Things to do / Travel Guide
A bounty of pretty, pristine, alpine adventures awaits you in the Colorado Rockies region. While you should pick your vacation destination with precision, you'll be pleased whichever spots you choose. Looking to ski the slopes of Colorado Rockies' world-class ski resorts? With their powder-perfect snow, excellent slopes, and wide range of upscale ski-scene shopping, dining, and entertainment, Colorado Rockies' ski resort towns rank among the best in the country. Traveling in the summer? When the Colorado Rockies peaks shed their snow, the mountains, slopes, and towns allow for plenty of outdoor recreation, wildlife observation, and not-to-be missed summer adventure.
Northwest Colorado
At the northernmost tip of the region, Steamboat Springs' skyscraping summits and the far-reaching and fertile Yampa River Valley surround this down-to-earth, yet still-hip, ski resort town. With nearly 30 feet of outstanding “Champagne Powder” snow, the Steamboat Springs Ski Area (and its six fabulous mountains) and downhill skiing hub Howelsen Hill (the largest natural ski-jumping facility in North America) attract world-class skiers every season. In addition, Steamboat Springs ski resorts rank among the friendliest for families traveling with smaller snow bunnies. Winter is hardly Steamboat Springs' only happening season; from spring-fall, pleasure boaters enjoy the soft, idyllic scenery of the nearby Stagecoach Reservoir, and the Yampa River Botanic Park (approximate elevation: 6,800 feet) takes alpine gardening to an entirely new level. To renew body and spirit after a day of hard play, visitors can soak themselves in the soothing waters of Strawberry Park Hot Springs.
You won't have to elbow your way through the crowds to ski on Vail's luxurious and spacious slopes, located nearly 90 miles south of Steamboat Springs. Despite its overwhelming popularity, Vail proudly claims two to four skiers per snowy acre. Billed as the largest ski resort in the U.S., in addition to offering three different ski areas and four terrain parks, Vail offers plenty of winter fun including snowmobiling, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, and the unique adventure sport of ski biking. While most beautiful when shrouded in a white veil of snow, this popular ski resort blooms in a different way during the spring and summer. On a visit to Vail, at the western reaches of the Colorado Rockies region, you can spend an afternoon meditating at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, take a balloon or chairlift ride to see the area's stunning panoramas, or take to the Grand Traverse and Cougar Ridge Trails for some superb mountain biking.
About 150 miles west of Vail sits the bustling town of Grand Junction. Millions of years ago dinosaurs made Grand Junction the region's first real tourist junction - they loved the place! At various locations in and around town you can help paleontologists unearth their past. But Grand Junction is a crossroads for much more: it is just a stone's throw from Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-topped mountain, with more than 200 top-notch boat-able trout fishing lakes. Nearby Palisade is proving its “palatability” with award-winning wines. The town's Western Colorado Center for the Arts offers an artful good time, and the stark sandstone and rich red rock landscapes of nearby Colorado National Monument provide ample opportunity for biking, scenic drives, bird watching, and bighorn sheep spotting.
Located about 130 miles east of Grand Junction, Aspen is a veritable winter wonderland. Boasting some of the most varied terrain in North America, Aspen offers four world-class ski areas: Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. Aspen Highlands is a favorite among the locals, known to be friendlier and less swamped than the other three ski areas. Rising like a wide obelisk from the center of downtown Aspen, Aspen Mountain (a.k.a., Ajax) is a favorite for its high-class dining and views of the Maroon Bells mountains. On Buttermilk Mountain (with the world's longest terrain park) and Snowmass Mountain (good for families) ski-in/ski-out lodging options abound; just open the front door of your room or vacation rental and hit the slopes without hassle.
Swank celebrities, top-notch dining, après-ski , after-dark entertainment, fine and fancy art galleries, and some of the nation's best (and most prestigious) annual festivals make Aspen a bastion of all that is posh and polished. Often called the “playground of the rich and famous,” Aspen is not only glitz and glamour - White River National Forest offers some great mountain biking and scenic overlooks (the Maroon Bells are breathtaking) and drives. The fascinating histories of nearby ghost towns make this a “must” even for those traveling with a tighter budget.
South-Central Colorado
The highest-elevated town in the U.S. at around 10,400 feet, the South-Central Colorado town of Leadville was once a hub for the most colorful (and shady) characters of the boom-to-bust gold and silver mining times. You can take a self-guided walking tour of the historic sites, such as the Tabor Opera House, but an easy ride on the Leadville, Colorado, and Southern Railroad Company, the highest narrow-gauge railroad in the U.S., is the best way to track the area's superb scenery. Water enthusiasts will enjoy pleasant paddles or boating excursions on nearby Turquoise Lake or Twin Lakes, which sits prim-and-proper at the foot of Mt. Ebert, Colorado's tallest peak (elevation: 14,433 feet). Leadville is located approximately 60 miles west of Aspen.
Southwest Colorado
Next to the Elk Mountains and southwest of Leadville, the quirky and charming Crested Butte is the (unofficial) mountain biking and wildflower capital of Colorado. The town's blossomy, mountainous scenery serves biking buffs and flower fanatics alike. The town's annual Fat Tire Bike Week in June and the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival events draw crowds from across the country. But that's not all; Crested Butte's ski scene is also not easily dismissed. A Ski magazine reader survey lauded Crested Butte one of the best in the nation for customer service and overall friendliness. Beginning skiers take note: Rocky Mountain Sports and Fitness Magazine chose Crested Butte's ski schools as the best in the state. Small, affordable, “user-friendly,” the Mt. Crested Butte ski area (easy to get to by shuttle) is the Colorado Rockies' best-kept skiing secret. Also during the winter months in Crested Butte, you can enjoy sleigh rides to dinner and snowmobiling adventures.
Often overlooked for more well known towns, Gunnison is Colorado Rockies best-kept secret. A hub for the region's outstanding outdoor recreation, nearby Gunnison River offers top-notch trout fishing and fantastic kayaking. Just down the way, Curecanti National Recreation Area boasts the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water, a paddling highlight, and the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the U.S. For several million years the Gunnison River has been faithfully carving a jagged fissure in the Gunnison Uplift. The result: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, one of the United States' most harrowingly narrow canyons and an unparalleled acme of biking, delightful drives, and a wide range of overlooks. Gunnison is about 30 miles south of Crested Butte.
Located southwest of Gunnison is the posh-yet-demure town of Telluride. Boasting the largest cluster of Fourteeners (14,000-foot or higher mountains) in the United States, Telluride is a living-large kind of place. But this is true in more ways than one: the city is also one of the most popular (and upscale) ski resort areas the Colorado Rockies has to offer. While traditionally the choice of advanced and expert skiers, Telluride has been cutting new trails for beginner skiers as well. Telluride Mountain Village is the best place in the area to find hotels and ski-in/ski-out options, après-ski entertainment, and funky and fun shopping. Considered a festival capital of the country, Telluride's nationally-acclaimed Film Festival, Bluegrass Festival, and Balloon Festival are just a few of the calendar highlights. For fascinating flora and four-legged and feathered fauna - south of Telluride, San Juan National Forest and the San Juan Mountains are home to some of Colorado's largest elk herds, and at the nearby San Miguel Canyon Preserve and South Fork Preserve along the San Miguel River you can see a wide range of wildlife.
Durango is located at the southernmost tip of the Colorado Rockies region, about 120 miles south of Telluride. Durango's ski area, Purgatory Ski Area, also offers some of the best skiing in the Rockies. No-frills, down-to-earth Purgatory Ski Area is decidedly for skiers who care more about the snow than the scene. Excellent slopes appropriate for all ability levels and affordable accommodations are what keep serious skiers coming back every season. So noteworthy is this area, that the sights in and around Durango was also used in the filming of National Lampoon's Vacation, Around the World in Eighty Days, City Slickers, and Cliffhanger. The nearby Animas River is renowned for its Gold Medal trout fishing waters, and city is one of the best places to begin the San Juan Skyway, perhaps the nation's most scenic drive. In summer you can ride like a bat out of hell on the Purgatory Ski Area bike trails, but for a slower, more measured velocity, try the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which traces the verdant Animas River Valley.
Places to Visit in Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat Springs and the Colorado Rockies
Places-to-Visit
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