Colorado National Parks and Natural Landscapes
The Rocky Mountain state welcomes you! Colorado has a varied selection of
pational parks, national monuments, national recreation areas and national historic sites, plus many other
scenic places. Featured Colorado locations are listed below, and shown on the
Colorado map - these include ancient ruins, canyons, fossils, mountains, rock formations and scenic drives.
Table of Contents for Colorado
Colorado National Park Service Units
★★★★★ BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON National Park - spectacular sheer-walled canyon, formed by the Gunnison River at the west edge of the Rocky Mountains |
★★★★★
COLORADO National Monument - eroded red rock cliffs and deep, sheer-walled canyons, south of the Colorado River near Grand Junction |
★★★★★
CURECANTI National Recreation Area - three reservoirs along the Gunnison River in the western Rocky Mountains, two enclosed by steep cliffs |
★★★★★
DINOSAUR National Monument - fossilized bones and remote canyons, centered on the Green and Yampa rivers (described in the Utah section) |
★★★★★
FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS National Monument - petrified sequoia stumps and other fossils, in the Rocky Mountain foothills |
★★★★★
GREAT SAND DUNES National Park and Preserve - miles of wind-blown dunes at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains |
★★★★★
HOVENWEEP National Monument - ancient ruins in wooded mesa/canyon country (described in the Utah section) |
★★★★★
MESA VERDE National Park - many well-preserved cliff dwellings; largest and most numerous collection of Anasazi ruins in the Southwest |
★★★★★
ROCKY MOUNTAIN National Park - most accessible section of the central Rockies, featuring glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, and the highest paved highway in Colorado |
Other Scenic Places in Colorado
★★★★★
ARAPAHO National Recreation Area - five scenic lakes in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, along the upper Colorado River |
★★★★★
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS National Monument - large, mostly undeveloped region of canyons and mesas, containing thousands of ancient sites |
★★★★★
GARDEN OF THE GODS - jagged red rocks near Colorado Springs; very popular location for climbing, hiking, cycling and photography |
★★★★★
GATEWAY CANYONS - forty mile section of the twisting, red rock canyon of the Dolores River |
★★★★★
GOLDEN GATE CANYON State Park - wooded hills and valleys at moderate elevations, near Denver on the east side of the Rocky Mountains |
★★★★★
INDEPENDENCE PASS - the highest paved pass in Colorado (12,095 feet), in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, east of Aspen |
★★★★★
MAROON BELLS - jagged red peaks rising to 14,000 feet, in the Rocky Mountains near Aspen |
★★★★★
MCINNIS CANYONS National Conservation Area - remote region, much of it a wilderness, either side of the Colorado River in the far west of the state |
★★★★★
MOUNT BLUE SKY (MOUNT EVANS) - 14,264 foot peak near Denver, accessed by the highest paved road in America |
★★★★★
PAINT MINES Interpretive Park - branched drainage near Calhan where much colorful, clayish rock is exposed, once mined by Native Americans to make paints |
★★★★★
PIKES PEAK - 14,110 foot summit, the most visited mountain in the USA, reachable by a trail, a cog railway, or a 19 mile scenic drive |
★★★★★
RIFLE FALLS State Park - unusual triple waterfall in the remote northwest |
★★★★★
SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS - dramatic section of the southwestern Rocky Mountains, featuring high summits, canyons, historic towns and old mines |
Choose from over 540 Colorado hotels in 92 towns and cities, including
national park hotels and
interstate hotels
Locations include:
Aurora,
Boulder,
Colorado Springs,
Cortez,
Denver,
Durango,
Estes Park,
Fort Collins,
Glenwood Springs,
Golden,
Grand Junction,
Montrose,
Pueblo
Colorado Travel Itineraries
Colorado River - follow the Colorado River, from its source high up in Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran Desert at Yuma, Arizona. The river passes seven NPS units, plus many other scenic places
Colorado Rockies - the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, from the San Juan area in the southwest to Rocky Mountain National Park in the northeast. Includes the Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon, Maroon Bells, Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods
Cacti - photos and descriptions of 15 Colorado cactus species; genera are cylindropuntia, echinocereus, escobaria, mammillaria, opuntia, pediocactus and sclerocactus
Flowers - Colorado wildflowers and flowering shrubs; photographs and identifying characteristics, arranged by the most common color groups (blue, orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow)
Driving Distances - mileages between selected places in Colorado
Introduction - summary of Colorado's scenic areas
Maps - Colorado state map and national park maps
Weather - forecasts for Colorado cities and parks
Colorado Photographs - indexed by location
Panoramic Photographs of Colorado - wide landscape photos