I have been to CO a few times but only from the Denver airport to Breckenridge/Aspen in winter to ski. Spent 2 days in Denver but it was about 20 years ago. Still I loved what I saw of the outdoors. Looking now to spend 10 days in Northern Co seeing a mix of cities and rural areas. I live on an island so I am looking for different...mountains, history, cool little towns. I ordered a CO Visitor Guide but thought I should get suggestions. I have a history of trying to cover too much and spending too much time driving. At 60+ I am the only driver as my wife is not big on either interstates or country roads. I am planning for 3 days in Denver but beyond that it is open. I do want to see the National Park and understand there is supposed to be a highly recommended drive thru it? Planning for August as the start of 2 months away from HI ending with my nieces wedding on the East Coast. We can do simple easy hikes, love museums and are open to outdoorsy things if the are not too physically jarring. If this is the one time I come what should we see?

By 'the National Park' I assume you mean Rocky Mountain National Park, and by the drive through it, Trail Ridge Road.

You'll need a timed entry permit for RMNP, which is crazy busy these days:

Info here:
https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvis...mit-system.htm

And details on Trail Ridge Road:
https://www.mycoloradoparks.com/road...il-ridge-road/

You could use Fort Collins as a base:
https://www.visitftcollins.com/?locale=en-US

You could stay the whole time and do day trips. Or maybe better, spend a few nights, then drive over Trail Ridge Road for a few nights in Grand Lake or Winter Park. As noted, make sure you have your RMNP pass. Drive back to Denver in a loop via I-70, if that's not more driving than you want.

Note if you use Google maps it won't send you over Trail Ridge Road now unless you set a future date. But then you can't do multiple stops, or else I would have posted it for you.

Ft. Collins is a great town with two historic downtowns The last time I was on Trail Ridge Road it was bumper-to-bumper traffic (but before timed-entry). It was rather knuckle- biting due to that and no guard rails. The pine forests on the western portion of the park have died which reduces the quality of the views.

Just returned from a few days in Colorado.

RE RMNP rather than trying for timed entry permit I suggest just entering early (6 am or 7 am). Once you are in, you can stay, but you cannot drive out and then return. So if you drive the entire Trail Ridge road from Estes Park, do a U turn before the Grand Lake exit. Also note by checking the park website that there is road construction at the Fall River Entrance.

To access the Bear Lake area you do need a permit pretty much all day.

I entered from Grand Lake and by 9:30 am the parking lot at the Alpine Visitor Center was completely full.

If you want to try for next day permits, be sure you have internet access at the witching hour.

If you do include a visit to Mesa Verde (which I loved), the Retro Inn Inn Cortez and Farm Bistro are my two recommendations for lodging and dining out.

There is also Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (nearest to Montrose), Colorado National Monument (Grand Junction) and Grand Mesa (Cedaredge).

I made a special trip out to Pawnee National Grasslands for a bird ( I found it as well as a bonus bird). The Eaton Cobblestone Inn is as nice as the one in Wray (except for the cow poo poo smell outside).

If you like history, plan a couple of days in Mesa Verde NP. Take a ride on the train from Durango to Silverton (or do the drive through the mountains on the million dollar highway).

Check out Dinosaur NP, Colorado National Monument, Great Sand Dunes, NP, etc.

This section of Dinosaur National Monument is in Colorado. We camped there, at the junction of the Green and Yampa rivers to form the Colorado, but it is worth the drive just for a day.

The OP may have come and gone already?

> I made a special trip out to Pawnee National Grasslands for a bird ( I found it as well as a bonus bird)
Mountain Plover? One of the longspurs?

Hope you had a good trip!

Thick-billed Longspur (also saw one of the Chesnut-collared ones)

Thick-billed Longspur


Bonus bird..BAIRD'S SPARROW.!!!

Baird's Sparrow

Had a great trip. Still going through photos so no time for trip reports. OP did say August so they are likely on the way there now.

Excellent, glad you saw your bird(s)! I know for sure we've heard the Baird's Sparrow, but not if we ever actually saw one.

It's interesting that the Colorado state bird only lives out there and nowhere in the mountains.
https://history.denverlibrary.org/ne...dos-state-bird

I saw tons of Lark Buntings also, which was not a new bird for me but had never seen the black and white ones.

The Baird's is an interesting story, only recently establishing breeding in Colorado from their main location 100's of miles to the north.

"One of North America's most sought-after sparrows due to its small breeding range and secretive habits. Breeds in extensive tall grasslands; winters in similar grassy habitats. Pale tan overall with crisp black streaking on breast. Warm buffy face is brightest to the rear of the eyebrow and broken up by thin black markings. Easy to see when perched, singing its high-pitched tinkling trill; otherwise shy and difficult to locate. Population is declining due to development of prime grassland breeding habitat."

https://ebird.org/species/baispa

Thick-billed Longspur has an even smaller population (under 1 million birds).

Thanks for the info about the Baird's. Did not know about the Colorado breeding location.

This from the Cornell site: "The clear, tinkling song of the Baird’s Sparrow is one of the defining sounds of the northern Great Plains." We used to spend some time out there in May, when it is beautiful and mud season in the mountains. We definitely heard them, but never positively saw one. It's not on my list. Always wondered, what and where the heck is that bird? (Pre-Merlin.) Glad you got to see them!

My old list has Thick-billed as McCown's.