South Central Colorado

We’ve compiled the best of the best in South Central Colorado - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Sort by: 61 Recommendations {{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }} 0 Recommendations
CLEAR ALL Area Search CLEAR ALL
Loading...
Loading...
  • 1. Cave of the Winds

    Discovered by two boys in 1880, the cave has been exploited as a tourist sensation ever since. The only way to enter the site is by purchasing a tour, but once inside the cave you'll forget the hype and commercialism of the gimmicky entrance. The cave contains examples of every major sort of limestone formation, from icicle-shaped stalactites and stump-like stalagmites to delicate anthodite crystals (or cave flowers), flowstone (or frozen waterfalls), and cave popcorn. Enthusiastic guides host easy 45-minute walking tours, adventurous cave expeditions, and lantern tours that last 1½ hours. An outdoor ropes course and rides like the Terror-dactyl, which swings riders off a 200-foot cliff, offer more fun outside of the cave.

    100 Cave of the Winds Rd., Colorado, 80829, USA
    719-685–5444

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Tours start at $26
  • 2. Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area

    Taking its own name from the many peaks named after famous universities, the 168,000-acre Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area includes eight mountains that tower more than 14,000 feet high. Forty miles of the Continental Divide snake through the area as well. The most compelling reason to visit Buena Vista is for the almost unequaled variety of hikes, climbs, biking trails, and fishing streams here. (Keep an eye out for hot springs, too.) Two ranger offices, one in Leadville and one in Salida, handle inquiries about this region.

    810 Front St., Leadville, Colorado, 80461, USA
    719-486–0749
  • 3. Garden of the Gods

    These magnificent, eroded red-sandstone formations—from gnarled jutting spires to sensuously abstract monoliths—were sculpted more than 300 million years ago. Follow the road as it loops past such oddities as the Three Graces, the Siamese Twins, and the Kissing Camels or get an up-close look at the rocks with a guided climbing expedition booked at the visitor center. High Point, near the south entrance, provides camera hounds with the ultimate photo op: a formation known as Balanced Rock and jagged formations that frame Pikes Peak. The visitor center has maps of the trails and several geological, historical, and interactive hands-on displays, as well as a café. It's a short, paved hike into the park from the parking lot.

    1805 N. 30th St., Colorado, 80904, USA
    719-634–6666

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
    View Tours and Activities
  • 4. Koshare Indian Museum

    With Navajo silver and Hopi pottery, the Koshare Indian Museum contains extensive holdings of Native American artifacts and crafts. It also displays pieces from Anglo artists, such as Remington, known for their depictions of Native Americans. The Koshare Indian Dancers—actually local youth—perform regularly.

    115 W. 18th St., La Junta, Colorado, 81050, USA
    719-384–4411

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5, Closed Mon. and Tues. in winter
  • 5. Old Colorado City

    Once a separate, rowdier town where miners caroused, today the stretch of Colorado Avenue between 24th Street and 28th Street, west of downtown, is a quaint National Historic District whose restored buildings house galleries and boutiques as well as kitschy shops, sidewalk cafés, and restaurants.

    Colorado Ave. between 24th and 28th Sts., Colorado, 80904, USA
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Pikes Peak

    If you want to see the view from the top of Pikes Peak, head up this 14,115-foot-high mountain by car, train, or in a pair of hiking boots if you've got the stamina. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, visitors can drive to the summit ($15 per passenger or $50 per car) but reservations are required. The newly renovated cog train offers an alternative for those looking to avoid hairpin turns and sharp drop-offs on the highway. It's also convenient when the weather closes the road. Gaining nearly 7,400 feet in elevation, the 27-mile round trip hike is grueling. The steep, rocky terrain causes unstable footing, and unpredictable weather can be treacherous year-round, which is why many hikers camp at Barr Camp after mile 6 before the final uphill slog.  Shuttles are available to take hikers either up or down the mountain, cutting the hike in half.  Once at the top, stop for a doughnut at the Pikes Peak Summit House café and trading post. Whichever route you choose to take up the prominent peak, you'll understand why the pioneers heading West via wagon train used to say: "Pikes Peak or Bust."

    U.S. 24, Colorado, 80901, USA
    719-385–7325

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $15 per person, $50 per vehicle
    View Tours and Activities
  • 7. Royal Gorge

    Body Of Water/Waterfall

    Cañon City is the gateway to the Royal Gorge, whose canyon walls tower up to 1,200 feet high and were carved by the Arkansas River more than 3 million years ago. The famed Royal Gorge War between the Denver & Rio Grande and Santa Fe railroads occurred here in 1877. The battle was over the right-of-way through the canyon, which could only accommodate one rail line. Rival crews would lay tracks during the day and dynamite each other's work at night. The dispute was finally settled in court—the Denver & Rio Grande won. Today there's a commercially run site, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, along one part of the gorge. A wildfire swept through this region in 2013, but quick-acting locals revived the touristic hub, which launched a new children's area in 2015. Rafting remains a strong and prosperous draw to the region.

    U.S. 50 , Cañon City, Colorado, USA
  • 8. The Broadmoor

    Hotel

    This pink-stucco Italianate complex, built in 1918, is truly one of the world's finest luxury resorts. Even if you don't stay here, stop by for lunch on one of the many restaurant patios in summer and to take a paddleboat ride on Lake Cheyenne, which anchors several of the resort's buildings. The Sunday brunch here is legendary (reservations are almost mandatory), and don't miss Play, the hotel's new gaming bar with six luxurious lanes of bowling, shuffleboard, and plenty of other diversions.

    1 Lake Circle, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80906, USA
    719-634–7711
  • 9. U.S. Air Force Academy

    The academy, which set up camp in 1954, is one of the most popular attractions in Colorado. Highlights include the futuristic design, 18,500 beautiful acres of land, and antique and historic aircraft displays. At the visitor center you'll find photo exhibits, a model of a cadet's room, a gift shop, a snack bar in the summer, and a film highlighting the history and bravery of the Air Force. Other stops on the self-guided tour include a B-52 display, sports facilities, and the chapel. Some days you can catch the impressive cadet lunch formation that begins between 11:30 and noon. The Air Force chapel, which can accommodate simultaneous Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant services, is easily recognized by its unconventional design featuring 17 spires that resemble airplane wings. Visitors can enter only through the North and South gates.

    N. Gate Blvd., Colorado, 80840, USA
    719-333–2025

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 10. U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum

    Unlike what its silver exterior suggests, this 60-000-square-foot museum is a gold-medal experience for visitors of all ages and one of the most inclusive and accessible museums in the world. Race a virtual Olympian on the rubber track or try to keep a skeleton bobsled on course at the interactive athlete training exhibit, which also features hands-on archery, skiing, and goalball (a soccer-like game played by the visually impaired) games. After checking in, visitors work their way through three floors of displays that seamlessly combine Olympic and Paralympic history, uniforms, ice skates, running shoes, a dented rugby wheelchair, helmets, and other gear. Highlights include the Hall of Fame; a display case filled with Olympic torches, including those used in the more recent Atlanta, Sydney, Sochi, and PyeongChang games; and a gift shop where you can "virtually" try on apparel. Electronic visitor passes allow you to quickly find your favorite sports and learn about your favorite athletes as you make your way through the museum; you can also save the information to an online locker for future reading. Don't miss one of the last and most popular exhibits—one of the most complete collections of Olympic medals in the world. If you're lucky, you might even hear staff cheering as current and former Olympians visit the museum, which is located next to America the Beautiful Park connecting to miles of walking and biking trails. Hour-long guided tours are available.

    200 S. Sierra Madre St., Colorado, 80903, USA
    719-497–1234

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $19.95, Closed Tues. and Wed.
  • 11. Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

    This five-story tower was dedicated in 1937, after a tragic plane crash claimed the life of Will Rogers, America's favorite—and funniest—cowboy. The shrine's viewing deck provides an impressive panoramic view of Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. The tower interior is painted with all manner of Western murals in which Colorado Springs benefactor Spencer Penrose figures prominently, and is plastered with photos and homespun sayings of Rogers. In the chapel are 15th- and 16th-century European artworks.

    4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado, 80906, USA
    719-578-5367

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $34.75, includes same-day admission to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
  • 12. Adams State University

    The campus here contains several superlative examples of 1930s WPA-commissioned murals in its administrative building. The college's Luther Bean Museum and Art Gallery displays European porcelain and furniture collections, and exhibits of regional arts and crafts.

    Richardson and 3rd Sts., Alamosa, Colorado, 81102, USA
    719-587–7151

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Closed weekends
  • 13. Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

    Less than an hour's drive southwest of Great Sand Dunes is a sanctuary for songbirds, waterbirds, and raptors (it's also home to many other types of birds, along with mule deer, beavers, and coyotes). The Rio Grande runs through the park comprising more than 12,000 acres of natural and man-made wetlands. You can take a 4-mile hike round-trip along the river or a 3½-mile wildlife drive on the park's western side or a drive along Bluff Road to an overlook on the park's eastern side. The refuge office is staffed by volunteers sporadically from March through November and closed in winter, but a self-service kiosk provides visitor information year-round.

    9383 El Rancho La., Alamosa, Colorado, 81101, USA
    719-589–4021

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 14. Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

    About 8 miles east of La Junta, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site painstakingly re-creates what life was like in this adobe fort. The 1840s fort was situated along the commercially vital Santa Fe Trail, providing both protection and a meeting place for the soldiers, trappers, and traders of the era. The museum's interior reveals daily life at a trading post, providing looks at a smithy and carpenter's workshop and featuring educational films and guided tours.

    35110 Rte. 194, La Junta, Colorado, 81050, USA
    719-383–5010

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $10
  • 15. Bishop Castle

    This elaborate creation, which resembles a medieval castle replete with turrets, buttresses, and ornamental iron, is the prodigious (some might say monomaniacal) one-man undertaking of Jim Bishop, a self-taught architect who began work in 1959. Once considered a blight on pastoral Route 165, the castle is now a popular attraction. Not yet complete, it is three stories high with a nearly 165-foot tower. Those who endeavor to climb into the structure must sign the guest book–cum–liability waiver. Bishop finances this enormous endeavor through donations and a gift shop.

    12705 Rte. 165, Pueblo, Colorado, 81069, USA
    719-564--4366

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 16. Bronco Billy's

    This longtime casino embodies the atmosphere of Cripple Creek’s main drag with its Western theme and friendly staff. Known for its customer service, Bronco Billy’s is a favorite among locals and tourists, with hotel rooms upstairs and restaurants on-site.

    233 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, Colorado, 80813, USA
    719-689–2142
  • 17. Buell Children's Museum

    Ranked among the best in the country, the Buell Children's Museum provides fun, interactive experiences for kids of all ages. The 12,000-square-foot facility has innovative exhibits on art, science, and history. It's in the same complex as the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.

    210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo, Colorado, 81003, USA
    719-295–7200

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $10, Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 18. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

    America's only mountain zoo, at 6,700 feet, has nearly 1,000 animals housed amid mossy boulders and ponderosa pines. You can hand-feed the giraffe herd in the zoo's African Rift Valley, ride the chairlift-style, open-air Sky Ride, and check out the animals living in Primate World, Rocky Mountain Wild, or the Asian Highlands.

    4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado, 80906, USA
    719-633–9925

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $34.75, includes same-day admission to Will Rogers Shrine
    View Tours and Activities
  • 19. City Park

    The fine City Park has fishing lakes, playgrounds, a carousel, a mini train ride, tennis courts, and a swimming pool.

    Pueblo Blvd. and Goodnight Ave., Pueblo, Colorado, 81004, USA
  • 20. Cokedale

    This entire town is a National Historic District, and it's the most significant example of a turn-of-the-20th-century coal-coke camp in Colorado. As you drive through the area, note the telltale streaks of black in the sandstone and granite bluffs fronting the Purgatoire River and its tributaries, the unsightly slag heaps, and the spooky abandoned mining camps dotting the hillsides.

    Rte. 12, 9 miles west of Trinidad, Cokedale, Colorado, 81082, USA

No sights Results

Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:

There are no results for {{ strDestName }} Sights in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:

Recommended Fodor’s Video