7 Most Beautiful College Towns In Colorado

Colorado is home to 58 14’ers (mountain peaks 14,000 feet or higher), four National Parks, and an outdoor amphitheater carved into the side of a mountain. Needless to say, there is an abundance of activities for nature lovers to partake in during a visit to the Centennial State. There are rivers, mountains, prairies, and vast land to explore for all ages. For college-age students, attending a university in Colorado means not only receiving an education, but also having every type of terrain in your backyard. Students and visitors alike won’t want to miss a visit to any of these seven most beautiful college towns.

Alamosa

Adams State University, founded in Alamosa, features a public attraction to engage the community in the heritage and culture of this diverse part of Colorado. The Luther Bean Museum aims to preserve, promote, and enhance that culture. Collections include headdresses, woven baskets, pottery, woven rugs, and more. One of the main attractions is a large mural that portrays the story of how the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range got its name. Along with culture, Alamosa is equipped with an abundance of outdoor adventure. Drive to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and take part in one of their most popular activities, sand sledding! Rent a board from one of the local outfitters and surf your way down the tallest dunes in North America. The landscape includes an assorted selection of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. For more excitement in nature, head over to the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. Located along the Rio Grande, this refuge is a popular spot for migratory birds. Fish, hunt, hike, or bike your way through the area while spying the wildlife.

Glenwood Springs

Glenwood Springs is not only the location of Colorado Mountain College, but it’s also a bustling hot spot for visitors. For a unique experience with an assortment of activities, visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Start your trip with a cave tour in Glenwood Caverns, and don’t miss a chance to visit King’s Row, the most highly ornamented cave room in the state. Besides cave tours, the park offers an alpine coaster, a gondola, roller coasters, and more. After a chaotic park day, relax at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Located along the Colorado River and providing picturesque views of the Rocky Mountains, soak in the heated thermal pools while enjoying the scenery. Sixteen pools filled with mineral water provide a unique wellness experience. For a final experience in town, immerse yourself in the history at the Frontier Museum. The Victorian-style house that dates back to 1905 displays exhibits about local ranching and mining, the Ute Indians and their connection to the area, and the privileged class of entrepreneurs, presidents, outlaws, gangsters, movie stars, and more.

Golden

Named after Thomas L. Golden, one of the first local prospectors during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush era, it’s fitting that Golden is the town that established the Colorado School of Mines. The university features an attraction available to the public in the Mines Museum of Earth Science. The museum’s main attraction is one of two Goodwill moon rocks, which was collected during the Apollo 17 mission, with over 3,000 items, including rocks, minerals, fossils, and additional Earth Science-related objects. Experience the indoor cave and discover glowing minerals. For a more pop culture display, visit the Miss Colorado Crown, which contains over 600 gemstones and 21 diamonds. Another lure Colorado is desired for is the railway system and its history. Ride your way into the history of railways at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Watch the trains go by and hitch a ride on them, too. Visit the caboose junkyard and see locomotives and freight cars that date back to the 1880s. Step inside these antique autos and view the railway post office, caboose, and kitchen. Another historical attraction in Golden is the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. The gravesite gets over half a million visitors annually, securing its place in the Golden area's significant attractions archives. Learn more about this pioneer during the Wild West and find out the actual reason he wanted to be buried atop Lookout Mountain.

Durango

This small town near the New Mexico border is focused on acknowledging and respecting the ancestral land of the Ute Tribe. The land is also considered ceremonial spaces of the Apache, Pueblos of New Mexico, Hopi, and Navajo nations. Learn more about these cultures at the Center of Southwest Studies, located at Fort Lewis College. The exhibits include Infinite Horizons: Reflections on Indigenous Futurity, From the Fringes: Diné Textiles that Disrupt, and A Legacy of Gifts: 60 Years of the Center of Southwest Studies. Durango has massive lands available for exploration. Visit some of those protected lands at Mesa Verde National Park. This sacred park protects the cultural heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people and their 27 pueblos scattered throughout the park. Hike the 30 miles of trails that explorers have been traversing for thousands of years. Enjoy more fresh air and the outdoors at the San Juan National Forest. With 1.8 million acres of land, the headquarters is based out of Durango, and provides an ample amount of activities including hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and water activities.

Gunnison

Wake up, go to class, hike mountains, canyons, and reservoirs. For most students, that sounds like a dream day; for students at Western Colorado University, that’s actually a daily possibility. Gunnison is packed with endless possibilities for those with a sense of adventure. One of those sites is the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area. Loaded with 45 miles of trails for hiking, biking, dirt biking, and trail running, and endless crags for climbing, this rec area is an adrenaline junkie’s paradise. For more similar activities, with a change in landscape, visitors will want to hike on over to Curecanti National Recreation Area. The park is made up of three reservoirs and the surrounding area. Hike, fish, boat, and explore nature all in one spot. The park is also unique due to its geographical makeup. Rock formations from the ages make up the scenery. The historical oceans, deserts, lakes, and rivers that were found in this area contain sedimentary rocks that comprise dinosaur and trace fossils. Another enticing area within town is the area comprised of multiple forests, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests. The GMUG contains over 3,000 miles of trails through canyons, mountains, plateaus, and mesas, providing all routes with diverse and idyllic backdrops.

Greenwood Village

Although Colorado State University Global does not have a physical campus, its online campus is based in Greenwood Village, and this tranquil town is full of beauty in its parks and recreation. Running Fox Park is a multi-use park that is friendly for park and trail users. Enjoy an ambient walk down the trails and relish the variety of trees and shrubs that line the path. Additionally, located in the park is an abstract structure titled The Cusp of Life. The purpose of this structure is to display “the elements of the past, plan for the future, and still be present to experience the now”. Another artistic venture in town is the Curtis Center for the Arts. The historic brick building that was opened in 1914 serves as the town’s cultural arts center. Exhibits featured have included Reflection: A Solo Exhibition with Jo Stealey, Art on the Green, and the famous Annual All Colorado Show. Another artistic attraction is the Museum of Outdoor Arts. The displays are located throughout multiple spots throughout the Denver area, including some in Greenwood Village. The permanent collection includes unique sculptures featuring characters from Alice in Wonderland, lions, a puppet theater, and so much more. Roam the grounds and view all the statues in the assembly.

Lamar

Every two years, Lamar Community College hosts a Frontier History Encampment, an event that includes presentations and performances that represent 1800s Native Americans, buffalo soldiers, homesteaders, fur trappers, blacksmiths, and other historical demographic groups. This event, though, is not the only place to learn about the area’s history. Visit Big Timbers Museum and immerse yourself in the history and heritage of Southeast Colorado. The museum is located along the Santa Fe Trail and was named for the huge population of cottonwoods in the area. The showcases include arrowheads, small tools, headdresses, wedding gowns, and posters of the past. Spend some time learning about the history of the area before getting outside and taking to nature in Lamar. Find yourself at North Gateway Park, popular for its lakes; those who enjoy time on the water will love paddleboarding, kayaking, or paddle boating. A fishing dock was recently added to the park for anglers of all types to enjoy. For one final stop in town, visit the stoic statue of the Madonna of the Trail Monument. One of 12 similar monuments and the only one located in Colorado, this 12-foot statue is dedicated to the pioneer mothers for their resilience during the covered wagon days and their time on the Santa Fe Trail. The statues represent the courage, faith, strength, and love of the women who conquered the wilderness while establishing permanent homes.

Colorado is full of some of the most beautiful mountain ranges, raging rivers, crystal blue lakes, and wildflower-filled prairies. For those lucky enough to attend college in this daydream of a state, these types of landscapes are their backyard, their playground. Enjoy the same adventure locals do in these seven most beautiful college towns in Colorado.