2018-05-05 02:34:37
Colorado’s four National Parks are home to some of the world’s most wondrous and diverse scenery, not to mention outdoor and cultural experiences for every visitor. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK With high-mountain lakes, waterfalls and streams, peaks more than 4,200 metres above sea level, thick evergreen forests and acres teeming with wildlife (elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose and more), this park conjures up what most people imagine when they think of the Rockies. With so much to see and do within its boundaries, there’s no wonder its popularity endures — despite that, it still harbours many opportunities for solitude. Magic Moment Between May and mid-October (weather dependent), Trail Ridge Road takes drivers over mountain ridges, past weathered tundra overlooking sweeping valleys and into the clouds. The ribbon of a road between Estes Park on the park’s east side and the marine town of Grand Lake at the park’s western entrance. Nearby Towns Estes Park, Grand Lake MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK This special park is home to the amazingly preserved Ancestral Puebloan dwellings. Tucked securely into cliff walls, the adobe-constructed homes are a novel sight to visitors who crane their necks skyward to see them. On ranger-led tours, ladders give groups access to the cliff dwellings and glimpses into the daily lives of Ancestral Puebloans. Magic Moment Let your imagination take over on the one-hour walking tour of Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling and home to multiple living enclaves and buildings, as you picture how life was for its residents. Nearby Towns Cortez, Durango, Mancos, Dolores GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE Sink into the highest mountains of sand in North America. Nestled in a spot where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains buckle inward, the dunes have been building and sifting for eons — the result of the surrounding San Luis Valley’s distinctive wind patterns. A sandbox of epic proportions, the entire dune field encompasses 78 square kilometres and the tallest dune towers 229 metres high. Sled down the sand year-round and plunge into the soft-sand tracks of those who climbed ahead you. Aside from the dunes, you’ll find picnicking, hiking and camping opportunities, horseback-riding trails, the mysteriously appearing and disappearing Medano Creek, and ranger-led nature walks. Magic Moment Choose your own calf-burning path up the dunes, particularly at dusk when the light gives them a rich gold color and shadows snake across their wind-sculpted ridges. Nearby Towns Alamosa, Mosca,Fort Garland, Antonito BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK The Black Canyon leaves visitors speechless with its beauty and dramatic landscape. The Gunnison River began carving the canyon millions of years ago. It’s so named because the walls are often shrouded in shadows that make them appear black, and the canyon has some of the world’s oldest exposed rock — Precambrian or “basement” rock that is nearly 2 billion years old. The park provides an array of outdoor activities: auto touring, wildlife viewing, camping, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and stargazing are just the start. Magic Moment When night falls over this quiet park, a parade of stars emerges to glisten and amaze. Named an International Dark-Sky Park, this is one of the best places in the country to spy the Milky Way in all its glory. Rangers and local astronomers frequently offer programmes to help visitors make the most of the darkness. Nearby Towns Montrose,Gunnison, Crawford
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