Quicklinks:
National Parks
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- While the depth (2,722 feet), width and length don't rival its namesake, Arizona's Grand Canyon; Black Canyon is a unique place. The dark grey rock is in stark contrast to the green surrounding; and the drop-offs can be sheer and breathtaking. Following the Gunnison River the length of the canyon seems like an almost impossible task, and stories of early explorers who tried and failed are plenty.
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Mesa Verde ("green table") National Park is located in Southwest Colorado. Its most prominent features are the various cliff dwellings built by Ancestral Pueblo people around 1200-1300 A.D.
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Named after the most well-known mountain range in Northern America, this park features both high-mountain peaks (topping out at 14,259 feet) and grassy valleys - still 8,000 feet over sea level.
[Top]National Monuments
- Colorado National Monument
- Colorado National Monument overlooks a wide valley, through which the Colorado River is flowing. It offers many views of colorful rock formations from mesa tops.
- Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve
- At around 750 feet, the Great Sand Dunes are North America's tallest dunes, in stark contrast against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and surrounding green plains. The area was transformed into a national monument in 1932.
[Top]Other
- Garden of the Gods
- Garden of the Gods is a small scenic area close to Colorado Springs.
- Ouray, CO
- Formerly a gold and silver mining town, now mostly aiming at tourists, Ouray still managed to maintain a certain sense of authenticity. The town is enclosed in a canyon and surrounded by mountain peaks 5000 feet higher. Many of the buildings built in late 1880s are still in use today.
- Pike's Peak
- Pike's Peak is a 14,000ft mountain located next to Colorado Springs. There's an unpaved but well-maintained road going to the top.
- Red Mountain
- Red Mountain is a former mining site and town located just up the road from Ouray, CO, with quite a few mining structures still visible.
- Victor, CO
- Victor, CO is a small town that is maybe over-shadowed by the nearby Cripple Creek, but offers a more genuine and slightly less touristy insight into "The World's Greatest Gold Camp".