Colorado Vacation Ideas
Colorado has many options for what could be called the perfect vacation.
From unforgettable winter ski trips to romantic weekend getaways, every corner of the state has virtually limitless vacation ideas.
Lets start with the Rocky Mountains. Within Colorado they contain 51 peaks that are 14,000 feet (4,267 m) or higher elevation.
Skiing
Skiing and snowboarding is not all these white-capped mountains and rolling hills offer. Sledders, tubers, snowshoes, cross-country skiers and even ice climbers are also have plenty to explore.
Colorado is continuously at the top of any skier or boarder's list because of its 26 resorts. Every resort has developed a distinct experience. Some offer world-class moguls while others are famous for their bowls and backcountry adventures.
Not a black diamond expert? Don't worry everyone is welcome on these mountains; even the beginner will find gentle slopes and quality instruction to break in on.
Rivers Run Through It
The Colorado river, the Rio Grande River and the Arkansas River Run through Colorado making water sports an abundant pastime for visitors of Colorado.
When it comes to rafting in Colorado, you can choose your own speed. From gut-wrenching drop offs to lazily drifting along a calm waterway whitewater rafting in Colorado includes a bit of everything.
The most popular river for rafting is the Arkansas, which has its headwaters on Mount Democrat near Leadville and drops 10,000 feet in 125 miles (to Pueblo), where it continues through southeast Colorado, across Kansas, and eventually into the Mississippi River if you wanted to go that far. The river includes almost all classes of rapids.
Another popular spot is the Colorado River, through Glenwood Canyon and down to Grand Junction. Those are not all the places where you can get your whitewater rush.
This is a great place to test your trail leadership while you are backpacking and camping. If you need a checklist to help you pack, click on the links above.
A Colorado vacation is a great opportunity to teach yourself and the children about the planets and the night sky. One of my favorite things to do is look for constellations or meteor showers and for just a few dollars you can pick up a star finder. It's not hard to do and it is a lifetime of knowledge and fun for everyone.
Wildlife Watching
Colorado has a rather diverse terrain so it's not surprising that Colorado also has a wide range of distinctive animals. You can catch a glimpse of pronghorn, elk, moose, deer, marmot, fox and hundreds of species of birds, fish and amphibians.
Great Canyons
The eastern half of Colorado is known for its abundant sunshine and cool clear nights but the western half is all about great canyons.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a great place to explore. It is so deep and narrow that sunlight only filters to its depths for a few hours each day. At it's deepest part, the canyon plunges 2,722 feet to the Gunnison River below.
North rim is a place where hikers encounter some of the best canyon views Colorado has to offer.
Native American History
Native Americans have inhabited what we call Colorado for more than 13 millennia.
Many different Native people shared the land. The Ancient Pueblo Peoples lived in the valleys and mesas of the Colorado Plateau. The Ute Nation inhabited the mountain valleys of the Southern and Western Rocky Mountains. The Arapaho Nation and the Cheyenne Nation moved west hunting across the High Plains.
Today this culturally rich area has the highest density of archaeological sites in the country. Among the rising cliff walls the Ancestral Pueblo Indians settled the area hundreds of years ago.
Their culture has left a great amount of evidence upon the area. Many structures still stand giving us the opportunity to marvel at their accomplishments.
The Sand Canyon Trail leads into McElmo Canyon and takes hikers to the Sand Canyon Pueblo an Ancestral Pueblo Indian site.
Colorado is full of Great history, fun summer and winter sport. If none of that is interesting to you than Denver is a great city to explore. So grab your walking shoes and get to those shop's, museums and restaurants!
Enjoy your Vacation!