Ways to Love Summer / COME TO LIFE eagle-eye award by spot-ting some of Colorado’s most majestic residents? A Few Favorite Sites: Moose in State Forest State Park near Walden Bighorn sheep in Bighorn Sheep Canyon and Browns Canyon near Buena Vista Everything from sandhill cranes to greater prairie chickens, snow geese, eagles, hawks, sage grouse, lark buntings and more on Colorado Birding Trails around the state Any National Wildlife Refuge (see page 41) Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park More: COLORADO.com/ WildlifeViewing Colorado has plenty of outfitters who can hook you up with the appropriate gear and lead you to routes you’ll never forget. A Few Favorite Sites: Castle wood Canyon State Park east of Castle Rock Rifle Mountain Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs Ouray Ice Park (winter) North Table Mountain in Golden Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park X Rock in Durango Falls Gulch near Buena Vista Colorado National Monument near Fruita and Grand Junction Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder More: COLORADO. com/RockClimbing 7 BALLOONING Cool OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MESA TRAIL IN BOULDER, JASON LEWANDOWSKI; GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, C2 PHOTOGRAPHY; HANGING FLUME OF THE DOLORES RIVER NEAR URAVAN, KENNAN HARVEY. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, MILES/NICOLE CROSS; CATAMOUNT RANCH CLUB IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, NOAH WETZEL; ELDORADO CANYON STATE PARK, ETHAN WELTY; ROARING FORK RIVER NEAR CARBONDALE, C2 PHOTOGRAPHY; HOT-AIR BALLOON, ISTOCKPHOTO. summer mornings in Colorado make the perfect atmosphere for hot-air balloons. Floating serenely along in a basket suspended from a beau-tiful balloon could be one of the most romantic flights you ever take. A Few Favorite Spots: Boulder Breckenridge Colorado Springs Ridgway/Ouray Longmont Steamboat Springs Pagosa Springs Fort Collins Winter Park/Fraser More: COLORADO.com/ Ballooning 8 RV ROAD TRIPPING An RV trip through Colorado means inspiring views and unmatched experiences. Myriad roadways all lead to adventure, but if you need a few ideas to get started, consider heading along one — or several — of Colorado’s 26 Scenic and Historic Byways. Often taking you alongside the state’s most scenic vistas and to or near its 12 National Parks or Monuments, the byways are a tried-and-true family favorite. RV parks along the way will offer as many or as few amenities as suit your travel style, so get behind the wheel and get moving! More: COLORADO.com/RVing 6 ROCK CLIMBING Reach the state’s most stunning pinnacles with your own two hands. For first-time rock climbers, 7 5 9 GOLF Golf flourishes in Colorado’s varied terrain, where each contour becomes an opportunity for inspiring course design. Traditional courses are plentiful, but tucked away in canyons and mountainsides lay true creative gems, where innovation melds with Colorado scenery to push golf’s imagination to its very boundar-ies — and its ball farther into the high altitudes. A Few Favorite Places: Ironbridge Golf Course in Glenwood Springs The River Course at Keystone Resort TPC Colorado in Berthoud Telluride Golf Club Bear Dance in Larkspur Northeastern 18 in Sterling City Park Golf Course in Denver Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction Mt. Massive Golf Course in Leadville Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora Golf Granby Ranch in Granby More: COLORADO.com/Golf 6 COLORADO.COM / 33
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2019: Page 33
