This summer, Colorado welcomes exciting new experiences that will inspire roadtrippers to “Shine a Little Brighter.” The first-ever Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit is a joint promotion of five historic Colorado mountain opera houses and will share the performances, programs, history and stories of these historic venues making it an exciting new roadtrip itinerary. The Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop expanded this year adding three more destination partners to this iconic roadtrip loop that showcases the state’s premier hot springs destinations. For roadtrippers looking to make a lighter impact by exploring via electric vehicle, an eighth Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway was recently certified as a Colorado Electric Byway, and the state is committed to electrifying all 26 of its byways over the next several years. Colorado is home to eight International Dark Sky Parks and five International Dark Sky Communities, many of which were newly designated within the last year. Colorado’s self-guided stargazing tour added three new locations to its roster in preparation for the 2022 summer travel season making for an epic celestial-inspired roadtrip.
For those looking to take learning on the road, the Colorado Tourism Office, in partnership with educators, recently launched a series of Schoolcations educational roadtrip itineraries. The trips are crafted with plenty of hands-on learning, educational adventures and, of course, stops for ice cream. Each was designed with kids from kindergarten to 5th grade in mind, but the activities, outings and accommodations can be enjoyed by children, and adults, of all ages.
Below is a sampling of unique roadtrip itineraries that will take travelers to various regions of the state to immerse in the culture of the communities. For more inspiration, the “Colo-Road Trips” microsite on Colorado.com is a searchable, online collection of hundreds of multi-day itineraries aimed at inspiring travel in less-visited destinations.
Splash Through Northern Colorado:
For roadtrippers who love all things water, start in Steamboat Springs, where rivers, streams, waterfalls and hot springs are a vital part of what sets the destination apart. Fly fish, tube or paddle the Yampa River, the wildest (most free flowing) river in the entire Colorado River system. Visit Fish Creek Falls and explore seven natural mineral springs within walking distance of downtown on a self-guided mineral springs walking tour. After these adventures, travel southeast on Hwy 40 over Rabbit Ears Pass and head toward Walden onto Hwy 14. Stop at State Forest State Park for camping and fishing in the park’s alpine lakes and rivers. Watch for the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, a managed waterfowl nesting area and lush wetlands complete with meandering streams, just outside of Walden. Continue into the Poudre Canyon, a Colorado Scenic Byway. Be sure to stop and see the 100-year-old Mishawaka, a bucket-list music venue offering “classic eats and river beats.” Look for fly-fishers, rafters, kayakers and stand-up paddleboards along the Cache la Poudre, the state’s only designated Wild & Scenic River. Head to Fort Collins and cool off at City Park Pool, the Poudre River Whitewater Park located in the up-and-coming River District neighborhood or Horsetooth Reservoir for boating fun.
Immerse in Native American History and Culture in Southwestern Colorado:
A roadtrip around southwest Colorado leads travelers through the history of the Ancestral Puebloan, Ute and Navajo people. Start at the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park where tribal members interpret tribal culture, pictographs, cliff dwellings, surface ruins and artifacts. From there, head to the Cortez area and visit the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum, an archaeological museum and the headquarters for the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, containing the highest known archaeological site density in the U.S. Attend free Native American dances and cultural programs at the Cortez Cultural Center in the evening. Overnight at the Canyons of the Ancients Guest Ranch and enjoy a traditional Navajo dinner. Just east of Cortez, visit the spectacular cliff dwellings and mesa-top villages in world-renowned Mesa Verde National Park. The park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. Overnight at the Far View Lodge in the park. From there, drive east to the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum in Ignacio and learn about the unique origin, culture, language, history, and way of life of the Ute people. End the roadtip by visiting Chimney Rock National Monument, once home to the ancestors of the modern Pueblo people and travel on to Pagosa Springs, whose name is a Ute word meaning “healing waters.” The hot mineral springs of the area are renowned for their healing qualities. Give them a try and learn the lore of the fight for ownership of the hot springs between the Ute and Navajo people.
Experience Summer in Ski Resorts Through the Rockies Playground:
Colorado’s Summit and Eagle Counties are home to some of the best known ski areas and resorts in the world, and these ski destinations transform into summer playgrounds worth the roadtrip. Start at Arapahoe Basin to experience the highest via ferrata climbing route in North America. Head to Keystone’s bike park with progression-focused terrain for riders of all abilities or hit the greens and enjoy a round of golf at one of Keystone’s two 18-hole golf courses. Drive over Swan Mountain to the historic mining town of Breckenridge that offers endless hiking and mountain biking adventures set against the backdrop of the ski area's massive five peaks. From Breckenridge, head to Copper Mountain and experience Woodward Copper’s on-snow, skiing and riding summer camps. Keep heading west on I-70 and Vail Mountain is hard to miss. Spanning more than 5,000 acres, take a gondola ride from either Lionshead or Vail Village to take in the gorgeous mountain views. Then hit up Epic Discovery featuring the Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster, tubing hill, climbing wall, mini golf, zip lining and more. Just 10 miles down the road from Vail, Beaver Creek sits above the town of Avon. Hike, bike, horseback ride or 4x4 to Beano’s Cabin, high up on the slopes of Beaver Creek Mountain to devour delectable Colorado mountain cuisine.
Taste the Wines of Western Colorado:
Colorado boasts two federally designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): the Grand Valley AVA along the Colorado River between Palisade and Grand Junction, and the West Elks AVA along the North Fork of the Gunnison River between Paonia and Hotchkiss. Together, these regions produce 90 percent of the wine grapes grown in Colorado. Start a wine-inspired roadtrip in the charming town of Paonia stopping in Azura Cellars & Gallery and Alfred Eames Cellars. From Paonia, head to Hotchkiss to taste wines at The Storm Cellar and Mesa Winds Farm and Winery and indulge in their wine and farm to table small plates. Stopover at Big B’s Delicious Orchards for farm fresh produce, area cuisine, live music, hard cider and camping in their orchard. From there, head to Palisade. Shaded by the majestic beauty of the red rock cliffs and mesas that surround Grand Junction and Palisade, Colorado's Grand Valley is home to 30 wineries and vineyards that serve up some of Colorado’s best wines. In Palisade, stop at the Ordinary Fellow that opened in late 2021, taste sparkling wine at Sauvage Spectrum, enjoy a selection of curated Colorado wine at the Colorado Vintner's Collective, taste the flavors of the area alongside Colorado wine at Peche and overnight at the Wine Country Inn. Head to Grand Junction and experience the new Carlson Vineyards tasting room. End the wine tour at Two Rivers Winery and Chateau, located near the Colorado National Monument, for a wine tasting, lodging and incredible views.
Travel Back in Time Through the Canyons and Plains:
Southeast Colorado is shaped by its rich heritage of Hispanic and Native American culture. It’s a special place to enrich perspective, meander country roads and experience fascinating moments in the nation’s history firsthand. Frontiersman Kit Carson, folk hero “Wild” Bill Hickok and explorer Zebulon Pike also followed this path on their fortune-seeking quests, leaving their mark on locations with important historic ties such as Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site and Boggsville Historic Site. And though they’re a tragic reminder of some of the darker sides of history, Amache National Historic Site, America’s newest National Park/Historic Site, and the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site also present an opportunity to learn from the past. Travel even further back in time to Picketwire Canyon, where a guided auto tour shows travelers the largest dinosaur tracksite in North America and the other prehistoric, historic and natural features of the canyon along the Purgatoire River. To the northeast, Vogel Canyon offers four hiking trails and is the site of rock art left behind by Native Americans who lived in the canyon 300 to 800 years ago. Both gems are found within the Comanche National Grassland, whose vast and sprawling short-grass prairie makes it a haven for nearly 400 bird species.Throughout the year, more types of birds can be seen in this region than any other in North America. Thousands of geese descend on the lakes near Lamar annually, and John Martin Reservoir State Park is a hotbed for wildlife. Thanks to an extended growing season, the region is also known for its agricultural side. Rocky Ford in particular is famed for its cantaloupe and watermelon — stop by a roadside farm stand or farmers’ market for a true taste of summer.
Explore Roadside Attractions and Curiosities in the Mystic San Luis Valley:
Colorado’s San Luis Valley is a valley of hidden treasures including quirky roadside attractions (UFO Watchtower, Colorado Gators Reptile Park and Stations of the Cross), incredible scenery and outdoor adventures, interesting towns, unique ranches and agriculture, wildlife viewing and the tallest sand dunes in North America at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. And the area is getting more exciting. Opening this summer, the historic Frontier Drive-In/n is a 1940s-era drive-in movie theater that has been reimagined with nightly film screenings on a fully restored movie screen, overnight accommodations in steelmaster sheds converted to luxury hotel suites and glamping yurts and one-of-a-kind spas located inside signature 3D-printed adobe structures open to the sky. Zapata Ranch, owned by the Nature Conservancy, is offering a slew of exciting new summer workshops. These new offerings come on the heels of the recent renovations and expansion of the hip Mellow Moon Lodge and bike shop in Del Norte, last summer’s opening of the Rustic Rook glamping resort and the purpose built singletrack mountain bike trails emerging on the west side of the valley.
Rumble Like a Pioneer Through the Plains:
While the Rocky Mountains are synonymous with Colorado, so are the rolling plains that make up nearly half of the state. After the Louisiana Purchase, pioneers flocked to Colorado by the thousands, traversing the land in covered wagons, finding the plains a place to farm. Start this roadtrip near Orchard for camping, one of the best beaches in Colorado and activities for anglers, boaters and naturalists at Jackson Lake State Park. From there, search for mule deer, coyote and pronghorns (antelope) near the twin 300-foot-tall Pawnee Buttes in Pawnee National Grassland. Head to Sterling to learn about the pioneers at the Overland Trail Museum, once the most traveled road in America and drive across tracks laid by early railroad pioneers. Drive south to experience the Yuma Irrigation Research Farm where travelers can learn about government tested methods of soil conservation. Head east to hunt deer, quail and turkeys near Wray. From there, drive south to Burlington to ride hand carved wooden horses, giraffes and lions while whirling to the music of a 1909 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ on the 1905 Kit Carson County Carousel. End the trip with some birding. Experience the Mountain Plover Festival in Karval, celebrating a unique bird of the region. Or go bird-watching in Limon’s wetlands area. The Pioneering Plains offer a glimpse of the life of those early trailblazers against backdrops of picturesque vistas, star-filled skies and the sweetest of people.
Go Electric Through the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway:
For breathtaking views, a taste of the west and opportunity to travel one of Colorado’s newly electrified Scenic and Historic Byways, plan your roadtrip along the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway. This stretch of highway offers stunning scenery and stops at some of Colorado’s best-kept secret towns. Drive east of Aspen on Highway 82 over Independence Pass to the historic town of Twin Lakes. Pick up a walking tour map of the historic district at the Twin Lakes Visitor Center. Head to Leadville, the highest elevated city in North America. Leadville is a must-visit with its unique mining heritage, elevated beauty, and world-class outdoor recreation. While charging an electric vehicle, take a tour of the historic Tabor Opera House, learn about mining at the National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame and ride back in time on the Leadville Railroad. For adventurous and iconic Colorado accommodations, try a backcountry hut. At 11,950 feet, Weston Pass Hut boasts the highest elevation of any Colorado backcountry lodging of its kind. 10th Mountain Huts manages a system of backcountry huts, many along this byway, connected by 350 miles of suggested routes. Head over Tennessee Pass past the Camp Hale National Historic Site (where the U.S. Army trained during World War II) and Holy Cross Wilderness Area. Pass through Red Cliff and end in the charming town of Minturn where the Minturn Market and Blue Starlight Drive-In are summer highlights to be enjoyed while charging an electric vehicle.
Bike Through the Roaring Fork Valley:
Take a road trip, or rather a bike excursion, through the Roaring Fork Valley, home to Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. The 40 mile stretch of highway links all five towns via Highway 82 from I-70 to the base of the famed Independence Pass. Together, the region makes up the Aspen Snowmass / Roaring Fork Gold Level Ride Center, the first Gold-Level IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) Ride Center™ in Colorado, only the fifth in the United States, and one of only seven in the world. With more than 300 miles of high quality singletrack to explore, the Roaring Fork Valley provides an incredible breadth of experiences for mountain bike enthusiasts seeking beauty and exhilaration. Guests can choose to drive and explore the trail systems within each town and ride the trails between each destination.
