25 DINOSAUR NM ROCKY Estes MOUNTAIN Park NP Grand Lake 76 Colorado State & National Parks Colorado State Parks Public Lands 32 1-800-COLORADO 70 CAMP HALE-CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NM MCINNIS CANYONS NCA 70 25 FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS NM National Parks National Monuments* National Conservation Areas COLORADO NM DOMINGUEZ-ESCALANTE NCA GUNNISON GORGE NCA BROWNS CANYON NM BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NP GREAT SAND DUNES NP 25 See the full state map on page 32A and city index on page 192. HOVENWEEP NM CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NM CHIMNEY ROCK NM YUCCA HOUSE NM MESA VERDE NP * The newly designated Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument site is still in the planning stages and not ready for visitors at this time. 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 THE 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. FEEL TRUE HIGH-DESERT ENCHANTMENT 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. 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. GAZE AT 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. 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. ENJOY THE QUIET CHARMS OF THE FLAT TOPS WILDERNESS. Some of the state’s least-traveled roads wind through 200,000 acres of lush river valleys, alpine tundra and sheer cliffs between Yampa, Meeker, Glenwood Springs, Hayden and Craig. Peep the views at Trappers Lake, Dunckley Pass and Devils Causeway. Visit Colorado.com/ Wilderness to find others. TAKE IN A SUNSET IN BROWNS CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT. Watch as the changing light of day alters the hues of the canyon walls and rock formations, often compared to cathedral spires, along the monument’s many backcountry trails near Buena Vista. Explore on horseback, or opt for snowshoeing and cross-county skiing in the winter. 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. FEEL THE FIRST LINE TUG OF A 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 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.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2023: Page 32
