By Gigi Fulham.
Visiting Colorado is like taking a step back in time. The air is clean, the scenery is breathtaking, and the people are friendly. If you’re looking for a place to get away from it all and enjoy some of the best nature has to offer, then Colorado is the perfect destination. It’s home to some of the most beautiful national parks in the country.
There are dozens of amazing natural parks to explore in Colorado, but here are our top five picks:
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1. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
As one of the most popular national parks in the country, Rocky Mountain National Park is a must-visit for any nature lover. The park is home to majestic mountains, pristine lakes, and an abundance of wildlife. Visitors can enjoy activities like hiking, camping, fishing, and horseback riding.
Situated between Estes Park and Grand Lake in Colorado, this park is a tribute to the Rocky Mountains. It captures the natural beauty of the region with high-mountain lakes and streams, peaks more than 14,000 feet tall, thick evergreen forests, and thousands of acres of wildlife. This is one national park that definitely deserves a spot on your travel itinerary! With plenty to see and do, it’s no wonder the popularity of this city endures.
You can find lodgings in the pretty communities surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park, or you could also camp inside the park.
2. MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
The Mesa Verde National Park, located in the southwest of Colorado near Cortez, is one of the most popular tourist destinations for those who want to explore and learn more about Ancestral Puebloan culture. With well-preserved dwellings and a rich history dating back hundreds of years, there is no shortage of things to see and do at this unique national park.
Upon Mesa Verde tours, guests are able to use ladders to access the cliff dwellings, which are secured into the walls. There, park rangers offer explanations and insights into what daily life was like for Ancestral Puebloans who constructed these adobe homes.
A one-hour walking tour of Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling featuring multiple living enclaves and buildings. You’ll need to do some light climbing and hiking since the route involves descending 100 feet over broken steps and then ascending a series of 8-foot ladders to reach and leave the site.
Other popular Mesa Verde National Park attractions include Spruce Tree House, Balcony House, and Long House. If you’re looking for an activity-filled vacation that offers a unique cultural experience, Mesa Verde is the perfect place for you!
3. GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
The Rocky Mountains at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado have the tallest dunes in America, with some as high as 750 feet. The dune field itself covers 30 square miles and is located near Alamosa.
If you’re not into driving on the dunes, don’t worry — there are plenty of hiking trails within the park, as well as a challenging 4×4 trail along Medano Pass. The pass stretches for about 25 miles from Gardner town to inside the park itself.
Year-round, park visitors can ski, snowboard, or sled down the dunes just like they would on any other Colorado ski slope. If you’re interested in trying it out yourself, find the steepest part of a dune and point yourself downwards; gravity will do the rest.
4. BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK
If you’re looking for a breathtaking natural wonder, look no further than the Black Canyon of the Gunnison near Montrose. This 53-mile gorge features sheer black walls that plunge up to 2,700 feet, revealing millions of years of geologic history. The canyon has been a popular destination for explorers and outdoor enthusiasts since its documented European discovery in the 1700s.
Did you know that the Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad used to travel through this fissure years ago? Now, there is a railroad museum set up in its honor as well as ranger talks held frequently throughout the park.
This national park has many outdoor activities that will suit everyone at your party. With options like auto touring, wildlife viewing, camping, cross-country skiing, and more, you’ll have a hard time deciding which ones to do first!
5. CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Canyonlands National Park is a unique and otherworldly place located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park is divided into four sections, each with its own distinct character: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and Horseshoe Canyon.
Island in the Sky is the most popular section, as it is closest to Moab and has the easiest access to many of the park’s best viewpoints. The Needles is great for hiking and backpacking, while The Maze is the most remote and challenging area to explore.
Horseshoe Canyon contains some of the best-known rock art in the park, which is why many visitors make the trek out here. There are also a few easy hikes that lead to stunning views of the canyon.
No matter which section you choose to explore, you’re sure to be blown away by the beauty of Canyonlands National Park!
Summing up the Natural Parks
Now, let’s get to the logistics details of your visit to these amazing parks. First, you’ll need to purchase a National Parks pass, which will give you access to all of the parks on this list.
Then, consider booking a Denver car service to get you to and from the airport, as well as to each of the parks. With a reliable transportation service, you can sit back and relax on your trip, knowing that everything is taken care of.
Make a list of the activities you want to do in each park, and don’t forget to pack your hiking shoes and camera!
And lastly, remember to pack your sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses! The Colorado sun can be intense, so make sure you’re prepared.
Now that you know a little bit more about some of Colorado’s top natural parks, it’s time to start planning your trip! With so many incredible places to see, you’re sure to have an unforgettable experience.
Your thoughts?
Have you adventured in any of these parks? If so what was your experience? If not, do you plan to go? Please share your comments below.
*Source of images used here is unsplash.com
I'm Gigi Fulham, and I help businesses by creating engaging content as a professional travel writer. As a travel writer, I specialize in traveling to different destinations and providing exclusive insight that can't be found anywhere else. In addition, I have plenty of experience with creating Google search results that rank highly and generate a lot of website traffic.
- Gigi Fulhamhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/gigi-fulham/
- Gigi Fulhamhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/gigi-fulham/
I would love to see any of these places! I’ve never been out west, and there are so many great places to visit.
We have yet to venture to Colorado for all of the NP. Thanks for the recommendation. This will be a great tool to use when we do.
We love visiting National Parks and these look magical. I have never been to Colorado.
Colorado is on my list and I love that there are so many different natural parks in Colorado, with such dramatically landscapes. I would definitely love to Rocky Mountain & visit Mesa Verde and will try to light cliff climbing. May be soon will visit these places.
The soil and sand is colored red, it’s like on another planet 🙂
Colorado parks seems to be a nice camping place too, I do hope it’s safe and not many bears around. Or if an emergency happens, I hope there’s a nearby hospital coz it seems like far flung and it will be difficult to mobilize in case of emergency.
I love that you can find so many different natural parks in Colorado, with such dramatically different scenery and landscape. I was only aware of the Rocky Mountains national park but haven’t visited the States yet, I didn’t know it was in Colorado. I would definitely love to visit Mesa Verde and try my best at light cliff climbing. Canyonlands National Park would also be high on my list, especially that it has so many different art shaped rocks.
I’ve been to all of these parks at least twice and enjoyed all of the visits. It doesn’t mean I’m not going back again though. There are so many spots in the parks that I haven’t explored yet. Or, visiting in a different season. I love Colorado!
Every time I read a blog about Colorado it reminds me why we need to get this on our travel planning board. We have only done the Rocky Mountain National Park in Canada. And we did a small part of Canyonlands in Utah. But that leaves us so many other great National Parks to explore in Colorado. Sand Dunes has been on our list for a long time since it seems like there are lots of fun activities to do.
It’s a very informative and inspirational post, as Colorado’s national parks are amazing. I visited all four of them and would like to return to each one. My favorite park is the Rocky Mountains because I love hiking in the mountains and watching wild animals. The Black Canyon is also stunning for its amazing views of the narrow gorge floor of 2,700 feet. Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde are also worth a visit due to their rich human history. I agree that is worth taking a one-hour walking tour of Cliff Palace. I was also in Canyonlands located in Utah.
These National Parks are gems that make Colorado a special place to visit. Rocky mountain national park is an amazing place with natural beauty in abundance. I would love to go hiking and snowboarding and see the highest sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park. Learning about the Ancestral Puebloan culture is something I would love to do. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is amazing unraveling it’s deep gorges and hard to believe once it was home to Denver and Rio grande rail route.
And exploring the rock art of Canyonlands National Park at each of it’s point like the famous horseshoe bend, needle, maze and island in the sky is in my bucket list.
Those places look so magical! I am definitely adding these places when I visit Colorado to my bucket list of hiking and exploring. Experiencing being in nature is one of the most peaceful and memorable things anybody can do.
Wow. Amazing, every single one of them. I’d love to visit all of them.
Colorado is such a great destination for outdoor lovers. I have read about the Mesa Verde National Park a lot and would love to visit it. I like it, that you can experience history and nature together there. And sadly, I have also not been to the Rocky Mountains yet. So, these two would be my top choices for a first trip.
I love traveling and hopefully, soon I could do that with the family once my little boys get a bit bigger and used to traveling. Those are some great selections of places to check out sometime.
OMG! What stunning pictures are these! These places are all so beautiful. Luckily you got to visit.
I’ve watched some videos about the black canyon and the canyonlands but never heard about the first parks. They are on the list to visit but haven’t yet gotten lucky to go there haha.
I’ve never been to Colorado, I’m sad to say. I’ve heard of Mesa Verde, but I’d love to go. It looks so interesting and unique!
We definitely want to visit Colorado soon.. we have planned for trips twice in the recent past but had to cancel/change plans at the last minute due to other reasons..
Now, your post provides more reasons to visit soon
Colorado is really so beautiful.
I have not been here but I would love to visit here sometime. All the clicks are beautiful can’t wait to visit here.
I’ve always wanted to visit the hiking trails in America. We have lovely forests and hikes here, but in the US they are far grander!
Hhhhmmm…this is my first time seeing all these natural parks and I want to visit them all….beginning with the MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK!
A bloggy friend of mine is headed to Colorado soon. My second oldest son just went too. Seems like a great destination to visit, especially for the natural beauty.
Colorado is on my list! \it is such a magical destination and it is very good for hiking from when I have heard. I have a local friend (a guy we studied with in the uni years) there and he posts the best hiking photos all the time
Colorado has so much to offer from a natural scenery perspective. Among the recommendations, I have been to Rocky Mountain National Park and Mesa Verde. I need to visit more- I would especially like to see Great Sand Dunes
Why have I not heard of any of these parks? I honestly have not adventured any of these. Canyonlands is unique. It will be first on my list.
All of these look like awesome options to visit! I love state and national parks, we’ve been exploring the ones we have here in AZ.
I’ve been to Rocky Mountain and we loved that as well as Estes Park. It’s such a gorgeous area! We also drove into Canyonlands but it wasn’t my favorite as we weren’t able to see very much of it.