COME TO LIFE | Magic Moments on Public Lands SHOOT THE RAPIDS IN BROWNS CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT. One of the nation’s most popular locations for rafting, this Arkansas River-carved beauty near Salida also hosts fishers, campers, mountain bikers, ATVers, cross-country skiers, hikers and Collegiate Peaks scenic byway drivers. SPY WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVER’S EDGE IN BROWNS PARK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. About as northwest as you can get and still be in Colorado, Browns Park sits in a valley 60 miles west of Maybell. Solitude-seeking hunters, fishers, photographers and campers commune on lands once home to Fort Davy Crockett. FRAME PHOTOS THROUGH MCINNIS CANYONS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA ARCHES. North America’s second-largest concentration of natural arches can be found near Grand Junction. There are no paved roads, but 4x4 trails and a rugged hike can lead prepared adventurers to red-rock arches, spires and rock bridges. RAFT THE TUMBLING RAPIDS OF THE CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER. Colorado’s only nationally designated Wild and Scenic River carves down Poudre Canyon through narrow sections flanked by alpine mountainsides and natural rock cliffs west of Fort Collins. The triumph of paddling over a rapid named Devil’s Staircase is second only to the views and the chance to spot bighorn sheep and deer scampering along its rocky hills. BEHOLD A SEA OF SWAYING SHORTGRASS IN PAWNEE NATIONAL GRASSLAND. Two 300-foot-high mesas visible from miles around, dubbed the “sentinels of the plains” by author James Michener, are the companions of pronghorn, coyotes, kit foxes, hawks and falcons, located west of Sterling. FEEL THE FIRST POLE PULL OF A FOOT-LONG WALLEYE AT NORTH STERLING STATE PARK. Fishers relish lazy summer days perched on the shore, surrounded by wide-open short-grass prairie near Sterling. One of the state’s best warm-water fisheries, North Sterling sends anglers back to their campsites with more than fish tales — walleye, catfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, bluegill, northern pike and yellow perch are on the menu. WATCH FOR WILDLIFE IN THE MOUNT ZIRKEL WILDERNESS. It may seem as though this remote area near Clark would lure only the most experienced trekkers. But gradual rises in elevation make it a good first-time (albeit well-prepared) backpacking or snowshoeing adventure, with almost guaranteed moose and elk sightings. SOAK UP THE PROFOUND QUIET OF SNOWY BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK. When the snow falls each winter, unplowed South Rim Road becomes a track for snowshoers and cross-country skiers who make their way across pristine powder to a canyon overlook east of Montrose. MARVEL AT THE MASONRY OF ANCIENT PEOPLE AT HOVENWEEP NATIONAL MONUMENT. So adept were the construction skills of the Ancestral Puebloans who lived near today’s Cortez, that parts of their structures still stand more than 700 years later. Archaeologists think the area’s multistory brick towers could have been homes, storage silos for crops, defensive forts or ceremonial structures. NORTH STERLING STATE PARK BEHOLD THE MAJESTY OF A GOLDEN EAGLE AT MUELLER STATE PARK. In the foothills of Pikes Peak near Divide, this peaceful gem claims sightings of more than 115 species of birds. Ask for a wildlife and bird checklist at the visitor center. FOLLOW THE LOST CREEK WILDERNESS. Lost Creek’s red-rock formations near Bailey aren’t as dramatic as those at better-known spots, but there are a whole lot more of them. Many of the domes, knobs and spires have eroded in such a way that creeks seem to disappear between their hidden crevices — hence the name. Visit COLORADO.com/Wilderness to find others. FEEL TRUE ENCHANTMENT ON THE HIGH-DESERT PLAINS AT JOHN MARTIN RESERVOIR STATE PARK. In winter, watch snow geese migrate in formation and glide into the water. Summer months are ideal for sunrises over the dew-covered plains near Las Animas. Want More? COLORADO.COM/OUTDOOR-ACTIVITIES 34 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2022: Page 34
