9 Best Attractions To Visit In Colorado
Colorado is one of the United States' most beautiful and interesting states, with so much to do year-round within its borders. Anyone who loves mountains, nature, history, or culture will find more than enough to fill a visit to the Centennial State of any length, and all who choose to experience the things that Colorado has to offer will leave with rich memories that will last a lifetime.
Here, we've put together a list of the nine best and most popular attractions that Colorado has to offer. These nine spots are spread across the state, but each is well worth the time and effort. Plan a trip itinerary that includes one or more of these attractions today and get started on exploring this great state. And, don't forget to bring your camera - there are so many incredible things worth photographing in Colorado. Have a great trip!
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre - Morrison
One of Colorado's most well-known attractions is just outside Denver, in the small town of Morrison. In fact, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is actually owned and operated by the City of Denver despite being outside the city limits.
This park is full of breathtaking red rock formations, unlike anything most have ever seen. Two massive monoliths - Ship Rock and Creation Rock - both rise 300' above the surrounding landscape to create the boundaries of one of the most famous outdoor music venues in the world. Hundreds of famous performers from all over the nation and the world have appeared on stage at Red Rocks since the amphitheatre officially opened in 1941.
Today, visitors can attend a concert at Red Rocks if they would like; as one might imagine, most concerts at this venue happen in the summertime. However, the park is open year-round and features numerous hiking trails that weave through the vast red rock landscape surrounding the venue. Anyone who loves music history, geology, or beautiful natural places should not miss this very unique place.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - Durango
Colorado is rich with railroad history, and the best way to celebrate that is with a ride on the famous Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This heritage railroad runs on a track that once carried silver and gold that was mined in the San Juan Mountains; today, it carries passengers 45.2 miles between Durango and Silverton. The line has run continuously since 1881 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is one of many tourist railways in the state, but most consider it to offer the most beautiful views. Trains are pulled by a steam engine, which is uncommon in railroads of any kind today. Passengers travel between Durango and Silverton and vary in length, but the railway's popular full-day adventure includes a two-hour stopover in Silverton for shopping and exploring.
Any trip on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is sure to be one to remember. It's a great way to explore the mountains with your companions, in a relaxing, accessible way.
Rocky Mountain National Park - Estes Park
People come from all over the world to visit Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. The park's main entrances are about an hour northwest of Denver, and park visitors can drive all the way through the park during the summer months on the world-famous Trail Ridge Road to come out on the other side. At 12,183 at its peak, 48-mile-long Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous road in North America, and the views along the way are absolutely incredible. The highest peak in the park, Longs Peak, is over 14,000 feet tall.
Overall, Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses over 265,000 acres. Hikers can enjoy over 350 miles of trails within the park, along with five visitor centers and five established campgrounds. People who visit this park can enjoy forests, meadows, alpine lakes, high elevations, and rushing creeks and streams, and the abundant wildlife found inside the park include a wide variety of creatures, including elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, marmots, pikas, coyotes, birds, mountain lions, black bears, raccoons, squirrels, and more.
Rocky Mountain National Park was founded in 1915 and receives over four million visitors each year. Anyone who visits this park will be amazed by all it has to offer.
Mesa Verde National Park - Cortez
Another fantastic but completely different national park in Colorado is Mesa Verde National Park. This park is located in the extreme southwest corner of the state. It was established in 1906, and about 500,000 people visit it each year.
This park is beautiful, but the landscape is quite different from that of Rocky Mountain National Park. In this park, visitors will find canyons, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and mixed conifer forests along a vast plateau. Common plants in this area include yucca, cacti, wildflowers, and small pine trees; animals include mule deer, coyotes, mountain lions, squirrels, lizards, porcupines, and more.
The environment inside Mesa Verde National Park is lovely, but people are drawn to this unique place mostly to view its well-preserved cliff dwellings. The Ancestral Puebloan people lived in these canyons from around 7500 BC until the late 12th century, when they moved on. There are remnants of their civilization throughout that entire period in the park, which have been excavated and interpreted by the National Park Service. Informative tours are available year-round, or guests can explore much of the park on their own.
There is much to see and learn at Mesa Verde National Park, and this park - the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Colorado - is not to be missed.
Denver Botanic Gardens - Denver
If you're visiting Denver, don't miss out on the Denver Botanic Gardens. This 24-acre, urban botanical garden is in the middle of the city, and it has so much to offer. Even though the overall space is rather small, you'll be amazed at what this organization has been able to fit within its walls, and it's no surprise that Denver Botanic Gardens is one of the most visited gardens in the United States.
Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951, and the main gardens are located at the eastern end of the city's famous Cheeseman Park. Inside, visitors will find a wide variety of plants and gadens including a Japanese garden, a South African garden, an alpine collection, a children's garden, numerous herb gardens, and countless other beautifully planned and landscaped spaces and water features.
Further, this property is home to the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, a giant indoor space full of tropical plants year-round, a cafe, a science and art center, and a library. This garden, within Denver's city limits, is just one of several spaces around the Denver metro operated by Denver Botanic Gardens, but it's the jewel of the collection. Interested parties can take a tour, sign up for classes, or explore it on their own. You're sure to love this natural space within the city environment.
Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs - Steamboat Springs
There are dozens of places to soak in hot springs in Colorado, but a very favorite of nearly all hot springs enthusiasts is Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs. This commercial hot spring is more natural than most, and you'll love soaking in its hot, mineral-rich spring water while you breathe the cool mountain air and admire the views that surround you. The pools here are quite large, and you'll have plenty of wide open space to enjoy them.
In addition to the springs themselves, this hot spring also offers heated changing areas, a spa, rustic indoor accommodations, and campsites. Reservations are required at all times for all facilities, and day guests at Strawberry Park Hot Springs must pay in cash. Also, be aware that the road to this attraction is quite steep; 4WD is recommended year-round and is required by law in the winter.
Pikes Peak Cog Railway - Manitou Springs
Pikes Peak, just west of Colorado Springs, is known by many as "America's Mountain." This title is primarily due to the fact that the professor and poet Katharine Lee Bates was so inspired by the beauty she saw from the top of it that she wrote the lyrics to the now-famous tune, America the Beautiful, after her visit in 1893. This 14,115 ft peak is viewable from incredible distances and is, without a doubt, one of our nation's most iconic peaks.
Anyone who wishes to go to the top of it themselves can do so. Hikers can reach the top on foot. Drivers can take the 19-mile-long Pikes Peak Highway to the top by car. Everyone else can take the very charming Pikes Peak Cog Railway from Manitou Springs. This unique, inclined train line began running in 1891. Originally powered by steam locomotives, the system later switched to diesel engines.
This cog railway is one of only three still operating in the United States today. It runs between two stations - one at the bottom in the town of Manitou Springs and one at Pikes Peak's summit; visitors ride 8.9 miles each way and can enjoy narrations en route to learn about the train and the famous mountain. At its steepest point, the track slopes at a 25% grade and is not for the faint of heart, but the spectacular views from the top make the ascent all worth it.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Mosca
There are four national parks in Colorado, and two have already been mentioned above, leaving two more. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is certainly worth a visit for its deep, black canyon walls carved over millions of years by the Gunnison River, but even more impressive and breathtaking are the giant sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Mosca.
This park is exceptional and unique. Most people do not expect to find 750-foot-tall sand dunes in the middle of the country, hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, but they exist inside this national park. These giant sand dunes were formed over millions of years as the mountains around them eroded due to snowmelt.
Today, visitors can view and even climb these sand dunes in this park. The park's dunes were first protected in 1932 as a national monument, and the protected area was elevated to national park status in 2004. The protected area encompasses 232 square miles, but most of the park is unmappable because the dunes are constantly shifting with the wind. This park is also in one of the darkest places in Colorado and has been designated a premier, Gold-Tier-certified International Dark Sky Park, so visitors should come for the dunes but camp overnight for the stars. At either time of day, this park is truly spectacular.
Bishop Castle - Rye
Perhaps the most interesting and unusual attraction on this list is Bishop Castle in Rye. Most of the entries on this list are natural spaces, but this one is entirely man-made. What makes it most intriguing is the fact that it was made by one man alone! Bishop Castle is a real castle built stone by stone by Jim Bishop over a 40-year period.
Bishop bought the land on which Bishop Castle sits for $450 when he was 15 years old and began the project then. At first, it was supposed to be a small cottage, but over time, it grew and grew. Today, Bishop Castle includes two towers that reach over 160 feet in height, large rooms that can accommodate dozens of people, and even a fire-breathing dragon on the roof.
The fact that Bishop built this castle all alone is amazing, but it's even more amazing when you see it in person. It's open to the public, and it's free to visit. Jim Bishop passed away in 2024, but his son, Dan, took over as caretaker. People of all ages will enjoy viewing and exploring this structure, and a visit will be something you will never forget.
Each of these Colorado attractions is worth visiting, and together they offer a good overview of the kinds of amazing things the Centennial State has to offer. Visitors and Colorado residents alike flock to these very special places to enjoy Colorado's beauty, history, and personality. Plan a trip to one or more of these destinations today, and you'll be richer for the experience. Once you start exploring Colorado, you'll never want to stop!
