10 Things to See and Do in Colorado

Colorful Colorado lives up to its name. This state offers a variety of different views of mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests.

Here are ten exciting things to do and see in this wonderful state!

1) Visit Rocky Mountain Park (Estes Park, CO)

If you visit only one place in Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park is definitely the sight to see. The park contains over 300 miles of hiking trails, 360 views of lakes, canyons, waterfalls, forests, and peaks, and plenty of wild animals to see. Whether or not, you are an adventurer, you will definitely enjoy your time in the park!

Some activities to do in the park include camping, horseback riding, fishing, wildlife watching/photography, and hiking,

For hiking, here is a guide to the most popular hikes in the park: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/hikes.htm. 

Keep in mind that a lot of the hikes are at a higher elevation and can cause some people to experience altitude sickness.

Take your time and allow yourself to get used to the higher altitude. Also, the farther the hike is- the fewer people you will encounter ;)

2) Seeing the sunrise at Red Rocks (Denver, CO)

Red Rocks is a breathtaking and majestic landscape. It is a famous amphitheater and a national park. You can visit the park one hour before sunrise. If you choose to go before sunset, make sure to check the event calendar as the park may close earlier. Other activities to do in the park are hiking and seeing live music.

For more info about Red Rocks, please visit their website: https://redrocks.co/park-info/. 

3) Witness the Boulder Flatirons (Boulder, CO)

The Flatirons is a stunning geological formation and is nearly 300 million years old. This formation belongs to 45,000 acres of protected space and five numbered Flatirons. The park offers many different hiking trails, picnic spaces, and rock climbing routes.

For more information about the flatirons, check out: https://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/things-to-do/insider-guides/flatirons/. 

 If you plan on staying in Boulder, here is a list of different things to do in Boulder: https://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/things-to-do/suggested-itineraries/road-trip-itinerary/. 

4) Explore the History of the Manitou Dwellings (Manitou Springs, CO)

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is an ancient site containing pueblos of the Southwest natives (such as the Anazasi people) and goes back over 1,000 years. Although this is not the original site of their location, the dwellings/museum were made to protect the architecture from hunters and vandals. The Cliff Dwellings contains ancient ruins, a small museum, and a souvenir shop that offers Native-made jewelry/pottery. The ancient ruins allow individuals to touch and venture inside the dwellings. The site has an audio tour to learn more about how the natives lived.

For more info, check out https://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/

5) Discover the Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs, CO)

Garden of the Gods National Park is a national landmark with numerous towering sandstone formations.

This park is unique as it has many different ways to get around the park. They have a jeep, segway, and trolley tours as well as bike/electric bike tours and rentals.

Things to do include hiking, photography, rock climbing, and nature walks. Once you arrive, you can visit the visitor center to get a map of the trails as well as the sites to see at the park.

For more info, check out https://www.gardenofgods.com/. 

6) Take a tour at the Stanley Hotel (Estes Park, CO)

If you are on your way to Rocky Mountain National Park and you are a fan of horror, the Stanley Hotel is a good stop to make. This hotel was founded by steam-driven car inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley who was diagnosed with tuberculosis and miraculously survived after visiting the site. This hotel is rumored to be haunted and is the inspiration for Stephen King's novel "The Shining".

If you don't want to spend over $200 a night at the hotel, you can book a tour to learn about its rich history.

For more information, check out: https://www.stanleyhotel.com/about.html. 

7) Admire Denver's Botanical Gardens (Denver, CO)

Denver Botanic Gardens offers 24 acres of gardens and collections. This botanical garden is quite diverse with international gardens (South Africa, Japan, and China gardens) and offers different educational programs to educate the public about the natural world.

For more information about the Gardens, check out their website at https://www.botanicgardens.org/.

8) Mini Golf Colorado Landmarks (Denver, CO)

One fun thing I discovered in Denver was Urban Putt! Urban Putt is an indoor miniature golf course with 18 unique holes.

The course is quite unique with different themes, high technology holes, and some holes representing landmarks located in Colorado. Located in an old historic building, this golf course represents the history and the future of Denver.

For more information about the Golf Course, check out their website at https://www.urbanputt.com/. 

9) Visit Colorado Breweries

Craft breweries are in abundance in Colorado. They are definitely worth a visit. One brewery that I loved was Horse & Dragon. Horse & Dragon is located in Fort Collins, CO. It is a family-run company and offers a diversity of craft beers from IPAs, Lagers, Sours, etc. In addition to the beer selection, the ambiance of the brewery is inviting and unique from the different songs posted on the wall in the bathroom to the paintings of animals/insects.

For more breweries suggestions, please see this list: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/colorado/articles/colorado-s-top-10-craft-breweries-to-visit-before-you-die/. 

10) Admire the Dinosaur Tracks at Dinosaur Ridge - (Morrison, CO)

Another unique thing to see in Colorado is the Dinosaur Ridge. If you are staying in Denver, this is a unique and free excursion to make. Dinosaur Ridge is a site containing fossil sites of a diversity of distinct dinosaurs and allows visitors to walk along the ridge and see the dinosaur tracks left behind. The site is free to walk but it is recommended to purchase from the gift shop to help support the paleontologists in their work.

For more information about the site, please check out their website: https://dinoridge.org/.