The Ultimate Colorado Travel Guide
For travelers, Colorado is a year-round adventure destination. In the summer and fall, hike in the Rocky Mountains, explore the national parks, soak in the hot springs, and go on some of the best scenic drives in the USA. In the winter and early spring, when snow blankets the mountains, Colorado is a haven for skiers.Colorado Itinerary
Colorado National Parks
Rocky Mountain National Park
The Perfect Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary (2024)
Ultimate Guide to Sky Pond: Trail Stats, Photos & Helpful Tips
One Perfect Day in Rocky Mountain National Park
10 Best Things to Do in Rocky Mountain National Park
15 Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lake Hike (+ How to Add on Bear Lake & Lake Haiyaha)
How to Hike Chasm Lake: Helpful Tips, Hiking Stats & Photos
How to Hike the Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge, RMNP
Best of Estes Park: Things to Do, Where to Eat & Where to Stay
How to Hike the Continental Divide Trail to Mt Ida, RMNP
How to Hike to Gem Lake, RMNP (Trail Stats, Photos & Helpful Tips)
How to Hike Deer Mountain, RMNP | Helpful Tips, Trail Stats, Photos
Complete Guide to the Twin Sisters Peak Trail, RMNP
How to Hike Bear Lake to Odessa Lake and Fern Lake, RMNP
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
6 Things to Do on the North Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Best Things to Do on the South Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Complete Guide to South Rim Drive Road, Black Canyon of the Gunnison
How to Hike the Gunnison Route | Black Canyon of the Gunnison
How to Visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison: North & South Rims
Mesa Verde National Park
More Information about Colorado
15 Great Places to Work Remotely in the USA
9 Spectacular Scenic Drives in Colorado
Best USA Road Trips: 18 Ideas for Your Next Big Adventure
Top Experiences in Colorado
Visit Boulder. Boulder is a small city that sits on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. This hip town is filled with wonderful restaurants and is worth a quick visit, if you are just passing through the area, or want to spend longer here, hiking the Boulder Flatirons.
Spend some time in Rocky Mountain National Park. This national park is not only the most popular national park in Colorado, it is also one of the busiest in the United States. It’s best to plan your visit from Memorial Day through early fall, when Trail Ridge Road is open, although it makes a nice place to visit all year long.
Go on a scenic drive. In Colorado, the roads twist and turn through the mountains, creating a long list of notable scenic drives, such as the Million Dollar Highway, Independence Pass, and the Mount Evans Scenic Byway.
Visit Great Sand Dunes National Park. Containing the tallest sand dunes in North America, this park is fun to visit for all ages, with sand sledding and sandboarding in the dunes.
Drive to the top of Pikes Peak. Drive to the top of one of Colorado’s fourteeners. At 14,115, you will have sweeping views of Colorado that will take your breath away (in more ways than one).
Tour the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. The cliff dwellings are Puebloan sites that are hundreds of years old. In this national park, short hikes, scenic drives, and viewpoints make the to-do list, but the best way to experience this park is to get up close with the cliff dwellings on a tour.
Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This canyon is very similar to the Grand Canyon, just on a smaller scale with far fewer visitors. With two rims to visit and lots of spectacular views, this is a wonderful, underrated national park.
Go skiing. Take your pick from one of many ski resorts and ski towns in Colorado and go skiing or snowboarding. Our favorites are Aspen and Snowmass.
Visit Colorado National Monument. Colorado National Monument, with its red sandstone rock formations and mesas, looks more like it should belong in Utah or Arizona than in Colorado. While you are here, drive Rim Rock Drive, one of the best scenic drives in Colorado.
How Many Days Do You Need in Colorado?
If you only have a few days, you can plan a long weekend getaway to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountains, one of the many ski resorts, or Denver or Boulder.
With more time, Colorado is an awesome road trip destination. With a bare minimum of 7 days, you can road trip to several of the national parks. If you like the idea of planning a Colorado national parks road trip, we recommend spending at least 10 days in Colorado.
Best Time to Visit Colorado
Colorado is a great place to visit all year but the weather will have a big impact in where you can go and what you can do.
During the winter and early spring, the Rocky Mountains are snow covered, making this the perfect time to visit Colorado if you want to go skiing, snowboarding, or snow shoeing.
In late spring, the snow melts and roads that cross high mountain passes open. Most roads in Colorado are generally open by Memorial Day.
Summer and fall are great seasons to tour the national parks and go hiking. Fall is a beautiful time to visit Colorado and a good time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, if you want to witness elk mating season.
US National Parks
