Guide to the 12 Best Places to Visit in Colorado
Towering dramatic canyons, shimmering alpine lakes, snow-capped mountain peaks, thundering waterfalls, diverse wildlife and majestic rock formations. Here’s our guide to the 12 best places to visit in Colorado.
Colorado is a state unlike any other. A year-round adventure destination that keeps on giving. Filled to the brim with incredible natural beauty, diverse landscapes and magnificent wildlife; a road trip in Colorado will be the experience of a lifetime.
The charming mountain towns beckon adventure enthusiasts of all types. Hikers trekking through the striking Rocky Mountains. Bikers exploring some of the great biking trails. Skiers and snowboarders heading for some of the world-class slopes.
If this all sounds a bit too active for you, there are many scenic drives with panoramic viewpoints and an incredible amount of wildlife to spot. Keep your eyes peeled for elk, moose, eagles, black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and so much more!
In this guide, we’re going to share the 12 best places to visit in Colorado with you. We spent a week road tripping around the state during our first trip together so it will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
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Contents
Hanging Lake
We’ll kick this guide to the best places to visit in Colorado off with Hanging Lake; one of the most popular things to do in Glenwood Springs.
Hanging Lake is a gorgeous turquoise lake set in the heart of Glenwood Canyon in the White River Forest National Park. It’s a short hike rewarding visitors with stunning scenery, gentle waterfalls and emerald waters.
Although a short hike, (1.9 kilometres) it’s fairly steep and rocky. There are, however, plenty of places to stop off at on your way up. One of the best places to stop for a rest is overlooking the magnificent Glenwood Canyon (more on that later).
Our Top Tip: due to the area’s popularity, access to this Natural Landmark is allowed only with a permit. You can purchase one here.
Twin Lakes
One of the most scenic places to visit in Colorado is Twin Lakes.
Unfortunately, we only had one evening so we couldn’t experience the many activities you can do here but it was still one of our favourite places. Waking up next to the lakes and making breakfast felt so magical!
There are plenty of activities to do in this quiet, off the beaten track area. One of the best ways to experience the lakes is to explore them on kayaks, canoes or stand-up paddleboards.
If water-based activities don’t take your fancy, there are plenty of hiking trails.
Approximately 1300 kilometres of The Continental Divide Trail passes through Colorado. Around Twin Lakes, it’s possible to explore some of the trail either by foot, mountain bike or even e-bike.
For the more adventurous, why not hike Colorado’s highest peak; Mt Elbert?!
Our Top Tip: for a picture-perfect view of the lakes, head up to Lakeview Campground.
Maroon Bells
This was one of the places we were most excited about visiting; it’s some of Colorado’s most spectacular scenery! We were there in the fall and we’d heard amazing things about the colours here at this time of year.
The Maroon Bells are two mountain peaks, both standing at over 14,000 feet. They tower above Maroon Lake, which will mirror the snow-capped peaks in the water on a calm day (which it unfortunately wasn’t when we were there).
There are many activities you can do in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.
For hikers, there’s everything ranging from an easy 3-kilometre scenic loop trail to multi-day hikes of 98 kilometres. If you’re not much of a hiker, there are gondolas to take you up the mountains so you can still enjoy the amazing views.
There are also hundreds of kilometres of biking trails, numerous lakes, ponds and rivers for fishing, zip-lines, climbing walls, paintballing and so much more!
Our Top Tip: be prepared for spontaneous thunderstorms! If you’re out hiking, make sure you’re back under the tree line in the afternoon.
Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake is a treasure in the heart of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s a bit of a hike to reach but totally worth it!
This crystal clear alpine lake is one of the most accessible hikes in the Rocky Mountains. Starting at Bear Lake, it’s a 5.6-kilometre round trip and passes Nymph and Dream Lakes on the way (more on those later).
Towering above Emerald Lake are Hallett Peak and the jagged spires of Flattop Mountain, both standing at over 12,000 feet.
Our Top Tip: get here early!! This is one of the most popular hikes in the park due to its ease and accessibility. If the car park at Bear Lake is full, use the park and ride shuttle (currently operating a limited schedule due to Covid 19 so check the timetable).
Glenwood Canyon
This towering canyon was formed over 3 million years by the powerful Colorado River. The canyon is 20 kilometres long, 1300 foot high and offers a wide range of recreational activities.
From miles of hiking and biking paths ranging from easy to challenging and leading to some wonderful picnic spots to exploring the canyon by kayak, stand up paddleboard, canoe or even whitewater rafting, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Glenwood Canyon has a thriving wildlife population for you wildlife lovers, including deer, bears, bighorn sheep, marmots, coyotes, mountain lions and so much more!
Our Top Tip: the Hanging Lake trail provides some great views of the canyon.
Garden of the Gods
Our Top Tip: get here early! Parking can be a bit of a nightmare and you may have to drive around in circles waiting for a space. Alternatively, during peak season, you can park at the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site and use the free shuttles.
The Broadmoor Seven Falls
Located in South Cheyenne Canyon, The Broadmoor Seven Falls is the only waterfall in Colorado to make it on to National Geographics list of international waterfalls!
Contrary to what the name suggests, there aren’t actually seven falls. The name refers to the seven leaps that make up the 181-foot waterfall.
The natural scenery surrounding the falls is breathtaking! The walk approaching the waterfall has been dubbed as “the grandest mile of scenery in Colorado”. The waterfall itself is nestled in a 1250-foot box canyon between the imposing Pillars of Hercules.
Climb the 224 steps to the top of the waterfall and explore the hiking trails where you’ll be rewarded with striking valleys and panoramic viewpoints of the surrounding mountains.
For the ultimate thrill, there’s the Souring Adventure made up of 10 zip-lines and rope bridges.
Tickets can be bought at the gate and are $16.50 for adults, $10.50 for kids aged 2 -12 and free for under 2.
Trailridge Road
Noone’s driving particularly fast. Everyone’s appreciating their surroundings, taking photos and on the lookout for some of the wildlife that this area is home to. Within five minutes of being on the road, we’d spotted moose, elk, deer and a coyote!
Cave of the Winds
Explore the mountain scenery on the Via Ferrata and the Frontier Zip Line or be launched over 150 feet into the Williams Canyon at speeds of almost 160 kilometres per hour on The Terror-dactyl!
Dream Lake
Our Top Tip: as with Emerald Lake, get here early to stand a chance of parking at Bear Lake Trail. Alternatively, use the park and ride shuttle.
Nymph Lake
Denver
To Know Before You Go
What currency do I need?
Do I need a visa?
As a UK passport holder, you’ll need an ESTA visa waiver allowing you 90 days in the US for tourism.
What plug do I need?
You’ll need plug types A or B for the US. Both have two flat parallel pins and B also has a grounding pin.
The US also operates on 120V voltage so you may need a voltage converter (in the UK we operate on 230V). I blew up my GHDs making the mistake of plugging them in without a converter!!
When is the best time to visit Colorado?
Colorado is a year-round adventure destination so it depends on what you’d like to do. The best time to visit the places mentioned and for our Colorado road trip is June through to September when the weather is warmer and the snow has melted.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our best places to visit in Colorado. Leave a comment or get in contact if you have any more questions or want to say hi 🙂