Colorado has some of the most diverse landscapes and epic scenery of any state in the USA. Due to this, its collection of state and national parks both diverse and unique, allowing them to stand out as some of the most beautiful areas of the country we’ve had the pleasure of visiting!
Below are our top 5 parks to visit throughout the state. Another added bonus to this list is that if you visit all of these parks you’ll actually see nearly every corner of Colorado!
In random order…
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- The Colorado National Monument
Rocky Mountain National Park:
Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) holds a special place in our hearts. It’s one of our favorite Summer destinations, and a place you should definitely put top on your list whenever you visit Colorado.
RMNP is located in northern Colorado, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains (hence the name) and sits between the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake Colorado.
Both Estes Park and Grand Lake are top destinations for different reasons. Estes is literally the gateway town for the park and has a wide array of outdoor activities throughout the spring, summer an fall seasons. Grand Lake is a top wintertime destination and boasts great ice fishing, snowmobiling and cross country skiing.
In case the beauty of the park isn’t enough to get you to visit, here are a few interesting facts that might “peak” your interest.
Speaking of “peaks”, Rocky Mountain National Park is the nation’s highest altitude National Park, and has over 415 square miles of hiking, camping and sightseeing to take in. Inside the park you’ll find panoramic alpine views of more than 60 mountain peaks that rise above 12,000 feet.
Longs Peak, the highest in the park, checks in at 14,259 feet and is the 15th tallest mountain of Colorado’s 58 fourteeners (mountains over 14K feet high).
Reaching an altitude of 12,183 feet, Trail Ridge Road is the highest through road in the nation. In the winter (when the road is closed), it can be covered by up to 20 feet of snow. — That said, be sure to bring/drink lots of water (and maybe a few aspirin) when you travel through Colorado. Altitude sickness can often occur in those who are traveling from lower elevations, but staying hydrated is the best way to overcome it.
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve:
The Sand Dunes were our favorite destination as kids! Located in southern Colorado, this place is truly amazing, boasting a “diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes, and tundra”. If you’re there on a clear night it’s a perfect place to star gaze and take in the night sky!
Some interesting facts about the Sand Dunes…
The dunes measure 30 square miles and is estimated to hold more than 5 billion cubic meters of sand.
The Great Sand Dunes are the tallest in North America, with the tallest, Star Dune, rising around 750 feet from the ground.
As mentioned above, beyond the dunes, there lies a diverse landscape, with beautiful alpine lakes, thick forests, aspen fields, cottonwood trees (some more than 300 years old), and grasslands, wetlands and a beautiful tundra ready for exploration.
While your there be sure to bring both cool and warm clothes (the weather changes often in this areas of the state) and also don’t forget and all the sand castle equipment your heart desires. One of our favorite activities as kids was to climb to the top of the dunes and slide down to the base.
In the spring, after the winter snow runoff, you might even be able to catch a small river/stream running through the base of the dunes. A great place for photography or to camp over the weekend!
Mesa Verde National Park:
Located in south western Colorado, Mesa Verde is probably one of the most unique destinations to take in while visiting our state! Mesa Verde was “established to preserve, and interpret, the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE”.
A few little unknown facts about Mesa Verde…
Mesa Verde National Park is home to more than 4,700 archeological sites, including many pueblos, masonry towers, farm structures and 600 cliff dwellings, several of which you can explore through walking tours with park rangers.
Mesa Verde’s original residents lived in this area 1,400 years ago and according to National Park Service, 24 American Indian nations consider Mesa Verde their ancestral home.
Cliff Palace is the park’s largest dwelling. Researchers believe approximately 100 people lived among its 150 rooms and 23 kivas (ceremonial structures). If you go in the summer, we highly reccomend taking a guided tour of the Cliff Palace (tours are closed in the winter), it’s a marvel you have to experience to believe.
While you’re taking tours, we also recommend touring Balcony house. Both Balcony House and Cliff Palace are 1 hour guided tours and they offer a first-hand look at what life might have been like for the native peoples who lived in these dwellings so many years ago.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park:
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison holds a special place in our heart because for many years we lived just 30 minutes from there. In fact, we would often travel the canyon’s Rim Road on our way to visit family across the state.
Located in western Colorado, The Black Canyon boasts one of the deepest ravines in North America. Their website calls the canyon “big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time”, and we couldn’t agree more. Whether you decide to simply drive through and catch some views or take a hike through the narrow gorge you’re certain to gain a stronger connection to nature in the process.
A few details you might not know…
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is 48 miles long. At its deepest point it drops 2,722 feet, its greatest width is 1,100 feet across and its narrowest span is only 40 feet across.
It took the Gunnison River 2 million years to erode the canyon’s hard rock wall into the canyon you see today and standing on the cliff side it’s hard to picture what the scenery looked like before the canyon existed.
While you’re in the area be sure to check out the towns of Gunnison (on the east) or Crawford and Paonia (where we lived) on the west. Gunnison is great for all types of outdoor activities and is a gateway town to Crested Butte, and Paonia is known for their fruit orchards and wineries!
Colorado National Monument:
Technically a monument rather than a park, the Colorado National Monument is in north western Colorado between the towns of Grand Junction and Fruita Colorado.
Another favorite of ours, this national monument preserves one of the greatest landscapes in the American West.
Some interesting facts…
The monument boasts canyons as deep as 500 feet and rock monoliths as tall as 450 feet. The 23-mile-long Rim Rock Drive road spans the entire monument and taking you through 3 tunnels carved through the stone. On a good day you can see any number of unique wildlife throughout the monument, anything from mule deer, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, bighorn sheep, foxes, desert cottontails, squirrels, the list goes on! Rim Rock Drive is a favorite of cyclist as well, on cool mornings or even hot afternoons you’re likely to see cyclists winding through the canyon road!
While you’re in the area be sure to check out Grand Junction and Palisade Colorado (Palisade is known for their wineries). Or, spend some time in Fruita Colorado, known as a cyclists dream town. If you enjoy the Monument, and want to add a few days to your trip, Moab Utah (home of Arches National Park) is only a few hours away and it’s certain to capture your attention with its beauty.
So, there you have it, our top 5 National Parks in Colorado. Happy/safe traveling wherever you end up!
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Cheers!
-Casey & Michaele
