Things to do in Colorado
60 places worth stopping for and 24 places to stay on a road trip through Colorado.
See and do
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Ouray
Red Mountain Pass and the Million Dollar Highway
US 550 between Ouray and Silverton clings to cliffs above deep gorges with almost no guardrails.
- Natural wonder
Natural wonder · Mosca
Great Sand Dunes National Park
The tallest dunes in North America rise next to snowy peaks and a seasonal creek you can splash in.
Scenic drive · Estes Park
Trail Ridge Road at Alpine Visitor Center
The highest continuous paved road in the US, crossing the Continental Divide above 12,000 ft.
- History
History · Cortez
Mesa Verde National Park
Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings tucked into canyon walls, many reached by ladders and tunnels.
- Lake
Lake · Aspen
Maroon Lake and the Maroon Bells
Twin 14,000 ft peaks reflected in a glassy lake, a classic Colorado photo stop.
- Lake
Lake · Estes Park
Bear Lake
Easy loop around a small alpine lake with a stack of bigger hikes starting from the same car park.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Montrose
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
A gorge so deep and narrow that sunlight barely reaches the river, with sheer dark walls dropping 2,000 ft.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Steamboat SpringsHidden gem
Strawberry Park Hot Springs
Natural hot springs pools along a forest creek, with a rough road up from town.
Hot pool · Ouray
Ouray Hot Springs Pool
Big mineral hot springs pool run by the city, sitting under cliffs in the 'Switzerland of America'.
- History
History · SilvertonHidden gem
Animas Forks ghost town
Well-preserved 1870s mining town at 11,200 ft, reached by a scenic dirt road from Silverton.
- History
History · MarbleHidden gem
Crystal Mill
A photogenic wooden mill perched above the Crystal River, reached by a rough backcountry road.
- Lake
Lake · Glenwood Springs
Hanging Lake
A turquoise travertine lake fed by waterfalls at the end of a steep one-mile hike from Glenwood Canyon.
- Natural wonder
Natural wonder · Colorado Springs
Garden of the Gods
Towering red sandstone fins against a backdrop of Pikes Peak, free to enter and walk.
Scenic drive · Idaho Springs
Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway
The highest paved road in North America climbs to 14,130 ft, with mountain goats and bighorn sheep along the way.
Activity · Durango
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Coal-fired steam train that has run along the Animas River gorge since 1882.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Crested ButteHidden gem
Kebler Pass
A graded dirt road through huge aspen groves, gold in late September.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Telluride
Bridal Veil Falls and Telluride Box Canyon
Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall, reached by a rough road and short hike above Telluride.
Town · SilvertonHidden gem
Silverton
Dead-end mining town ringed by 13,000 ft peaks, still with unpaved streets and a steam train.
- Town
Town · Telluride
Telluride
Old mining town in a box canyon with a free gondola, festivals and a pretty main street.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Aspen
Independence Pass
Winding road between Aspen and Twin Lakes that crosses the Continental Divide at 12,095 ft.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · RifleHidden gem
Rifle Falls State Park
Three 60-foot waterfalls with limestone caves behind them and a small campground.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Estes ParkHidden gem
Old Fall River Road
A narrow gravel road that climbs 9.4 miles one-way to the Alpine Visitor Center.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Hot Sulphur Springs
Hot Sulphur Springs Resort
Nineteen natural mineral pools beside the Colorado River, open daily to walk-ins.
- History
History · Pagosa SpringsHidden gem
Chimney Rock National Monument
Ancestral Puebloan great house on a ridge, beneath two natural rock spires.
- Walk
Walk · BriggsdaleHidden gem
Pawnee Buttes
Twin sandstone buttes rising out of the prairie in the Pawnee National Grassland.
Viewpoint · Morrison
Red Rocks Park
Sandstone cliffs and a famous amphitheatre in the Denver foothills.
- Town
Town · Lake CityHidden gem
Lake City
A remote San Juan town beside Lake San Cristobal and a base for the Alpine Loop.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · FlorenceHidden gem
Phantom Canyon Road
A 30-mile gravel road through narrow canyon and two old railway tunnels.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Cascade
Pikes Peak Highway
A toll road to the 14,115-ft summit of Pikes Peak.
- Town
Town · Salida
Salida
A river town with a restored brick downtown and the Arkansas River running through it.
- Town
Town · Crested Butte
Crested Butte
A colourful old mining town known for wildflowers and a laid-back main street.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · RedstoneHidden gem
Penny Hot Springs
Free riverside hot pools beside the Crystal River, near Redstone.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · FruitaHidden gem
Colorado National Monument Rim Rock Drive
A 23-mile road along red rock canyon rims above Grand Junction, with free-standing monoliths.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Ouray
Box Canyon Falls
A thunderous waterfall dropping into a narrow slot canyon, reached by a short walk and a metal catwalk.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · RidgwayHidden gem
Orvis Hot Springs
Quiet mineral pools near Ridgway on the road to Telluride, clothing optional for adults.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Glenwood Springs
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool
World's largest hot springs pool, running since 1888 beside the Colorado River.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Pagosa Springs
Pagosa Springs hot springs
A hot spring town with pools beside the San Juan River above the world's deepest geothermal spring.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · RyeHidden gem
Bishop Castle
A huge stone castle built by one man over 50 years, climbable and free to wander.
Waterfall · MoscaHidden gem
Zapata Falls
Short wade through icy water to a waterfall in a narrow rock slot, with views over the San Luis Valley.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · TellurideHidden gem
Lizard Head Pass
Quiet high pass on Highway 145 with a jagged volcanic spire and big meadows of wildflowers.
Town · LeadvilleHidden gem
Leadville
America's highest incorporated city, with Victorian streets and old mining history at 10,152 ft.
- Museum
Museum · FlorissantHidden gem
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Giant petrified redwood stumps and exceptionally preserved fossils.
- Walk
Walk · La GaritaHidden gem
Penitente Canyon
A climbers' canyon in the San Luis Valley, with a primitive BLM campground.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · GeorgetownHidden gem
Guanella Pass
A high paved pass from Georgetown to Grant with aspen gold in late September.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Grand JunctionHidden gem
Grand Mesa Scenic Byway
Drive up and over the world's largest flat-topped mountain, dotted with lakes.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Nederland
Peak to Peak Scenic Byway
A mountain road running along the Front Range from Estes Park to Black Hawk.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Idaho Springs
Indian Hot Springs
A historic geothermal spa in Idaho Springs with cave-style soaking rooms.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Cañon City
Royal Gorge Bridge
A suspension bridge strung nearly 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River.
History · Pleasant ViewHidden gem
Lowry Pueblo
A 1,000-year-old pueblo ruin in the Canyons of the Ancients, off a dirt road.
- Town
Town · CreedeHidden gem
Creede
A tiny silver-mining town in a box canyon with a well-loved repertory theatre.
- Town
Town · PalisadeHidden gem
Palisade
Colorado's peach country, with fruit stands and vineyards below the mesas.
Town · WestcliffeHidden gem
Westcliffe
A tiny ranch town under the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and dark skies.
- Town
Town · MarbleHidden gem
Marble
A small mountain village built around the quarry that cut marble for national monuments.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · La VetaHidden gem
Highway of Legends
Highway 12 from La Veta to Trinidad, past the twin Spanish Peaks and old coal towns.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Steamboat Springs
Fish Creek Falls
A 280-foot waterfall a few minutes' drive from Steamboat's centre.
History · UravanHidden gem
Hanging Flume
Remains of an 1880s wooden water channel clinging to a cliff above the Dolores River.
- Town
Town · Georgetown
Georgetown
A well-preserved Victorian silver town just off I-70.
- Town
Town · Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs
A quirky mineral-springs town at the foot of Pikes Peak.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · HooperHidden gem
UFO Watchtower
A UFO-spotting tower in the San Luis Valley with a small campground.
Roadside oddity · AntonitoHidden gem
Cano's Castle
A hand-built castle of cans, hubcaps and bottle tops in a tiny Colorado town.
Food stops
Places to stay
Campground · MaybellHidden gem
Echo Park Campground, Dinosaur
Remote camp where the Yampa meets the Green under Steamboat Rock.
- Campground
Campground · MontroseHidden gem
South Rim Campground, Black Canyon
Quiet camp on the rim of a deep, narrow gorge.
- Campground
Campground · Great Sand Dunes
Piñon Flats Campground
Camp at the foot of North America's tallest dunes.
- Campground
Campground · Estes ParkHidden gem
Longs Peak Campground
Tent-only camp at the trailhead for Colorado's iconic fourteener.
- Campground
Campground · WaldenHidden gem
State Forest State Park
Colorado's moose-watching capital, with 228 campsites near the Nokhu Crags.
Campground · Ridgway
Ridgway State Park
Lakeside campground with nearly 300 sites and a mountain backdrop.
- Campground
Campground · AspenHidden gem
Silver Bell Campground
Small 14-site camp at 8,460 feet near the Maroon Bells.
- Campground
Campground · Crested ButteHidden gem
Lake Irwin Campground
High-lake camp at 10,200 feet near Kebler Pass.
Campground · Durango
Haviland Lake Campground
Lakeside pines with Hermosa Cliffs views, 18 miles north of Durango.
- Campground
Campground · Estes Park
Moraine Park Campground
Big national park campground in an open meadow where elk wander through at dusk.
- Campground
Campground · Mosca
Pinon Flats Campground
Camp in the juniper right next to the dunes, with a short walk onto the sand.
- Campground
Campground · Silverton
South Mineral Creek Campground
Forest Service campground on a creek, with trailheads to Ice Lake Basin nearby.
- Campground
Campground · Fruita, Colorado National MonumentHidden gem
Saddlehorn Campground
Rim-top camp above sandstone canyons near Grand Junction.
- Campground
Campground · Mesa Verde
Morefield Campground
Large campground below the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde.
- Campground
Campground · Estes Park
Glacier Basin Campground
Big reservable camp on Bear Lake Road, the gateway to RMNP's most popular trails.
- Campground
Campground · Estes Park
Aspenglen Campground
Quiet 52-site camp near the Fall River Entrance with elk in the meadow.
- Campground
Campground · Grand Lake
Timber Creek Campground
Moose-country camp on the west side of RMNP, away from the Estes Park crowds.
- Campground
Campground · Clark
Steamboat Lake State Park
A 1,100-acre mountain reservoir near Steamboat Springs with 196 campsites.
- Campground
Campground · Divide
Mueller State Park
A quiet 138-site campground beneath Pikes Peak with elk and aspen meadows.
Campground · Golden
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
A foothills park 30 minutes from Denver with 156 campsites and Panorama Point.
- Campground
Campground · Buena Vista
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
A string of riverside campgrounds along a rafting corridor on the Arkansas River.
- Campground
Campground · PineHidden gem
Staunton State Park campground
Twenty-five campsites in a foothills park an hour from Denver.
Campground · MancosHidden gem
Mancos State Park campground
Quiet 32-site lakeside base for Mesa Verde and the San Juan Skyway.
Campground · NathropHidden gem
Chalk Lake Campground
Small campground below the Chalk Cliffs near Mount Princeton.
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Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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