COME TO LIFE Amusement Parks Coloradans live for a thrill, and that includes the state’s mind-boggling rides. Where else can you look out at soaring peaks as you hurtle into the air on a giant swing? Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park , the nation’s only downtown theme park, has everything a youngster loves, from Mega Wedgie slides to spinning teacups and Fruity Pebbles funnel cake topped with vanilla soft-serve ice cream. Bend your mind on Kaleidoscape, Meow Wolf’s second permanent installation in the city, with seven Denver artists contributing to the park’s ride. Those who love to feel their heart drop into their stomach will thrive at America’s only mountain-top theme park, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park . Clutch the handles on the steepest freefall in the Western U.S. on Defiance Roller Coaster or hug the side of a bluff on Cliffhanger, North America’s highest elevation, full-sized roller coaster. Walking across America’s highest suspension bridge is knee-knocking enough, but Royal Gorge Bridge & Park in Cañon City decided to go even harder with the Royal Rush Skycoaster. On your stomach, you’ll sweep 50 mph through the air and dangle 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River. FROM TOP: EVE NAGODE/ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE & PARK; CHRIS SCHNEIDER/DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE Royal Gorge Bridge & Park Dinosaurs Long-necked giants once roamed the Centennial State, and there are sites far and wide to see tracks, fossils and excavation pits. Sunny Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison is where humans first discovered the Stegosaurus. Kids can compare their feet sizes to the more than 250 dino tracks and visit Backyard Bones, a dig site that teaches tiny excavators how to find prehistoric beasts. Picketwire Canyonlands is home to the largest dinosaur tracksite in North America, with more than 1,900 prints in 130 separate trackways. Be sure to bring plenty of water for this 11.2-mile, round-trip excursion south of La Junta. In Fruita, the Dinosaur Journey museum is top-notch for future paleontologists. The hands-on exhibits feature more than 15,000 fossil specimens and a sandbox where visitors can make their own tracks. The museum also offers Dino Digs , where scientists provide training on how to scout for fossil bones. The fossil-touch carts at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science are the stars of the show in the Prehistoric Journey exhibit. Siblings might relate to the battling Allosaurus and Stegosaurus, and science lovers will enjoy watching fossils being prepped for viewing at the Earth Sciences Lab. Denver Museum of Nature & Science 72 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2024: Page 72
