Around Colorado. Denver has one of the world's most stunning backyards: the majestic Rockies and everything that Colorado has to offer. The Mile High City is the gateway to amazing locations, just waiting for you to explore them. To search businesses in the Denver Metro area, please refer to the sections above.
Vail
Located 97 miles west of Denver, driving time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
This world famous resort is a year-round playground with a pedestrian village that is lined with upscale shops and outdoor cafes, as well as the largest ski mountain in North America.
Don’t Miss: The stunning Eagle-Bahn Gondola ride, which gives you unparalleled Rocky Mountain views.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.visitvail.org
South Park / Fairplay
Located 85 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Experience the best of Colorado’s high country in this scenic area, including skiing, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, historic ghost towns and much more. Don’t Miss: South Park City Museum, a remarkable, “living history” restoration of a 19th-century Colorado mining town.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.southparkchamber.com
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Located 108 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 2 hours
This fascinating monument is a portion of an ancient lakebed that has preserved almost in its entirety an ecosystem that existed 35 million years ago. Leaf, insect and seed fossils are found throughout the 6,000-acre park. Don’t Miss: Petrified Forest Walk, a one-mile trail that passes massive, petrified Redwood stumps, an historic excavation site, and a geologic timeline exhibit.
[Photo: National Park Service]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/flfo
Salida
Located 142 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Located right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Salida boasts a hopping, historic downtown, with great restaurants, bars and shops, all just steps away from the peacefully flowing Arkansas River. Beyond downtown, enjoy great biking, hiking and rock climbing, among other outdoor pursuits.
Don’t Miss: Whitewater rafting on the Arkansas – there are dozens of outfitters in the area who can cater to all skill levels.
[Photo: Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.salidachamber.org
Aspen
Located 159 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 3 1/2 hours
Known as a hotspot for the rich and famous, Aspen is actually a welcoming, authentic mountain town – with just a touch of glamour. It’s consistently rated one of the top by ski and travel experts in the winter, while in the summer, the area attracts mountain bikers, kayakers, zip-liners and other outdoor adventurers.
Don’t Miss: The John Denver Sanctuary, an idyllic location with many of the singer’s best-loved songs etched into the rocks – including “Rocky Mountain High,” of course.
[Photo: Denise Chambers / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.aspenchamber.org
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
Located 181 miles southeast of Denver, driving time: 3 hours
This painstaking reconstruction of an old adobe fort and trading post takes visitors back to 1845 when Bent’s was an important stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Costumed interpreters demonstrate what life was like during the days of the mountain men.
Don’t Miss: The fun living history interpreters who provide guided tours and demonstrations June 1 through September 1.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/beol
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Located 217 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 4 hours
Explore Colorado’s largest water area, made up of three lakes (Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and Crystal), all created by dams on the Gunnison River. Enjoy the starkly beautiful landscapes and water sports all summer long. Don’t Miss: The amazing Morrow Point Boat Tours through the upper Black Canyon within Curecanti.
[Photo: National Park Service]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/cure
Crested Butte
Located 229 miles southwest of Denver, driving time 4 hours, 20 minutes
Known as both “Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town” and “The Wildflower Capital of Colorado,” Crested Butte has just about everything an outdoor enthusiast desires: skiing, mountain biking, hiking, wildflower viewing, kayaking, fly-fishing, climbing and plenty more.
Don’t Miss: Crested Butte Summit Trail, which takes you to the summit of Crested Butte Mountain through tall timber, across tundra, and a screefield. If you don’t feel like making the trip down, you can take the chairlift!
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: www.facebook.com/TownofCrestedButteColorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Located 235 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 4 hours
This astonishing natural wonder contains some of the highest inland sand dunes in the world. Located at the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, the dunes rise to heights of 800 feet/252 meters. You can walk, climb and even ski the dunes!
Don’t Miss: The refreshing Medano Creek, where you can splash, swim and relax with the magnificent dunes all around.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/grsa
Colorado National Monument
Located 255 miles west of Denver, driving time 4 1/2 hours
An area of fantastic red rock canyons, monoliths, pillars and cliffs, with self-guided walking trails and a visitor center, as well as numerous pull-offs offering spectacular views.
Don’t Miss: Rimrock Drive, which follows a scenic course around the canyon's rim, 2,000 feet / 610 meters above the floor of Grand Valley.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/colm
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Located 262 miles southwest of Denver, driving time: 5 hours
Discover the most spectacular 12-mile section of a 53-mile-long gorge carved by the Gunnison River. There are many hiking trails, including one that takes you down the 2,000-foot high gorge to the river at the bottom.
Don’t Miss: The paved road that circles the rim of the canyon, offering many thrilling viewpoints over the lip, which at some points drops a half-mile down!
[Photo: Denise Chambers / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/blca
Dinosaur National Monument
Located 297 miles northwest of Denver; driving time: 5 hours
About 140 million years ago, this area of northwestern Colorado was a marshy lowland inhabited by hundreds of prehistoric creatures. Today, it’s one of the world's richest deposits of dinosaur and reptile fossils.
Don’t Miss: The Dinosaur Visitor Center, where you can watch workmen dig away barren rock and expose fossil bone. Exhibits include one of the rarest fossil finds in the world – an infant Stegosaurus.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/dino
Durango
Located 339 miles southwest of Denver; driving time: 6 hours, 20 minutes
One of the most legendary towns of the Old West, Durango is now a modern, cultural small city with all the amenities, but it still offers a taste of the frontier days with its Victorian architecture and historic attractions.
Don’t Miss: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which lets you relive the sights and sounds of yesteryear during a spectacular journey through the mountains.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.durango.org
Telluride
Located 362 miles southwest of Denver; driving time: 6 hours
Celebrated for its culture, heritage and spectacular scenic beauty, Telluride offers world class skiing, awe inspiring mountain views and world renowned festivals, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Jazz Celebration and Telluride Film Festival.
Don’t Miss: The free gondola ride that links the towns of Telluride and Mountain Village, providing access to hiking and biking trails in the summer and the ski slopes in the winter.
[Photo: Matt Inden / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.visittelluride.com
Mesa Verde National Park
Located 400 miles southwest of Denver; driving time: 8 hours
Located in the high plateau country of southwestern Colorado, this park is a designated World Heritage Site and contains some of the largest and best-preserved examples of the amazing Anasazi cliff dwellings, built more than 700 years ago.
Don’t Miss: The awe-inspiring Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde’s largest cliff dwelling, which contained 150 rooms and 23 kivas (round sunken rooms of ceremonial importance) and had a population of approximately 100 people.
[Photo: Denise Chambers / Miles / Colorado Tourism Office]
More Info: http://www.nps.gov/meve