Some of Colorado's most iconic natural beauty lies outside its national parks, and in its many national monuments, national forests and state parks. Other areas of federally protected scenic beauty in Colorado include: National Recreation Trails, National Recreation Areas, National Grasslands, National Wildlife Refuges and National Wilderness Areas. The Bureau of Land Management also has extensive public land holdings.
national monuments
Archeological and geological points of interest abound throughout Colorado's national monument system.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
(http://www.blm.gov/co/st/...) - In Southwestern Colorado. Contains more than 6,000 archaeological sites, representing Ancestral Puebloan and other Native American cultures.Colorado National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/colm/) - Near Grand Junction. Rim Rock Drive and trail system through red sandstone pillars, arches and other strange rock formations that rise hundreds of feet above the Grand Valley.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
(http://www.nps.gov/flfo/i...) - Near Florissant, west of Pike's Peak. Yes, there really are petrified redwood trees in Colorado, preserved in a rain of volcanic ash during the Pleistocene Era. Up to 1,700 different species have been found, making this one of the most diverse fossil beds in the world.Hovenweep National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/hove/) - Near Cortez. Protects six Ancestral Puebloan villages spread over a twenty-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Iconic to the monument are the multi-storied ruins.
Yucca House National Monument
(http://www.nps.gov/yuho/) - Near Cortez. An entire unexcavated city of Ancestral Puebloan houses, built between 1150 and 1300 A.D.
national scenic trails
Solitude and amazing natural scenery await visitors to Colorado's version of the Appalachian Trail.
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
(http://www.fs.fed.us/rl/b...) - Follows the backbone of the Rocky Mountains for 3,100 mi 4,828 km , from Canada to Mexico. Largely high alpine hiking in pristine wilderness areas. Trail never deviates more than 8 mi 13 km from the Continental Divide.
state parks
America the Beautiful
It's a popular patriotic song played at sporting events and sung by hundreds of different artists. The opening lyrics were inspired by Colorado scenery: O' beautiful, for spacious skies/ For amber waves of grain/ For purple mountain majesties/ Above the fruited plain!
In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates, a former English professor at Wellesley College, ascended Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs and looked out at the view. The panorama of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains inspired Bates to write her poem, which became a popular favorite. By 1895, the poem was set to music, and has never left the public consciousness since.
Recreation and rugged natural beauty are the common denominators for Colorado's 44 state parks.
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
(http://parks.state.co.us/...) - Near Buena Vista. Recognized as one of the nation's most popular locations for whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River - the most commercially rafted river in the world.
national historic trails
Connecting countries, colonies and cultures, these trails were a key part of European settlement of the Western U.S.
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
(http://www.nps.gov/olsp/) - Winding through southwestern Colorado, this 1820s trade route leads from Abiquiu, New Mexico, to Los Angeles, California.Pony Express National Historic Trail
(http://www.nps.gov/poex/) Through the Eastern Plains. Even though it was in operation for only 18 months in the early 1860s, and was shut down with the advent of the transcontinental telegraph, the Pony Express has become an indelible part of Wild West lore.Santa Fe National Historic Trail
(http://www.nps.gov/safe/) Through the Eastern Plains. Commercial route between Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The U.S. Army marched along this trail to invade Mexico during the Mexican-American War, the U.S. conquering and annexing California, Nevada, and Utah, as well as parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming in the process.
national historic sites
Colorado's two national historic sites tell the story, for both good and ill, of European/U.S. relations with Native Americans.
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
(http://www.nps.gov/beol/) - Near La Junta. A restored adobe fur trading post from the 1840s. Learn about the authentic Old West history of traders, trappers and Native Americans, all of whom came to the fort to barter.Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
(http://www.nps.gov/sand/) - Near Chivington. Another dark chapter in U.S. relations with Native Americans. In 1864, soldiers from the U.S. military attacked a peaceful encampment of Cheyenne and Arapaho along Sand Creek, on the Eastern Plains. Out of a group of largely women, children and the elderly, 150 were killed.
national forests
There are 11 national forests in Colorado. Here a few of note with famous landmarks.
Pike National Forest
(http://www.sangres.com/na...) - Near Colorado Springs. Home of Pikes Peak (http://www.pikespeakcolor...), the most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuji. Be sure to drive to the top or ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway (http://www.cograilway.com).San Isabel National Forest
The true high country in Colorado, with 19 of the state's "14ers," including Mount Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado. Contains many famous mountain ranges: the Sawatch, Collegiate Peaks, Sangre de Cristos and Spanish Peaks.White River National Forest
(http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/w...) - Home of the famous Maroon Bells Range, near Aspen. Also home to the pilgrimage site of Mount Holy Cross (http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/w...), a 14,005 ft 4,267 m peak with deep snow-filled crevasses on its face that form a massive crucifix. Near Vail.
city parks
Wilderness areas are hard to define in Colorado, with many of the state's most visited attractions administered by towns and cities. There are many places of cultural and historical significance, as well.
Chautauqua Park
(http://www.chautauqua.com) - Home of one of the few remaining Chautauqua lecture halls a National Historic Landmark, this recreation area abuts the jutting red sandstone crags of the Flatirons, a symbol of Boulder.Denver City Park
Designed in 1882, this graceful urban playground houses both the Denver Zoo (http://www.denverzoo.org) and the Museum of Nature & Science (http://www.dmns.org).Garden of the Gods
(http://gardenofgods.com) - Administered by Colorado Springs, the red rock pillars, arches and bluffs frame snow covered Pikes Peak in the distance. An easy hike, bike ride, or way to exhaust the memory on your digital camera.John Denver Sanctuary
In Aspen. Fan pilgrimage site and monument to the folk artist who gave so many a "Rocky Mountain High."Red Rocks Amphitheater
(http://www.redrocksonline.com). - Located in Morrison on the western edge of Denver, an outdoor concert venue with amazing natural beauty that provides a great view of Denver below. Visit the Rock and Roll Museum at the top of Red Rocks, eat in the restaurant, hike the red sandstone and scrub oak trails for their scenic beauty and wildlife.Royal Gorge
(http://www.royalgorgebrid...) - Cañon City runs a theme park on the rim of this 1,250 ft 380 m deep canyon, including the Royal Gorge Bridge, highest suspension bridge in the world. Not for acrophobes.