Colorado

We love everything about exploring during the winter: bundling up in layers, the crisp fresh air, playing in the snow...count us in for all the winter wonderland fun. We'll admit it though, sleeping outside in the winter takes next level commitment, gear, and tolerance for the cold. Not to say we...

Rocky Mountain National Park, or Rocky as it is affectionately known, is one of the most stunning of all the national parks. Rocky is perhaps best known for having the highest continuous paved road in the United States, Trail Ridge road. Trail ridge road was built in 1932 and has since left count...

In mid-October I took a quick trip to Colorado. I had been craving one more mountain getaway before winter set in so I decided to head to Colorado and complete an overnight hike I had been wanting to do for over a year. I called up one of my friend Chelsea, who lives in Colorado and asked if she ...

For the 8 years I've lived in Colorado, I've been most enthralled by the short but incredible fall foliage season in the high country. I've experienced the magnificent autumn colors of the East Coast and Midwest, but nothing for me has compared to the scenes of massive mountains rising from stunn...

Denver is the shining jewel of the Rocky Mountains. The fastest growing city in the United States truly has it all: unparalleled access to the outdoors, intricate bike paths, and a never-ending plethora of delicious breweries, restaurants and coffee shops.  After living here for 25 years, Dirt Ro...

Wildflowers Colorado is certainly known for its epic display of alpine wildflowers, with Crested Butte considered the epicenter of floral beauty. Yet much closer, lesser known locales, including Butler Gulch and my personal favorite Herman Gulch are just under an hour's drive from Denver and they...

1. Snow Dusted Mountains Flanking Massive Aspen Groves We all associate fall with beautiful bright colors blanketing the landscape, and while Colorado may not have the vast range of colors across the spectrum as other states, there is something truly majestic about a scene full of stunning Aspen ...

As a city-dweller who longs all week for upcoming weekend adventures, I often look to escape to the mountains during the week as well. Long winter nights are transforming into warm spring and long summer days, which provide the wonderful opportunity to find a welcoming trail after a long day in t...

The Four Pass Loop is generally considered the best backpacking trip in Colorado, and has a strong argument for being one of the most stunning loops in North America. As the name implies, the loop hits four high passes -- Buckskin (12,462'), Trail Rider (12,415'), Frigid Air (12,500'), and West M...

Although Great Sand Dunes is one of the lesser visited national parks, unique experiences and beautiful views abound in its 30 square miles of undulating dunes nestled below the Sangre de Cristo range. Read on to see what this southern Colorado park has to offer:1. The Tallest Sand Dunes in North...

Ideally, you'll wake up in a tent in RMNP and the sun will shine all weekend. But as the fourth-most-visited national park in America, its not always that easy to snag a campsite. Not to mention the fact that these mountains are notorious for their afternoon thunderstorms. Moral of the story: fle...

When people think of summer in Colorado, one of the experiences most likely to put a smile on your face is backpacking. Backpacking in the mountains of Colorado is one of those activities that everyone has to experience (yes, has to). Although you will have to carry a little extra weight: the exp...

In March of this year I went to Great Sand Dunes National Park on a whim. I was this close to not going but am so glad I did. I was on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and had gotten one solid day of exploring in before the weather turned nasty and Alex and I were chased from our backcountr...

I’ve done my fair share of traveling on the Northern American continent and I’ve never had an experience like the one I had in Silverton, Colorado. I’m a 4th year skier. So as you can imagine, the thought of skiing some of the steepest, expert, in bounds (sort of) terrain in Colorado scared me, b...

Whether you're looking for an easily accessible campground that you can pull your car up to, or a nice challenging backpack trip for the weekend, we've got you covered for ideas in the mix of campsites below.1. White Star Campground at Twin LakesPhoto: Mike FennellThe most easily accessible camps...

This isn't a story to convince you to quit your job and spend all your days on the trail. Backpacking isn't for everyone, let alone spending weeks on the trail. Thru-hiking is a long, tiring, and dirty affair, that likely suffers from a little too much romanticization.  This is more a small amoun...