305 Best Sights in Colorado, USA

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.

The 6-mile climb from the Wild Basin trailhead to Bluebird Lake (2,478-foot elevation gain) is especially scenic. You pass Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls, plus an area that was burned in a lightning-instigated fire in 1978—today it's a mix of bright pink fireweed and charred tree trunks. Difficult.

View local and worldwide contemporary art exhibits and performance art at this innovative museum with frequently changing exhibitions. Admission is free on Saturday, and the museum stays open late on Wednesday during the summer when the farmers' market is in season.

One particularly gorgeous jaunt is to Box Cañon Falls, where the turbulent waters of Clear Creek thunder 285 feet down a narrow gorge. A steel suspension bridge and well-marked trails afford breathtaking views. Birders flock to the park to see the rare black swift and other species, and a visitor center has interpretive displays.

Even if you never intend to go climbing, you may enjoy learning about lofty adventures showcased at the American Mountaineering Museum here. Visual exhibits display photos and items from experiences climbing some of the world's highest mountains. Artifacts from famous climbs are alongside exhibits about the 10th Mountain Division—men who fought in Italy in World War II, some of whom founded several of Colorado's ski resorts.

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.

One of Rangely's most compelling sights is the superb Fremont petroglyphs—carved between AD 600 and 1300—in Douglas Creek canyon, south of town along Route 139. This stretch is known as the Canyon Pintado National Historic District, and the examples of rock art are among the best-preserved in the West; half the fun is clambering up the rocks to find them. A brochure listing the sights is available at the Rangely Chamber of Commerce.

No visit to Nederland is complete without a spin on the nonprofit Carousel of Happiness, a restored 1910 carousel featuring 57 hand-carved, hand-painted animals running around to the sounds of a 1913 Wurlitzer band organ. The complex includes a gift shop and a puppet theater.

This 0.4-mile round-trip interpretive trail leads out from South Rim Road to two overlooks. It's an easy stroll, and signs along the way detail the surrounding plants. Easy.

A self-guided tour takes you to, but not through, a tower and kiva built between 1100 and 1300 AD and connected by a tunnel. The tower-and-kiva combinations in the park are thought to have been either religious structures or signal towers.

Sprawling and detailed, the elaborate Victorian house previously known as the Byers-Evans House Museum went up in 1883 as the home of Rocky Mountain News publisher William Byers. Restored to its pre–World War I condition, the historic landmark has occasional exhibitions and regular guided tours. Its main appeal is the glimpse it provides into Denver's past, specifically 1912 through 1924; more recently, the Center for Women's History has taken up residence here, which means an enhanced focus on women's studies and free rotating exhibits. The furnishings are those the Evans family acquired during the 80-some years they lived here.

This is an excellent first stop for an introduction to Ancestral Pueblo culture, as well as the area's development into a national park. Exhibits showcase original textiles and other artifacts, and a theater plays an informative film every 30 minutes. Rangers are available to answer your questions. The shop focuses on educational materials, but you can also find park-theme souvenirs. The museum sits at the south end of the park entrance road and overlooks Spruce Tree House. Nearby, you'll find park headquarters, a gift shop, a post office, a snack bar, and bathrooms.

This is the nicest and largest picnic area in the park. It has about 40 tables under shade trees and a great view into Spruce Canyon, as well as flush toilets.

This is a tough hike, but it comes with great views of the park's eastern lower valleys. It's about 3½ miles one way, including a 2,874-foot gain in elevation to the summit of Ypsilon Mountain (elevation 13,514 feet); you pass the summits of Mount Chapin and Mount Chiquita on the way. From the trailhead, the path heads downhill to Chapin Creek. For a short distance after leaving the trailhead, keep a sharp eye out to the right for a less obvious trail that heads uphill to the tree line and disappears. From here head up along the steep ridge to the summit of Mount Chapin. Chiquita and Ypsilon are to the left, and the distance between each peak is about 1 mile and involves a descent of about 400 feet to the saddle and an ascent of 1,000 feet along the ridge to Chiquita. From Ypsilon's summit you'll look down 2,000 feet at Spectacle Lakes. You may wish to bring a topo map and compass. Difficult.

Near Indian Hot Springs Resort is a 600-foot waterfall, Bridal Veil Falls. The imposing Charlie Tayler Waterwheel—the largest in the state—was constructed in the 1890s by a miner who attributed his strong constitution to the fact that he never shaved, took baths, or kissed women.

At the heart-in-your-throat Chasm viewpoint, the canyon walls plummet 1,820 feet to the river, but are only 1,100 feet apart at the top. As you peer down into the depths, keep in mind that this section is where the Gunnison River descends at its steepest rate, dropping 240 feet within the span of a mile. A few hundred yards farther is the best place from which to see Painted Wall, Colorado's tallest cliff. Pinkish swaths of pegmatite (a crystalline, granitelike rock) give the wall its colorful, marbled appearance.

Nestled in the shadow of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker, Chasm Lake offers one of Colorado's most impressive backdrops, which also means you can expect to encounter plenty of other hikers on the way. The 4.2-mile Chasm Lake Trail, reached via the Longs Peak Trail, has a 2,360-foot elevation gain. Just before the lake, you'll need to climb a small rock ledge, which can be a bit of a challenge for the less sure-footed; follow the cairns for the most straightforward route. Once atop the ledge, you'll catch your first memorable view of the lake. Difficult.

The park's shortest trail (0.3 miles round-trip) starts at North Rim Campground and offers an impressive 50-yard walk right along the canyon rim as well as an eye-popping view of Painted Wall and Serpent Point. This is also an excellent place to spot raptors, swifts, and other birds. Easy.

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.

About 16 miles west of Pagosa Springs, Route 151 heads south to Chimney Rock National Monument. Twin spires of rock loom over the ruins of more than 100 homes and ceremonial buildings built about 1,000 years ago on a high mesa. The area offers self-guided walking tours of the two trails affording access to the archaeological sites. The Great House Pueblo Trail is short, but steep and exposed, so bring plenty of water. The Mesa Village Trail loop is paved and mostly level.

If you look north toward Anvil Mountain, you'll see the Christ of the Mines Shrine, the centerpiece of which is a 12-ton statue of Jesus carved out of Italian marble. The shrine was erected in 1959 and has been credited with a handful of miracles over the subsequent years. A moderately strenuous 1-mile hike leads to the shrine, which has memorable views of the surrounding San Juan Mountains.

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

At this picnic area, there are several wooden tables under shade trees, plus restrooms, but no running water. The area is wheelchair accessible, although the nearby Cliff Palace dwellings are not.

Though he showed very little of his work and sold even less during his lifetime, artist Clyfford Still has nonetheless been credited as a significant contributor to the abstract expressionist movement, if not one of the most instrumental in its development. The vast majority of his extensive body of work had been sealed from the public since his death in 1980, but in 2004 his second wife chose Denver as the final resting place for a carefully curated portion—a little more than a hundred works of the more than 2,400 pieces, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures. The nine galleries reveal Still's progression in chronological displays, and true to Still's wishes, it offers no restaurant. Periodically, the museum refreshes the works on display to present a new side of the artist's vision.

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.

Just outside Golden is the Colorado Railroad Museum, a must-visit for any train lover. More than 100 vintage locomotives and cars are displayed outside the museum. Inside the replica-1880 masonry depot are historical photos and memorabilia of Puffing Billy (the nickname for steam trains), along with an astounding model train set that steams through a miniature-scale version of Golden. In the Roundhouse you can witness a train's restoration in progress, and in winter, the popular tale of The Polar Express is theatrically performed.

Whether you're staying in Grand Lake or merely stopping on your way to another destination, the 80-mile (one way) Colorado River Headwaters Scenic and Historic Byway between Grand Lake and State Bridge is worth a side trip. The route takes you along the Colorado River, past hot springs, ranches, and reservoirs, through wide spaces with views of mountains, along deep canyons, and through a seemingly incongruous sage-covered desert. Along the turnouts within Gore Canyon, you can get a good look at the roaring Colorado River and train tracks below. Stop by the viewing platform at the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse to see paddlers and boarders playing in the waves.

This walk to the ghost town of Lulu City on the west side of the park is excellent for looking for the bighorn sheep, elk, and moose that reside in the area. Part of the former stagecoach route that went from Granby to Walden, the 3.7-mile trail parallels the infant Colorado River to the meadow where Lulu City once stood. The elevation gain is 350 feet. Moderate.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame traces the development of skiing and snowboarding throughout the world, with an emphasis on Colorado's contributions. Six galleries include old skis and tows, Olympic displays, ski and snowboard history, and an exhibit on the 10th Mountain Division, an army division that trained nearby during World War II.