Colorado travel guide: every place to visit

Overview

Colorado is a state of wild contrasts. From the flat plains of the eastern portion of the state to some of the Rocky Mountains' highest peaks to the high desert and red rock country of the western reaches of the state, the landscape is incredibly varied, home to many diverse ecosystems and natural marvels, and supports a thriving hunting and outdoors culture that draws people from around the world.

And yet, the contrasts in the natural landscape are nothing compared to the political and social contrasts you will find here. Like much of the rest of the American West, Colorado is a traditionally rural state with a frontier heritage and a very pro-business attitude. But here you will also find fiercely liberal communities in the college and resort towns that have been home to hippies and major countercultural figures. There's a wide range of outlooks and attitudes here in a state that lives up to its nickname — "Colorful Colorado".

40 sights · 1 things to do

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Near Mosca. Spectacular 2250 ft deep canyon of the Gunnison River.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Near Montrose. Extensive sand dunes up to 750 ft tall at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Range.

Mesa Verde National Park

Near Cortez and Mancos. UNESCO World Heritage Site protects nearly 600 Ancestral Pueblan cliff dwellings.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Between Estes Park and Grand Lake. Park protects 265807 acre of pristine mountains along the Continental Divide of the Americas.

Browns Canyon National Monument

Near Salida. This canyon of the upper Arkansas River is popular for kayaking and whitewater rafting.

Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument

Near Leadville. World War II mountain warfare training camp and facilities of the U.S. Army Tenth Mountain Division.

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Jun–Aug. Summer highs reach about 79°F; winter lows dip to about 5°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Aug and Jul. (climate data from nearby Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
COS City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs — 45 mi away (major hub). Directions
BJC Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Denver — 66 mi away. Directions

Many major airlines fly into Denver International Airport (DEN), one of the ten busiest airports in the world.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Northwestern Colorado — Colorado National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
Day 2: Southwestern Colorado — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area.
Day 3: Denver Area — explore the town.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Food for you

Colorado is filled with a large variety of restaurants with different cuisines. You can find almost everything you would ever want to eat or drink. But what, exactly, is Colorado cuisine? There are several indigenous foods worth trying, sought out for their associations with this Rocky Mountain state.

First, there is the cliché Denver omelette or Western omelette, an egg dish prepared with cheddar cheese, diced ham, onions, and green bell peppers. It probably originated on Western cattle drives, cooked up by cowboys, and most likely was not invented by a French gastronome as a "dénuer omelette," or a tasteless American omelette deprived of all class. Contrary to popular belief, you can get a Denver Omelette in Denver, but it will simply be one egg item out of many on the menu. This omelette doesn't inspire the hometown pride of, say, a Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia. Also, there is the duffy roll, something like a cross between a cinnamon roll and a croissant.

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Places in Colorado

Northwestern Colorado

Region · 14 listings

Southwestern Colorado

Region · 11 listings

Denver Area

Region · 2 listings

South Central Colorado

Region · 1 listings

Eastern Plains

Region

Front Range

Region

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

History

Composer Igor Stravinsky once rode a ski lift in Aspen in the summertime, while Prospector Alferd Packer dined on human flesh near Lake City. Inventor Nikola Tesla created artificial lightning hundreds of feet long in Colorado Springs, and Writer Oscar Wilde attended a fancy dinner party at the bottom of a Leadville silver mine. Outlaw Butch Cassidy robbed the bank in Telluride, while Lawman Doc Holliday and Showman Buffalo Bill were buried in Glenwood Springs and Denver, respectively. All are part of the quirky and sometimes colorful history of Colorado.

Around 15,000 years ago, Native Americans migrated to Colorado, a nomadic group of hunter-gatherers distributed on the plains as well as the western plateaus. The first agricultural communities appeared on the Eastern Plains approximately 5,000 years ago. Circa 600 AD, the Ancient Pueblo Peoples began building elaborate communities in Southwestern Colorado in the Mesa Verde area. Other Native American groups, including the Arapaho, Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Shoshone and Utes have called Colorado home.

The Spanish were the first Europeans in the area. In 1541, Coronado led an expedition north through Colorado from Mexico in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, where the streets were supposed to be paved with gold. In 1803, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sold the United States a vast tract of land known as the "Louisiana Purchase," an area which included Colorado. Lieutenant Zebulon Pike explored the recently purchased territory at President Thomas Jefferson's behest. Pike and his men were the first European Americans to find the 14,000-ft (4,268-m) peak near Colorado Springs, which today bears his name.

From the 1820s through the 1840s, Colorado became part of the Wild West, as fur trappers and mountain men began harvesting highly valued beaver and buffalo pelts for the Eastern U.S. and Europe. Trading posts were established for barter with the Native Americans, while trade routes sprang up between the United States and Mexico.

In 1858, gold was discovered at the mouth of Dry Creek in the present-day Denver suburb of Englewood, triggering the "Pike's Peak or Bust" gold rush of 1858-59. Approximately 50,000 people immigrated to Colorado in search of gold, creating the first large scale permanent settlements. Hard rock silver and gold mining towns were established throughout the territory.

A new town named Denver City was founded in honor of James W. Denver, governor of Kansas Territory.

In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th state in the union. Colorado was called the "Centennial State" in honor of the one-hundredth anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

In 1912, Hot Sulphur Springs hosted a ski jumping tournament and invited the Denver press. From this humble beginning, Colorado's ski industry was born. A handful of early ski runs were built around the state over the next 20 years, with the Highland-Bavarian Corporation beginning a rudimentary development of Aspen. World War II and the arrival of the 10th Mountain Division to train near Minturn ushered in the mid-20th century explosion of Colorado ski resorts. Trained for high alpine combat in Italy, the alumni of the 10th Mountain Division returned to the U.S. after the war to build Aspen, Vail and Arapahoe Basin.

By the 1960s, Colorado was a popular global destination for alpine skiing, with travelers drawn to the state's sunny days and champagne snow.

Geography

Colorado is split down the middle north to south by the Rocky Mountains. To the east is a region of high prairie, dry and wide open. To the west are rugged mountains arranged in various groups or ranges. (The largest single range in the state, the San Juan Mountains of the southwestern quarter, aren't actually part of the Rockies.) Meandering through the mountains is an imaginary line called the Continental Divide. This marks the flow of precipitation. Rain falling on the west of the Divide makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. Rain on the east makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. What may be surprising to visitors, however, is that, despite stereotypes, comparatively little of the state is actually mountainous. Perhaps a third of it is covered by hills or mountains, and even less is actually home to the soaring, jagged peaks for which the state is known.

Colorado has 54 mountain peaks above 14,000 ft (4,267 m) of elevation. The highest peak, Mount Elbert, rises to 14,440 ft (4,401 m) above sea level making it the highest peak in the North American Rockies. Tourism is a major industry, with skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, hunting, mountaineering and fishing as large sources of income for the state economy.

Colorado's population was about 5.6 million in 2017, a 30% increase from 2000. The state's population is growing, particularly in the large towns along the Front Range where the prairie and mountains meet. These towns include the capital, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. Many of the residents of Colorado migrated from other states so being a "Colorado Native" is a point of pride with many people.

Climate

Those who've never been to Colorado might imagine a frigid, snowy state. However, Denver's 300 sunny days a year and overall mild temperatures are a point of pride among Coloradoans. Due to the Rocky Mountains which split the state in half, climate differs greatly from east to west, low to high. The weather changes rapidly and unpredictably, so be prepared for anything if you're traveling in most seasons. Colorado is also an exceptionally dry state, and has suffered through droughts in 2012-14 and 2018-19. Drink lots of water and watch for dehydration.

Winter is generally cold, though the weather is drastically different depending on elevation. While the mountains are likely to experience frequent snow storms, guaranteeing lots of fresh powder for skiing, they become less and less frequent as one travels down on the Eastern slopes. Lower elevations to the east of the Rockies experience occasional snow storms and even huge blizzards, but low temperatures seldom last long, and the winter is frequently interrupted by warm days with temperatures in the 50s, 60s °F (10s °C), or even higher. Bring warm snow clothes, but also a light jacket. While March is the snowiest month of the year, the warm days of spring are more frequent in this month, and even in the mountains it is not unusual for temperatures to rise to the 60s °F (15 °C) or above, making for some very interesting skiing.

Spring is generally brief and mild. Snow is not uncommon as late as May, even in lower elevation cities, and some ski resorts stay open as late as July. However, except during snow, the temperatures are warm and pleasant. Be prepared for rapid changes: it's not unusual for there to be 80°F temperatures during the day and snow in the evening.

Summer is perhaps Colorado's most predictable season. While some ski resorts may stay open until July, don't be deceived: the temperatures are warm, even in the mountains. While days in the 80s and 90s °F (27–38 °C) are frequent, higher temperatures are not unheard of. Fortunately, Colorado's low humidity means that even the hottest days don't pack the punch of heat in more humid regions. Summer does arrive later in the mountains, and some peaks have snow all year round. Still, even at the higher elevation, summer days tend to be warm, though nights are cooler. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent starting in mid-July and continuing until about mid-September. Though very heavy, these are usually brief, lasting from as short as half an hour to two or three hours. Though they are a great relief from the dry days of earlier summer, lighting is dangerous and a huge risk factor for forest fires. These afternoon thunderstorms are especially severe in the eastern plain region of Colorado, and tornadoes also occur during this time. South Eastern Colorado has very desert-like summers, including flora and fauna, and shares many similarities to nearby New Mexico.

Fall is another relatively short season in Colorado. While daytime temperatures tend to stay warm, nighttime temperatures begin to drop starting in late August. Aspens, the primary native deciduous tree, changes colors in mid September. The first snow usually arrives sometime in October at lower elevations, though even earlier snows are not unheard of, and fairly common in the mountains.

Tourist information

Colorado tourism website

Regions

There is no universally agreed-upon breakdown of regions in Colorado. You'll often hear natives speak of a very simple structure comprised of the Eastern Slope (meaning everything east of the crest of the Rockies), or the Western Slope (everything west of the range crest), and anomalous Denver or the "valley". The breakdown below is a bit more complex, partly for reasons of style and partly because the simple east/west/Denver formulation lumps areas together that are really very disparate. It's also roughly what's used by the Colorado Department of Tourism. If you are confused by some of the boundaries, simply consult a map of Colorado counties, as many of the regions follow county lines.

Denver Area

The most populous part of the state, with the large metro capital-city of Denver and its many suburbs.

Eastern Plains

The sparsely populated and flat agricultural country of the eastern half of the state.

Front Range

Follows the northern part of the Colorado Rockies, including the college town of Boulder and such well-known attractions as Rocky Mountain National Park.