The world is a crazy place that only manages to get stranger by the day, which is why we are more thankful than ever to live in a state that is as beautiful as it is exciting! Not sure what I am referring to? Then check out these 12 incredible places in Colorado that are better than anywhere else in the country:
- Rifle Falls (Rifle)
Flickr/Michael Levine-Clark Do you LOVE waterfalls? Then you are going to love this all-natural wonder, which boasts not 1, not 2, but 3 jaw-dropping waterfalls located side-by-side. Even better? You don’t have to take a long and treacherous journey to reach this beauty, as it can be accessed via a short and sweet .25-mile hike!
2. Conundrum Hot Springs (Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness)
Flickr/Zach Dischner Do you prefer long hikes and somewhat of a challenge? While we still recommend you also visit Rifle Falls, we must also highly recommend the incredible Conundrum Hot Springs, which offers not only a glorious 18-mile round-trip hike but an opportunity to soak in the pictured, all-natural hot springs.
- City Park (Denver)
Flickr/Kari Seriously, folks: What other city has a city park that is this stunning? Take your time answering - we can wait!
4. Wheeler Geologic Area (Creede)
Flickr/John Fowler Not sure what to make of these funky-looking rocks? Believe it or not, what you are seeing is actually 25-million-year-old layers of volcanic ash, which serves as a reminder that Colorado was once home to gigantic volcanoes! In other hard-to-believe volcanic news…
- Dotsero Crater (Dotsero)
Lee Siebert, Smithsonian Institution/Wikimedia Commons …Did you know that Colorado is also home to an ACTIVE volcano? First erupted 4,200 years ago (making it active, which - in this case - means it erupted less than 10,000 years ago), Dotsero is a 2,300-foot wide, 1,300-foot deep volcano that once produced a nearly two-mile-long lava flow, the remnants of which can still be found on both sides of I-70.
6. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Alamosa County)
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve/Wikimedia Commons It doesn’t get any more gorgeous - or surprising - than a random 44,246 acres of sand smack dab in the middle of Colorado! Agree? If you have never explored this area for yourself, do yourself a favor and check it out, as these enormous dunes are truly one-of-a-kind.
7. Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)
Robert Corby/Wikimedia Commons Often topping lists of the best places to see in America, the Garden of the Gods is arguably the most unique garden in the country, as it is not comprised of traditional flowers and shrubs but rather deposited red, pink, and white sandstone, conglomerate, and limestone that were created during a geological upheaval some millions of years ago. (As if you needed another reason to visit, admission to the Garden of the Gods is free!)
8. Manitou Springs Incline (Manitou Springs)
Ixbrian/Wikimedia Commons Located just down the road from the Garden of the Gods, the Manitou Springs Incline is one of the best places to work out in Colorado, as it boasts a steep, 2,744-step incline that burns so good! Need we mention that the views from the top are also downright spectacular?
9. Mesa Verde National Park (Montezuma County)
Rationalobserver/Wikimedia Commons If you think today’s Colorado natives are something special, wait until you learn about our original residents and how they lived! To do this, visit the world-renowned Mesa Verde National Park, which consists of 52,485 acres of Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites.
10. Hanging Lake (Glenwood Springs)
Joshuahicks/Wikimedia Commons If you think all water is blue, you have never seen Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, whose eye-catching turquoise color comes from dissolving carbonate minerals, making it as jaw-dropping as it is extremely fragile.
- Maroon Bells (Aspen)
Flickr/enjoiskate8 You have seen this image on calendars, commercials, and paintings, but did you know that it is a REAL place in Colorado?! Often billed as one of the most photographed places in the country, the Maroon Bells deserve to be at the top of everyone’s Colorado bucket list, as they manage to be even more lovely in person.
- Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison)
David Amirault/Wikimedia Commons Last but certainly not least on our list of places in Colorado that are better than anywhere else in the country is the innovative Red Rocks Amphitheater, which is hands-down the best concert venue in America! Completed in 1941, Red Rocks is an open-air venue built within a red rock structure that has hosted the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.
Do you have a favorite place in Colorado that you would like to see on Only in Your State? Nominate it here! For even more must-visit places around the Centennial State, click on 11 Unassuming Restaurants To Add To Your Colorado Dining Bucket List.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO 80465, USAAddress: Maroon Bells, Colorado 81654, USAAddress: Hanging Lake, Colorado 81601, USAAddress: Cascade, CO 80809, USAAddress: Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, USAAddress: Rifle Falls State Park, 5775 Highway 325, 10379 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650, USAAddress: Conundrum Hot Springs, Colorado 81611, USAAddress: City Park, Denver, CO, USAAddress: Wheeler Geologic Area, Colorado 81130, USAAddress: Dotsero, CO 81637, USAAddress: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, USAAddress: Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde, CO, USA
- Rifle Falls (Rifle)
Flickr/Michael Levine-Clark Do you LOVE waterfalls? Then you are going to love this all-natural wonder, which boasts not 1, not 2, but 3 jaw-dropping waterfalls located side-by-side. Even better? You don’t have to take a long and treacherous journey to reach this beauty, as it can be accessed via a short and sweet .25-mile hike!
2. Conundrum Hot Springs (Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness)
Flickr/Zach Dischner Do you prefer long hikes and somewhat of a challenge? While we still recommend you also visit Rifle Falls, we must also highly recommend the incredible Conundrum Hot Springs, which offers not only a glorious 18-mile round-trip hike but an opportunity to soak in the pictured, all-natural hot springs.
- City Park (Denver)
Flickr/Kari Seriously, folks: What other city has a city park that is this stunning? Take your time answering - we can wait!
4. Wheeler Geologic Area (Creede)
Flickr/John Fowler Not sure what to make of these funky-looking rocks? Believe it or not, what you are seeing is actually 25-million-year-old layers of volcanic ash, which serves as a reminder that Colorado was once home to gigantic volcanoes! In other hard-to-believe volcanic news…
- Dotsero Crater (Dotsero)
Lee Siebert, Smithsonian Institution/Wikimedia Commons …Did you know that Colorado is also home to an ACTIVE volcano? First erupted 4,200 years ago (making it active, which - in this case - means it erupted less than 10,000 years ago), Dotsero is a 2,300-foot wide, 1,300-foot deep volcano that once produced a nearly two-mile-long lava flow, the remnants of which can still be found on both sides of I-70.
6. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Alamosa County)
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve/Wikimedia Commons It doesn’t get any more gorgeous - or surprising - than a random 44,246 acres of sand smack dab in the middle of Colorado! Agree? If you have never explored this area for yourself, do yourself a favor and check it out, as these enormous dunes are truly one-of-a-kind.
7. Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)
Robert Corby/Wikimedia Commons Often topping lists of the best places to see in America, the Garden of the Gods is arguably the most unique garden in the country, as it is not comprised of traditional flowers and shrubs but rather deposited red, pink, and white sandstone, conglomerate, and limestone that were created during a geological upheaval some millions of years ago. (As if you needed another reason to visit, admission to the Garden of the Gods is free!)
8. Manitou Springs Incline (Manitou Springs)
Ixbrian/Wikimedia Commons Located just down the road from the Garden of the Gods, the Manitou Springs Incline is one of the best places to work out in Colorado, as it boasts a steep, 2,744-step incline that burns so good! Need we mention that the views from the top are also downright spectacular?
9. Mesa Verde National Park (Montezuma County)
Rationalobserver/Wikimedia Commons If you think today’s Colorado natives are something special, wait until you learn about our original residents and how they lived! To do this, visit the world-renowned Mesa Verde National Park, which consists of 52,485 acres of Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites.
10. Hanging Lake (Glenwood Springs)
Joshuahicks/Wikimedia Commons If you think all water is blue, you have never seen Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, whose eye-catching turquoise color comes from dissolving carbonate minerals, making it as jaw-dropping as it is extremely fragile.
- Maroon Bells (Aspen)
Flickr/enjoiskate8 You have seen this image on calendars, commercials, and paintings, but did you know that it is a REAL place in Colorado?! Often billed as one of the most photographed places in the country, the Maroon Bells deserve to be at the top of everyone’s Colorado bucket list, as they manage to be even more lovely in person.
- Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison)
David Amirault/Wikimedia Commons Last but certainly not least on our list of places in Colorado that are better than anywhere else in the country is the innovative Red Rocks Amphitheater, which is hands-down the best concert venue in America! Completed in 1941, Red Rocks is an open-air venue built within a red rock structure that has hosted the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.
Do you have a favorite place in Colorado that you would like to see on Only in Your State? Nominate it here! For even more must-visit places around the Centennial State, click on 11 Unassuming Restaurants To Add To Your Colorado Dining Bucket List.
Flickr/Michael Levine-Clark
Do you LOVE waterfalls? Then you are going to love this all-natural wonder, which boasts not 1, not 2, but 3 jaw-dropping waterfalls located side-by-side. Even better? You don’t have to take a long and treacherous journey to reach this beauty, as it can be accessed via a short and sweet .25-mile hike!
Flickr/Zach Dischner
Do you prefer long hikes and somewhat of a challenge? While we still recommend you also visit Rifle Falls, we must also highly recommend the incredible Conundrum Hot Springs, which offers not only a glorious 18-mile round-trip hike but an opportunity to soak in the pictured, all-natural hot springs.
Flickr/Kari
Seriously, folks: What other city has a city park that is this stunning? Take your time answering - we can wait!
Flickr/John Fowler
Not sure what to make of these funky-looking rocks? Believe it or not, what you are seeing is actually 25-million-year-old layers of volcanic ash, which serves as a reminder that Colorado was once home to gigantic volcanoes! In other hard-to-believe volcanic news…
Lee Siebert, Smithsonian Institution/Wikimedia Commons
…Did you know that Colorado is also home to an ACTIVE volcano? First erupted 4,200 years ago (making it active, which - in this case - means it erupted less than 10,000 years ago), Dotsero is a 2,300-foot wide, 1,300-foot deep volcano that once produced a nearly two-mile-long lava flow, the remnants of which can still be found on both sides of I-70.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve/Wikimedia Commons
It doesn’t get any more gorgeous - or surprising - than a random 44,246 acres of sand smack dab in the middle of Colorado! Agree? If you have never explored this area for yourself, do yourself a favor and check it out, as these enormous dunes are truly one-of-a-kind.
Robert Corby/Wikimedia Commons
Often topping lists of the best places to see in America, the Garden of the Gods is arguably the most unique garden in the country, as it is not comprised of traditional flowers and shrubs but rather deposited red, pink, and white sandstone, conglomerate, and limestone that were created during a geological upheaval some millions of years ago. (As if you needed another reason to visit, admission to the Garden of the Gods is free!)
Ixbrian/Wikimedia Commons
Located just down the road from the Garden of the Gods, the Manitou Springs Incline is one of the best places to work out in Colorado, as it boasts a steep, 2,744-step incline that burns so good! Need we mention that the views from the top are also downright spectacular?
Rationalobserver/Wikimedia Commons
If you think today’s Colorado natives are something special, wait until you learn about our original residents and how they lived! To do this, visit the world-renowned Mesa Verde National Park, which consists of 52,485 acres of Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites.
Joshuahicks/Wikimedia Commons
If you think all water is blue, you have never seen Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, whose eye-catching turquoise color comes from dissolving carbonate minerals, making it as jaw-dropping as it is extremely fragile.
Flickr/enjoiskate8
You have seen this image on calendars, commercials, and paintings, but did you know that it is a REAL place in Colorado?! Often billed as one of the most photographed places in the country, the Maroon Bells deserve to be at the top of everyone’s Colorado bucket list, as they manage to be even more lovely in person.
David Amirault/Wikimedia Commons
Last but certainly not least on our list of places in Colorado that are better than anywhere else in the country is the innovative Red Rocks Amphitheater, which is hands-down the best concert venue in America! Completed in 1941, Red Rocks is an open-air venue built within a red rock structure that has hosted the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.
