Southwest
Hallmarked by the jagged San Juan Mountains, this region has set the tone for flicks like writer and director Quentin Tarantino’s "The Hateful Eight." Released in January 2016, it was filmed in the wilderness outside of the Victorian-era hamlet of Telluride; the fourteeners surrounding the town and the San Miguel River are seen throughout. Drop by the Telluride Elks Park, where Tarantino and actor Samuel L. Jackson took part in a ceremonial burning of skis — a local ritual to bring more snow.
Many Westerns have been filmed in these parts, such as 1969’s "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which features train robbery scenes that were shot on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (you can still take a scenic ride today!), plus the New Sheridan Bar in Telluride was used for a bar scene. "How the West Was Won" — with its all-star cast led by John Wayne and Gregory Peck — spanned filming in Silverton, Durango and Montrose, while the Ouray County Courthouse, Gunnison and Ridgway played host to yet another John Wayne epic, "True Grit." Grab a bite at the True Grit Cafe in Ridgway, built in honor of the film.
And who could forget Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon’s turn as a pair of friends on the lam in "Thelma & Louise"? On their journey the duo cruises around Unaweep Canyon outside of Gateway and makes a stop at the general store in Bedrock, near the border of Utah.
Northwest
Though the loveable "Dumb and Dumber" goofballs Lloyd and Harry (Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels) were portrayed hitting the ski slopes in Aspen, they actually went to the town of Breckenridge and the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park to film the comedy. The scene where Lloyd waited only to be stood up by his dream girl took place in the hotel’s Cascades Whiskey Bar. Those who want to learn about the Stanley’s haunting history can book a guided tour, and might just hear a tale about Carrey’s own experience during his stay.
Glenwood Springs draws visitors to its hot springs pools and the gorgeous scenery of Glenwood Canyon, including the hike to waterfall-laden Hanging Lake. The 12.5-mile-long canyon was also the site of a climbing chase scene between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s assassin characters in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," filmed in 2005.
Denver & the Front Range
Boulder got some screen time for the 2006 comedy/drama "Catch and Release," starring Jennifer Garner, whose character Gray Wheeler discovers the extent of her late fiance’s secrets as she walks the Pearl Street Mall. Take your own stroll to experience the historic buildings, boutiques, restaurants and street performers. Along with the iconic pedestrian street, several other locations throughout the town were used.
Filming for the political satire/murder mystery "Silver City," in which an inept politician is making a play to be elected governor of Colorado, was spread across several Front Range spots: Argo Gold Mine in Idaho Springs, where the state’s mining history is on full display; Sedalia’s Cherokee Ranch & Castle; as well as locales around Denver.