Colorado
It's hard to beat what the Rockies have to offer. A plethora of world-class skiing in the winter, and all the hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, and rafting you could hope for in the summer. Looking for a challenge?Maybe try your hand at one of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks (there's somewhere between 53 and 58, depending who you ask).
Top Spots in and near Colorado
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Lake City, Colorado
Capture Fall Foliage and Whitmore Falls on Engineer Pass
5.0Just outside of the small community of Lake City, Colorado is Engineer Pass, a dirt road that has amazing views and opportunities to hike, take pictures, and maybe even explore an abandoned mining town. Four wheel drive or all wheel drive is preferable, but the road can definitely be driven by a ...Read more -
Leadville, Colorado
Fly Fish Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake is a beautiful lake (or could it be called a pond?), set in the shadow of the Rocky Mountain’s highest peaks, Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, can be found about six miles south of Leadville, CO on the west side of US 24. This lake holds a healthy trout population and is stocked regularly...Read more -
Telluride, Colorado
Explore Alta Ghost Town
5.00.5 miAlta Ghost Town is located about 10 miles from Telluride on Alta Lakes Road. Take the rugged dirt road approximately 2 miles until the ghost town appears on the left. Hike up the short trail to view the remnants of the old mining town with many of the buildings still standing, including the impre...Read more -
Breckenridge, Colorado
Winter Climb of North Star Mountain
4.08 mi / 2400 ft gainFrom the west parking lot at the top of Hoosier Pass, take the 4x4 road as it climbs through a forest west of the pass. Before long, the trees thin and you'll stay on the road through treeline and reach a gate at just over 12,000 feet.Stay right at the gate and continue on this old mining road as...Read more -
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Explore the Far View Sites Complex
4.50.75 miThe Far View Community is located four miles north of the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. In around 800 AD, the Ancestral Pueblo people lived in this area for several centuries. They mostly farmed the mesa tops, but were also hunters. It was one of the most densely populated regions of Mesa Ver...Read more -
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Hike to Mad Creek Barn
3.0Surrounded by ranches, barns are a common sight around Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There’s a great hike you can do to an old homestead to enjoy one of the best old barns in the area. Mad Creek Trail is a favorite hike of locals and tourists in Steamboat. The Mad Creek Trailhead is about 5 miles ...Read more -
Manitou Springs, Colorado
Hike Palmer Trail Loop at Section 16
5.5 mi / 1400 ft gainThe Section 16 trailhead can be found on lower Gold Camp Road. Almost immediately, the trail begins to rise in elevation. The grade is gentle at first but soon becomes a steep steady climb for about a mile and a half, until you reach the ridge. Along the way, you will see many intersecting trail...Read more -
Nederland, Colorado
Hike to Columbine Lake
5.07 mi / 1200 ft gainThe hike is about seven miles, give or take, however it feels longer. The elevation gain is little over 1000 feet. The drive here is about 45 minutes from both Granby and Winter Park, and is definitely worth it. You follow a trail dusted with wildflowers for the majority of the hike, and occasio...Read more -
Aspen, Colorado
Hike to Spiral Point (Yin Yang), Snowmass
5.01.3 mi / 284 ft gainSnowmass Village is located 15 - 20 minutes west of Aspen Colorado off state highway 82. Once in Snowmass Village, take Brush Creek road almost to the top of the hill until the road splits with Divide road (If you have made it to the Snowmass Village mall, you have missed the road and must turn b...Read more -
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado
Camp near Lost Lake (in the Red Feather Lakes area)
I need to start by saying I stayed here on Memorial Day weekend, a very busy camping weekend in Colorado. Online searches for a suitable campsite were useless, everything was booked. It is hard to drive 2 plus hours to an area and hope you find a place for dispersed camping. Thankfully a friend t...Read more -
Estes Park, Colorado
Hike to Bear Lake, BC
4.05.6 mi / 1699.5 ft gainStart your hike at 6,100 feet elevation at the parking lot. The first section of the trail will take you through the forest on a rather steep trail. After half a mile keep left on the main trail that leads you away from the creek. Watch your step, the gully you're walking in can be slippery at ti...Read more -
Fairplay, Colorado
Stay the Night in an Off-Grid Cabin in Fairplay, CO
This will be an amazing experience for anyone that books this cabin, guaranteed. It's the perfect size with a kitchen, living room, bunk beds, and back porch. In addition to the main house there is a tree house that has a couch and a bed in it as well; so the property can host a decent sized grou...Read more -
Carbondale, Colorado
Mountain Bike Prince Creek
Turn south off Colorado State Highway 82 onto Highway 133 toward Carbondale. Continue south past the Carbondale Main Street roundabout. After two miles, turn East onto Prince Creek Road. Follow this four miles to where the pavement ends. This is the best place to park to start biking or running.F...Read more -
Divide, Colorado
Snowshoeing to Sentinel Point
8 miSentinel Point is an appropriately-named 12,527-foot rockpile standing watch over the broad shoulder of the Pikes Peak massif. Rarely visited, especially in winter, you are almost guaranteed solitude on this high mountain snowshoeing adventure.Beginning at the Horsethief Park trailhead off CO Ro...Read more -
Estes Park, Colorado
Boulderfield Campground via Longs Peak Trail
11.39 mi / 3337 ft gainBoulder Field is a high alpine backcountry site on Longs Peak, and is a popular camp for backpackers attempting to summit Longs Peak via the Keyhole route. At an impressive elevation of 12,760 feet, Boulder Field is a vast wasteland of rocks that sits 500 feet below the famous Keyhole feature, an...Read more -
2203-2407 County Road 12, Colorado
Camp at Kebler Pass
4.5Camping on Kebler Pass begins at around GPS: 38.89575, -107.214655. The pass is only available during the warmer summer months but is quite the treat. We went in August to catch an eclipse and the rolling free hills made it a great place to view from. You pass a reservoir on your way in where man...Read more
