://www.colorado.com/articles/rocky-mountain-national-park-itinerary">Rocky Mountain Na­tional Park</a>, are already bucket-list items for most Colorado visitors. But for the good folks at <a href="http://www.colorado.com/rock-climbing/kent-mountain-adventure-center">Kent Mountain Adventure Center</a>, it’s no fun unless you hoist that bucket 50 feet off the ground … then hang it from a sheer rock face.</p>
<p>That’s exactly what the outfitter’s cliff-camping excursions are about. After walking you through a few rock-climbing basics (rappelling, fixed-rope ascension and more), you and your guide will set up a “portaledge”: a semi-rigid hammock that hangs from cables bolted directly into the mountain­side. From your perch high above the valley floor, you’ll enjoy a sunset picnic dinner before crawling into your sleeping bag for an unforget­table evening on the brink. </p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> Bookend your cliff-side adventure with a stay at <a href="https://www.colorado.com/hotel/basecamp-hotel">Basecamp Boulder</a>, an ultra-cool modern hotel with a summer-camp vibe. Trust us: Ask for the Great Indoors Room.</p>


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<h2>5. High-Altitude Sailing at Lake Dillon </h2>
<p>As any good sailor knows, there’s a unique perspective that comes from a day on the water — and when that water is surrounded by soaring mountain peaks, one’s worldview reaches an entirely new level. Thanks to <a href="https://asa.com/schools/colorado/windrider-rockies/">Windrider of the Rockies</a>, operating out of Frisco Bay Marina on sparkling Lake Dillon near the towns of <a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/Dillon">Dillon</a> and <a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/frisco">Frisco</a>, you can tap into all of it … even without a whit of sailing experience.</p>
<p>Experienced sheet-pullers need only take a quick verbal quiz before shoving off; newbies can learn to tack and trim under the guidance of Windrider’s experienced team. Rather not do the work yourself? The company also offers guided sailboat tours of the 3,300-acre lake.</p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> Stay at the close-by <a href="http://www.colorado.com/inn/frisco-inn-galena">Frisco Inn on Galena</a>, a European-style bed and breakfast with a modern mountain feel. Not only will you be just steps from the classic mountain-town experience, Frisco’s gateway location gives you easy access to all the Rockies have to offer. </p>
<h2>6. E-Bike Cruising in Colorado Wine Country</h2>
<p>Blessed with mile after mile of picturesque pavement, Colorado has long been a haven for cyclists. Now, thanks to the recent introduction of electric bikes (or e-bikes) in select cities, this two-wheeled mode of transportation is sud­denly more modish than ever.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.coloradoebikes.com/">Colorado Electric Bikes</a> in <a href="/cities-and-towns/grand-junction">Grand Junction</a> and <a href="https://www.colorado.com/mountain-biking/rapid-creek-cycles-paddleboards">Palisade Cycle &amp; Shuttle</a> in Palisade offer e-bike sales as well as rentals and repairs. Hire a charged-up cycle to tool around town or explore the wonderful local road-bike trails; e-bikes go up to 20 miles per hour and travel an average of 30 miles on a full battery. We recommend the Tour de Vineyards ride: 25 miles of paved road through the area’s gorgeous wine country. </p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> Nearby <a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/palisade">Palisade</a>’s sig­nature striped bluffs provide a spectacular backdrop for your stay at the <a href="http://www.colorado.com/hotel/wine-country-inn">Wine Country Inn</a> — a sprawling Napa-style hotel set amid the vineyards. A daily complimentary wine reception and onsite farm-to-table cuisine complete the picture.</p>
<h2>7. Hiking the Continental Divide Trail </h2>
<p>One of the most significant trail systems in the world, the <a href="http://continentaldividetrail.org/">Conti­nental Divide Trail</a> (CDT) spans 3,100 miles and connects three countries (Canada, America and Mexico), five U.S. states and countless communities along its snaking spine. The lon­gest roadless section of the CDT is here in Colorado, surrounded by the remote glacial valleys of the Weminuche Wilderness.</p>
<p>The hidden gem of <a href="http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/south-fork">South Fork</a>, recently named “Colorado’s Top Small Adventure Town” by Elevation Outdoors magazine, is the perfect home base for hiking this stretch of the trail; it’s an official CDT Gateway Community, so many local hikes join up with the CDT system. Both the Archuleta (7 miles) and Crater Lake (2 miles) trails offer arresting wraparound views. </p>
<p><strong>Where to Stay:</strong> If stunning vistas are the theme, carry the thread through by staying at the <a href="https://www.colorado.com/bed-and-breakfast/arbor-house-inn-bed-breakfast-river">Arbor House Inn B&amp;B</a> in South Fork — where the South Fork of the Rio Grande River tumbles musically by your windows 24/7, with the cliffs of the San Juan mountain range rising in the distance.</p>
<h2>Other Surprising Adventures</h2>
<ul><li>You can kayak right in the heart of <a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/denver">Denver</a>! Manmade kayak chutes on Confluence River will get the blood pumping. Hook up with <a href="https://www.colorado.com/boating-paddling/confluence-kayak-ski">Confluence Kayaks</a> to get started.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/longmont">Longmont</a> is home to the <a href="https://www.colorado.com/sky-diving-hang-paragliding/mile-hi-skydiving-center">Mile-Hi Skydiving Center</a> and welcomes first-timers and experienced divers.</li>
<li>Did you know challenge hills were a thing? They are, and <a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/castle-rock">Castle Rock</a> is home to one of the newest calf-burners in the state at <a href="https://www.crgov.com/2051/Philip-S-Miller-Park">Philip S. Miller Park</a>, as well as <a href="/castle-rock/the-edge-ziplines-adventures">The Edge Ziplines &amp; Adventures</a>' ziplines, Sky Trek, Adventure Tower and ninja course.</li>
<li><a href="/adventure-tourism/aspen-expeditions-worldwide">Aspen Expeditions</a> offers a multi-pitch climbing experience that will get you trained up for serious ascents following your stay in <a href="https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/aspen">Aspen</a>.</li>
</ul><h2>Want More?</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-adventure-tours">Read about Colorado adventure tours</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.colorado.com/articles/lighten-your-load-burden-free-backpacking-trips-colorado">Lighten your load with llama-supported backpacking trips</a></p>


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