10 Colorado Parks for Your Adventure List!🌎💯🏃🏽‍♀️

“You give yourself to nature when you travel to Colorado” - unknown

Regarded as the ‘Switzerland of America’, the state of natural splendor is undoubtedly abundant with charms that no human can resist. Classified as a mountain state, Colorado rests on the Rocky Mountain range in the North of America, a high altitude location that gives the state in nature’s arms.  

A diverse landscape stretching from the cozy and cosmopolitan capital of Denver to the picturesque terrain of the Rockies, Colorado is the finest example of urban sophistication and natural grandeur. With four national parks and twenty-four state parks, the serene state of North America is home to a snow-capped landscape, pristine slopes, lush forest, and rich wildlife. 

If you are a travel enthusiast living to indulge in celebrated history, awe-inspiring topography, and unparalleled outdoor adventure, here is why Colorado is the place you’re searching for:

Rocky Mountain National Park

Couldn’t resist but start our list with what makes Colorado a land of magnificence, the Rocky Mountain Range! Spread over a vastness of 415 square miles, the national park is a bucket-list destination for every nature and adventure lover making it one of the most visited national parks in the world.

With jagged mountain peaks visible as far as you peek, glistening high mountain lakes, and glaciers preserved for more than 100 years, the wilderness awaits visitors in northeast Colorado. Explore more than 300 miles of hiking trails, witness the rarest species of wildlife, and choose from a myriad of outdoor adventures including summiting, rafting, snowboarding, skiing, and mountaineering as the unworldly land has everything for everyone.  

Mesa Verde National Park

Located in southwestern Colorado, the Mesa Verde National Park is an amalgamation of breathtaking nature and human history. With more than 4000 ancient ruins dating back to the 16th century, the unusual terrain of untamed canyons provides a glimpse into 26 tribes who have lived in the area for over 700 years and constructed perfect settlements. 

In unique vistas bearing North America’s cultural heritage, witness ancient architectural wonders and inhibitors' craftsmanship including cliff dwellings, pueblo settlements, and rock art through a vast network of trails and overlooks. 

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

It is no less than a wonder when the tallest sand dunes of North America nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are surrounded by a diverse landscape of glaciers, marshes, woodlands, alpine lakes, and meadows. 

This San Luis Valley’s geologic wonderland encompasses 30 square miles of Grand Sand Dunes National Park where the unique wind pattern forms towers of sand dunes as high as 750 feet. From hiking, backpacking, sandboarding, sand sledding, and numerous other activities, choose your way of plunging into the sea of sand!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Been worked against the weather and Gunnison river for more than two million years, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is nature’s historic monument of steep cliffs, rock craft, and ragged summits. 

With some of the world’s oldest exposed rocks like Precambrian and Basement rock, the park possesses 47 square miles of dramatic landscape. Located in western Colorado, the Black Canyon treats park visitors with overlooks and trails 8,000 feet above sea level where one can witness coyotes, mule deers, foxes, and golden and bald eagles in their natural habitat. 

Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Among the most serene patchworks of Columbia tops the Golden Gate Canyon Park located only minutes away from the gleaming city of Denver. Your easiest escape in mountains and wilderness lies in this terrain offering more than 35 miles of trails leading to woodlands, meadows, grasslands, and deep pine forest. 

Apart from the 360-degree views of alpine peaks, the park is also home to Panorama Point Scenic Outlook, a popular attraction enabling visitors to observe Colorado from atop to the span of over 100 miles and catch a sight of the famous Mount Evans and the Longs Peak.

Roxborough State Park

The only state of the US to be credited as a National Natural Landmark, the Roxborough State Park is a dramatic red-rock formation region home to a unique community of plant and animal species. The state park hosts a vast network of trails and viewpoints to observe the topography and provides a fine location for snowshoeing and cross country skiing during winters. 

Located 28 miles from Denver among the forests of the Front Range Rocky Mountains, the reason for the park’s popularity is Fountain formation, a range of red sandstones tilted to an angle of 60 degrees formed by the forces of erosion. 

Chatfield State Park

Heaven for the water sports enthusiasts, the Chatfield State Park is centered around the 1500 acre Chatfield Reservoir providing a myriad of recreational activities just a few miles away from the capital city. Located in the foothills of Littleton and often characterized as Denver’s park, vast campgrounds and picnic spots have made this state park every Denver citizen’s go to. 

The Chatfield reservoir is open to be explored through powerboats, sailing, jet and water skis, and kayaks. The park also features a marina, fishing club, and on a fairly clear day, you may also enjoy the waters by taking a dip or lying on the shore. 

Cherry Creek State Park

Centered at an 800-acre reservoir, the state park features a natural prairie setting with pleasant rolling hills ideal for hiking and biking. Located in Aurora, the backyard of the capital city, the state park invites visitors to indulge in Colorado’s beauty coupled with recreational activities. 

Fed by Cherry Creek, the freshwater reservoir lake is open to swimming, fishing, boating, skiing, and boarding. Want to immerse in nature but don’t have time to travel miles? Cherry Creek State Park is your staycation getaway from busy city life!

Eldorado Canyon State Park

Encompassed by a majestic canyon, Eldorado Canyon Park is a hidden gem located in the Front Range near Boulder. For a day trip, the park is famed for its world-class rock climbing and towering sandstone cliffs. Calling out climbers from around the world to challenge their skills on more than 500 climbing routes of the region, the park is every technical rock climber’s dream destination.  

The park also enables a network of picturesque trails, picnic spots, and panoramic outlooks providing everything for everyone.

Rifle Falls State Park

With a unique topography of scenic waterfalls surrounded by a set of limestone caves, the Rifle Falls state park offers unmatched scenery besides recreational wonders. An unusual three-segmented waterfall cascading down a limestone cliff into a rich undergrowth of ponds, stones, and ferns is the highlight of the park. 

With a picnic area around the falls featuring nearby travertine caves, the park provides a perfect relaxing setting for your wondrous soul.