If I hear that my friends are planning trips to Colorado and want to visit these towns, they should consider my top towns to go to. This list is of real towns, not places, and with real people who live with real people in actual communities.
Connect at least three or four of these amazing stops, and you can spend a week exploring The Centennial State or hit each one of them and never leave. Believe me when I say to you that a trip to Colorado could be an entire life of adventure.
Here is the list of things to do in Colorado during summer:
Snowmass Village
My first and most beloved home located in Colorado, Snowmass Village, is an amazing hamlet situated in the Elk Mountains. It has the feeling of a rustic retreat. Snowmass Village is only nine miles from nearby Aspen, where you’ll be able to get almost anything, including Italian fashion. To be real, Snowmass Village stands firmly within its self-identity. There’s no reason to go elsewhere once you’re there, Snowmass Village.
The town is surrounded by stunning mountains, fantastic eateries, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a brand-new Base Village, live music festivals, and some of the breathtaking backcountry trails you can find anywhere. Don’t miss the nature walks with naturalists from the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies through the field and the wildflowers.
Palisade
Palisade is a town of a tiny size located in western Colorado, in which the rich history of agriculture is amidst the excitement of a new outdoor adventure. The town is famous for its small vineyards, the town of Palisade was recently featured in news articles after Matthew Chasseur, one of Colorado’s most talented young chefs, launched Peche Restaurant, drawing people from all over the region. Additionally, Palisade is an emerging mountain biking spot.
Palisade Plunge Palisade Plunge, one of the longest single-track trails for mountain bikes in the U.S., starts at the summit of Colorado’s Grand Mesa and descends into the town of Palisade. The Plunge will open in the summer of this year after more than a decade of planning, building, and multi-million dollar investment.
Telluride
Telluride might already be popular with Coloradophiles, and it’s packed during the peak of the summer months. Still, if you pick the right time (early or in the late summer), you’ll be able to quickly appreciate what makes this town one of the tops in the State. Telluride is a town with a Western mining town feel with a hint of a relic of the hippy vibe.
Its box canyon and Bridal Veil falls are stunning and inspiring, the historic downtown is locally owned and operated, and the music festival atmosphere is something that can’t be duplicated. There is nothing quite like being able to glide through the San Miguel River in an inner tube during a scorching summer day, as well as setting up a table to enjoy a bluegrass show at Town Park.
Dinosaur
Remember the old slogan of Smucker’s, “With a name like …” well, or a name such as Dinosaur. It’s bound to be dinosaurs!” The small group of ranchers from northwestern Colorado is not a disappointment in the dinosaur category.
It is home to the Dinosaur National Monument, standing in awe at the ancient animals who once roamed Earth in the Quarry Exhibit Hall. There, you’ll be in front of approximately 1500 fossilized dinosaur remains from a range of extinct giants like the huge Allosaurus and Stegosaurus (Colorado’s State’s official fossil).
Grand Lake
This gorgeous mountain lake town has a relaxed vibe and a variety of outdoor activities, and access to the west part of Rocky Mountain National Park. Suppose you’re searching for an overview of all the park’s 415 sq miles. In that case, you should try Kaiyote Snow, a self-taught naturalist, award-winning photographer, and artist who was an instructor at the Rocky Mountain Conservancy.
Her business, Kaiyote Tours, leads guests on overnight hikes and backpacking excursions in summer to help them learn about the birds and wildlife of RMNP.
Denver
If you’re traveling to Colorado, you will likely be flying to Denver International Airport, so why not look at the capital city of Colorado? In the past two years, Denver has grown immensely and has attracted young people from around the globe to its lively lifestyle and “work hard, play hard” philosophy. It has convenient access to mountains and is close to Red Rocks, but Denver has a long history of art and culture.
Denver Art Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Shortly, the entertainment and arts group, Meow Wolf, will open an entirely new experience in the arts in Denver which will be a hub for creating and supporting the arts in various mediums, such as sculpture, architecture, narrative writing, and performing.
Buena Vista
This is another town people who visit Colorado might be aware of, but it is a place that visitors will instantly be captivated by upon arrival. The name of the town located in Central Colorado says it all (come to think of it as basic Spanish, and you’re welcome, people).
Buena Vista is known for stunning mountain views, great rafting, kayaking or SUPing down the Arkansas River, camping, fly-fishing, and hot springs at Mount Princeton Hot Springs. B.V. is well-known for its all-year-round 4x4ing with ATVs and Jeeps navigating the excellent trails off-road and passes.
Mancos
Explore Colorado’s rich history Explore the rich history of Colorado’s ancient past in Mancos, situated near Mesa Verde National Park, which was recently designated an official 100th International Dark Sky Park. In a town of fewer than 1,500 residents, Mancos’s community is full of great coffee cafés, shops, a cidery brewery, local shops, and restaurants.
My favorites include Olio to eat dinner and Absolute Bakery for breakfast. Outside the park’s national parks, meet Native American guides from Four Corners Guides to go on a bicycle-riding excursion in Ute the Mountain Tribal Park. You’ll be able to explore pristine, 1,000-year-old Ancient Puebloan ruins, cliff dwellings, and pottery and learn about the ancient people in this particular region.
Fort Collins
It is home to Colorado State University, and Fort Collins is a diverse and friendly mix of ranchers, college students, entrepreneurs in the tech sector, and families all living in one lively community. Fort Collins is linked by nearly 285 miles worth of bike trails and lanes, and its historic downtown served as the basis of the theme park’s Main Street USA.
Fort Collins is also home to the Colorado Shoe School, where you can design and make your unique shoes made from recycled leather intended for landfills and solely recycled materials from tennis balls and bike tires. Balls.
Leadville
Leadville asserts itself as North America’s “highest” city, incorporated at a little more than 10,000 feet. It’s only recently that the city’s revival has begun to take shape, and many historical structures being renovated. Even with a makeover, Leadville has not lost its spirited, hard-fought character that helped make it among the mining towns in the early 19th-century.
With easy access to a variety of 14,000-foot peaks, those who hike in Leadville can take two trails: the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail from the town. After a long day of hiking, go to Two Mile Brewing, Leadville’s new brewpub that serves beer like Leadville Lager or Camp Hale Pale Ale.
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