Colorado Travel Guide

Colorado is a state in the Rocky Mountains region of the United States of America. The highest peaks of the United States portion of the Rockies are here, as are the highest peaks of the "Basin and Range " province and a number of other natural marvels.

Colorado Travel Guide - Regions

There is no universally agreed-upon breakdown of regions in Colorado. You'll often see a very simple structure comprised of the Eastern Slope (meaning everything east of the crest of the Rockies), Western Slope (everything west of the range crest), and anomalous Denver. The breakdown below is a bit more complex, partly for reasons of style and partly because the simple east/west/Denver formulation lumps areas together that are really very disparate. It's also roughly what's used by the Colorado Department of Tourism.

* Denver area -- most populous part of the state, with the large city of Denver and suburbs
* Eastern Plains (Colorado) -- least populous part of the state, agricultural country
* Front Range -- follows the northern part of the Rockies, with such well-known attractions as Rocky Mountain National Park
* Northwestern Colorado -- spectacular canyon-and-mesa country reminiscent of neighboring Utah
* South Central Colorado -- high country in the southern part of the Rockies and also the San Juan Mountains, with a broad, pleasant valley between them
* Southwestern Colorado -- more canyon-and-mesa country best known for the archaeological wonders of Mesa Verde National Park

Colorado Travel Guide - Cities

* Aspen
* Boulder
* Colorado Springs
* Denver (Metro)
* Fort Collins
* Golden
* Loveland
* Pueblo
* Winter Park
* Grand Junction
* Gunnison
* Leadville

Colorado Travel Guide - Ski Resorts

* Arapahoe Basin
* Aspen
* Beaver Creek
* Breckenridge
* Copper Mountain
* Keystone
* Ski Loveland
* SolVista
* Steamboat Springs
* Sunlight Mountain
* Telluride
* Vail
* Winter Park

Colorado Travel Guide - National Parks, Monuments, Etc

* Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
* Colorado National Monument
* Curecanti National Recreation Area
* Dinosaur National Monument
* Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
* Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
* Mesa Verde National Park
* Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado Travel Guide - Geography

Colorado is split down the middle north to south by the Rocky Mountains. To the east is a region of high prairie, dry and wide open. To the west are rugged mountains arranged in various groups or ranges. (Interestingly, the largest single range in the state, the San Juan Mountains of the southwestern quarter, aren't technically part of the Rockies.) Meandering through the mountains is an imaginary line called the Continental Divide. This marks the flow of precipitation. Rain falling on the west of the Divide makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. Rain on the east makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Colorado has 54 mountain peaks above 14,000 ft of elevation. The highest peak, Mount Elbert, rises to 14,433 ft above sea level. Tourism is a major industry, with skiing, hiking/camping, hunting, and fishing as large sources of income for the state economy.

Colorado's population was 4,301,261 in the 2000 census, and the state's population is growing, particularly in the large towns along the Front Range where the prairie and mountains meet. These towns include the capital, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. Many of the residents of Colorado migrated from other states so being a "Colorado Native" is a point of pride with many people.

Colorado Travel Guide - Getting There

All major airlines fly into Denver International Airport as it is the major hub for the region.

Colorado Travel Guide - Getting Around

If you want to travel the state, then you will need to rent a vehicle. Prices are the same as across the United States.

The major cities (Denver, Boulder, Loveland, Longmont, Broomfield) are linked by bus transportation using RTD. The cost is very reasonable and the buses run regular schedules.

Taxis are also available throughout the state.

Colorado Travel Guide - Things To Do

Mountain Climbing

* Of the 54 so-called "Fourteeners" (those mountains with an elevation above 14,000 ft.), many can be climbed without ropes or technical experience. The rewards are breathtaking. An informative web page is http://www.14ers.com .The current standard among introductory guidebooks to routes on Fourteeners is Borneman and Lampert, "A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners." This book is updated frequently to reflect changes in access restrictions (several are on private land or have private holdings high on the mountain that interfere with some routes), and the latest edition as of 2005 is ISBN 0871088509. Many people also find Gerry Roach's (the second person in the world to summit all of the "Seven Summits") book, "Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs" ISBN: 1555914128 to be a comprehensive guidebook for hiking and climbing these Colorado giants. Colorado has more "14ers" than any other state in the USA. Be prepared for crowds on some of the more popular summits during the summer on weekends. Also be prepared for an outing, as conditions can and do change rapidly on Colorado's high mountains.

* There are also many "high Thirteeners" that are nearly as rewarding to climb as the Fourteeners, while typically far less crowded with would-be mountaineers. Some of the high Thirteeners are more technically difficult than any Fourteener and require rope and technical expertise.

Whitewater Rafting Golden has a world-class kayak course that is free and open to mostly year round use. There are several kayak shops in Golden, and they also have demos and clinics on various dates.

* Many of the mountain towns along the Colorado River offer whitewater rafting excursions. You can choose a half-day, full-day or overnight trip.

Festivals

* Mesa Verde Country Indian Arts & Culture Festival. May is archaeology month in Colorado and there is no better place to celebrate than Mesa Verde Country, the archaeological center of America. Archaeology ties all of us to the heritage we proudly share with the Ancestral Pueblo people from the past and the Native Americans living here today.

* Mesa Verde Country Wine & Art Festival. October 6-7, 2006

* Taste of Colorado Every year in downtown over 40 restaurants set up booths near the state capitol in Civic Center Park to celebrate the weekend. Admission is free but tickets are needed for the carnival rides and other attractions. A website is available at http://www.atasteofcolorado.com/ for more details.

Colorado Travel Guide - Eat

Colorado is filled with a large variety of restaurants with different cuisines. You can find almost everything you would ever want to eat or drink.

Article Source: Wikipedia