Colorado Vacations

Colorado Vacations Idea #1: At Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, you will find well preserved rock dwellings which are carved out of the sides of mesa cliffs. There are only a few trails and all hiking is strictly confined to those trails. Along with the nature walks the park is great for cross-country skiing and bird watching. Ask about the Junior Ranger Program for kids.

Colorado Vacations Idea #2: In Durango you can ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad along the spectacular Animas River Canyon in the wilderness of San Juan National Forest. The train is a coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive and it runs on the same tracks that miners, cowboys and settlers rode as they tamed and developed the old west.

Colorado Vacations Idea #3: Take a ride on world's highest cog railway, Pike's Peak Cog Railway, as it scrambles up to the 14,110-foot summit of Pike's Peak. It's an exciting climb with plenty to see including Minnehaha Falls, wildlife such as bighorn sheep, yellow-bellied marmots, and mule deer, and incredible panoramic views of the famous Colorado mountains.

Colorado Vacations Idea #4: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has something for everyone. The Imax theater and planetarium are always popular. They have a Mars exploration Rover on display. The Discovery Zone will show the kids how to become a scientist. Other permanent exhibits include Egyptian mummies, rare birds, North American Indian Cultures, Gems and Minerals and much more.

Colorado Vacations Idea #5: Go deep underground in a tour of the Old Hundred gold mine in Silverton. See how the gold is taken by actual operating mining equipment in a real mine setting. Try your hand panning for real silver and gold in the sluice box. There is always something in there and you get to keep what you find.

Colorado Vacations Idea #6: South Park City is a remarkable restoration of a late 1800's era mining boomtown. It's located in Fairplay and has thirty-four authentic buildings filled with over 60,000 artifacts. There's a museum, railroad depot, schoolhouse, gallows frame, blacksmith's shop, barber shop, dentist's office and much more. Walk down the streets and you will feel like you are back in the old west a hundred and fifty years ago.

Vacation Spots in Colorado Idea #7: Get a real taste of the old west with a Pawnee Wagon Train vacation in Sterling, Colorado. You'll spend three days in a covered wagon on the Pawnee National Grassland in northeastern Colorado. You'll sleep in a tent and eat gourmet western food. Learn what it was really like for those pioneers.

Vacation Spots in Colorado Idea #8: How about a Dude Ranch vacation. The Black Mountain Ranch, between Vail and Steamboat Springs, is a full-service working guest and cattle ranch. Horseback riding, cattle drives, overnight pack trips, fishing, and rafting are just some of the adventures that await you. They have a special Little Wrangler Program designed just for the kids.

Colorado Vacations Idea #9: Rock Gardens Rafting can take you on an open air Jeep Tour of Glenwood Canyon and the Colorado River around Glenwood Springs. Besides the beautiful scenery there is plenty of opportunity to see elk, deer, bighorn sheep, wild turkey, black bear, and the even the bald eagle. Learn about the wildlife and local history from the friendly guides.

Colorado Vacations Idea #10: For something really different you can visit The Colorado Territorial Prison Museum located in Canon City. Colorado's first territorial prison was built in here in 1871 and Fremont County has nine state and four federal prisons making it the "Corrections Capital" of the state. The museum is a former state women's prison building and is dedicated to preserving the history and explaining the evolution of western prisons. There are weapons, uniforms, escape paraphernalia and photos of notorious inmates along with the old gray mare, a whipping horse used to punish prisoners, and a replica of the lethal injection table.

Colorado Vacations Idea #11: For an active, outdoor vacation idea, Crested Butte Mountain Guides offers hiking and climbing tours of the Colorado backcountry. They will guide you into the Elk Mountains for backcountry skiing, snowboarding, hut trips or ice climbing at the Ouray Ice Park. In the summer you can get into some mountain biking, hiking, rockclimbing or backpacking. They have experienced certified guides that will make sure that you have an exciting and safe adventure vacation in the heart of the Rockies.

Colorado Vacations Idea #12: Pikes Peak, in Colorado, is the most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuj. One way to enjoy this national treasure is on a bike and you can do it with the help of Pikes Peak Mountain Bike Tours. They shuttle you up to start out at the summit and then your professional guide will take you on an exciting bike ride down 7,000 feet on mountain trails. If you prefer walking, you may want to join the 15,000 or so yearly visitors who hike the 13-mile trail that begins at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs. In August the Pikes Peak Marathon draws runners from all over the world.

Colorado Vacations Idea #13: One of the top popular hiking spots in Colorado is Mount Elbert. In fact it's the highest peak in the state, beating out Pike's Peak. It's an eight mile climb which can be done in a day by even novice hikers but you need to start early. There is a traditional main route that is 12 miles roundtrip and a more gradual ascent.

You will get to experience some spectacular views, particularly of Mount Massive to the north the Arkansas River valley and Buena Vista to the south. Mount Elbert is an excellent Colorado vacation idea for anyone who wants some mild adventure in the great U.S. outdoors.

Colorado Vacations Idea #14: In 1889 silver was dicovered in Creede, Colorado and mining was the main industry until 1985 when the Bull Dog mine was closed. The town decided to dig a new "mine", not to mine silver but to house the Creede Underground Mining Museum. The museum includes real mining equipment and displays authentic methods and techniques used when the real mine was actively pulling silver from deep underground. The museum, gift shop and the community center are all underground. This is a fun spot to stop on your Colorado family vacation.

Colorado Vacations Idea #15: One of the popular spots in Colorado is Durango, a historic mining town in southwest Colorado's Four Corners region. Nearby is the San Juan National Forest making Durango a great base to use for some hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and other outdoor adventure activities. San Juan National Forest has McPhee Reservoir for boating and fishing. The McPhee Campground has a boat marina, a panoramic view overlook and a mountain bike route. The town of Durango has a nice Victorian downtown area with arts and crasft shops.

You can hop on the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad for a scnenic train ride along a route that used to haul silver & gold ore. Some of the other things to do nearby Durango is Durango Mountain Resort for skiing, the Animas River for rafting and Ute Mountain Tribal Park for guided archeological tours.