West · United States
Colorado
Rocky Mountain high.
Discover Colorado
Colorado offers the Rockies in their most accessible form, alpine passes, ski-towns reborn for summer, and the country's highest paved road.
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Colorado in motion
Colorado Overview
Why visit Colorado
The Centennial State packs 58 peaks above 14,000ft, four national parks, hundreds of hot springs, world-class ski resorts reborn for summer, and one of the most exciting culinary and craft-beer scenes in the USA.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved through-road in the USA, plus alpine lakes, elk meadows and over 350 miles of hiking trails.
Mesa Verde & cliff dwellings
UNESCO World Heritage Ancestral Puebloan dwellings carved into the sandstone of southwest Colorado.
Aspen, Vail & Telluride
Storybook mountain towns, winter ski resorts in summer mode with hiking, gondolas, music festivals and farm-to-table dining.
Million Dollar Highway
The legendary US-550 between Silverton and Ouray, switchbacks, mining heritage and some of the most dramatic mountain driving in America.
Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak
Red sandstone spires, the iconic Cog Railway and Pikes Peak Highway, all from Colorado Springs.
Hot springs & hiking
Glenwood, Pagosa, Steamboat and Mount Princeton, pair a mountain trail with a soak in mineral-rich waters.
Whitewater & gravel biking
Rafting the Arkansas and Colorado rivers, and a fast-growing gravel-cycling scene from red rock canyons to high alpine passes.
Craft beer & culinary scene
More breweries per capita than almost anywhere in the USA, plus Michelin-recognised restaurants, mountain-town distilleries and the country's biggest cannabis culture (where legal).
Festivals & culture
Red Rocks summer concerts, Telluride Film & Bluegrass, Aspen Music Festival and a thriving Indigenous and Hispanic heritage you'll feel in the food and art.
Weather & seasons
Four very different Colorados
- Summer (Jun–Aug): 70–85°F on the plains, 60–75°F in the mountains. Sunny mornings, brief afternoon thunderstorms. Peak hiking, rafting and festivals.
- Autumn (Sep–Oct): Golden aspens, crisp days (50–70°F), thinner crowds, arguably the most photogenic season for a fly-drive.
- Winter (Nov–Mar): World-class powder skiing at Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Telluride. Denver itself stays surprisingly mild and sunny.
- Spring (Apr–May): Lower-elevation hiking, blossoms in Denver and the Front Range, while the high country is still snowy.
300+ days of sunshine a year statewide, but the high-altitude sun is strong; pack sunscreen, sunglasses and layers.
Visitor tips
"Do Colorado Right"
- Acclimatise: Denver is a mile up; ski towns are nearly two. Take it slow on day one, drink plenty of water, and ease into hikes above 9,000ft.
- Book RMNP timed entry: Rocky Mountain National Park uses a timed-entry permit system from late spring through autumn, we'll handle this when we plan your trip.
- Drive smart: Mountain passes can close in winter and storms. A 4WD/AWD vehicle is recommended November–April.
- Leave no trace: Colorado's tourism board champions the "Care for Colorado" principles, stick to trails, pack out everything, give wildlife space.
- Pair it with a city break: Two or three nights in Denver before you collect the car turns a road trip into a complete holiday.
Start In Denver
The Mile High City, your gateway to Colorado
Sitting exactly one mile above sea level where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains, Denver is the natural starting point for any Colorado road trip. It pairs an outdoors-first lifestyle with a serious food, art and music scene, Michelin-recognised restaurants, more breweries than any other US city, and the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre just a short drive away.
Spend a couple of nights exploring LoDo and Larimer Square, the RiNo Art District's murals and taprooms, the 16th Street Mall and City Park's museums, before picking up your car and pointing it west into the Rockies. Denver International is served by direct Aer Lingus flights from Dublin, making it one of the easiest big-sky cities in America to reach.
Full Denver City Break →
Recommended Drives
Suggested itineraries
10 days / 9 nights
Colorado National Parks & Scenic Drives
Route: Denver → Fort Collins → Rocky Mountain NP → Loveland → Glenwood Springs → Montrose → Durango → Alamosa → Colorado Springs → Denver
A self-drive loop of the Centennial State, four national parks, the highest paved road in North America, hot springs, narrow-gauge steam trains and the tallest sand dunes in North America.
- •Day 1, Denver arrival · LoDo, galleries and mountain-backed skyline
- •Day 2, Denver · Denver Art Museum, RiNo Art District, Union Station, 16th Street Mall
- •Day 3, Drive to Fort Collins · Old Town, Poudre River Trail, CSU campus
- •Day 4, Rocky Mountain NP & Loveland · Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, Benson Sculpture Garden
- •Day 5, Loveland to Glenwood Springs · Georgetown, Loveland Pass, hot mineral springs
- •Day 6, Glenwood Springs to Montrose · Hanging Lake, Glenwood Caverns, Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- •Day 7, Montrose to Durango · San Juan Mountains, Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, Balcony House tour
- •Day 8, Durango to Alamosa · Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Wolf Creek Pass, San Luis Valley
- •Day 9, Alamosa to Colorado Springs · Great Sand Dunes NP, Zapata Falls, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs
- •Day 10, Colorado Springs to Denver · Pikes Peak, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, car drop in Denver
15 days / 14 nights
American Grandeurs
Route: Denver → Rocky Mountain NP → Steamboat Springs → Dinosaur NM → Flaming Gorge → Rock Springs → Jackson → Grand Teton → Yellowstone → Salt Lake City → Bryce Canyon → Lake Powell → Monument Valley → Cortez → Mesa Verde → Durango → Taos → Santa Fe → Denver
An epic self-drive across the Rockies and the Southwest, six states, eight national parks and the greatest hits of the American West, bookended by Denver.
- •Day 1, Denver arrival · collect rental car, overnight downtown
- •Day 2, Denver to Steamboat Springs via Rocky Mountain NP and the Continental Divide
- •Day 3, Steamboat Springs to Rock Springs via Dinosaur National Monument & Flaming Gorge
- •Day 4, Rock Springs to Jackson · Wind River Gorge, Jackson Town Square
- •Day 5, Jackson to Yellowstone via Grand Teton · Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, wildlife
- •Day 6, Yellowstone to Salt Lake City · Temple Square and the Tabernacle
- •Day 7, Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon · Wasatch Range, hoodoos at Bryce
- •Day 8, Bryce Canyon (or optional Zion National Park day)
- •Day 9, Bryce Canyon to Lake Powell / Page · red rock meets deep blue water
- •Day 10, Page to Cortez via Monument Valley · Navajo Nation, Painted Desert
- •Day 11, Cortez to Durango via Mesa Verde · Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings
- •Day 12, Durango to Taos · Pagosa Springs and into New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment
- •Day 13, Taos · Taos Pueblo and a day trip to Santa Fe, the oldest US state capital
- •Day 14, Taos to Denver · panoramic mountain drive, Larimer Square
- •Day 15, Denver departure · car drop at DEN
15 days · escorted · Denver to San Francisco
Guided Tour: Rocky Mountain Frontiers
Route: Denver → Rocky Mountain NP → Cheyenne → Mount Rushmore → Deadwood → Cody → Yellowstone → Salt Lake City → Canyonlands → Arches → Capitol Reef → Bryce → Zion → Las Vegas → Death Valley → Mammoth Lakes → Yosemite → San Francisco
An ATI-escorted American West epic with a professional Tour Director, the Mile High City, Trail Ridge Road, Cheyenne's railroad heritage, Mount Rushmore, Buffalo Bill's Cody, Yellowstone's geysers and wildlife, Mormon Salt Lake City, Utah's Mighty 5, the Strip, Death Valley, Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite before a San Francisco finale.
- •Denver, the Mile High City and the gold-domed State Capitol
- •Rocky Mountain National Park, Trail Ridge Road over the Continental Divide
- •Cheyenne, Wyoming's Old West capital and Old Number 4004 Big Boy locomotive
- •Mount Rushmore & Deadwood, the Black Hills, Fort Laramie & frontier gold-rush history
- •Cody, Buffalo Bill Museum and seasonal rodeos and gunfight reenactments
- •Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, Yellowstone Canyon, bison, bears & elk
- •Salt Lake City, historic Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle
- •Moab, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point & two days exploring Arches National Park
- •Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon & Zion, the heart of Utah's Mighty 5
- •Las Vegas, two nights on the Strip with optional helicopter tours and shows
- •Death Valley & Mammoth Lakes, Zabriskie Point, Furnace Creek & the Sierra Nevada
- •Yosemite National Park, granite domes, waterfalls and giant sequoias
- •San Francisco, Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, cable cars & the Golden Gate
15 days · Dallas to Denver
Heartland of America
Route: Dallas → Oklahoma City → Tulsa → Wichita → Dodge City → Pueblo → Colorado Springs → Denver
A classic heartland fly-drive across five states, Dallas and Fort Worth's cowboy heritage, Chickasaw Country, Route 66 across Oklahoma to Tulsa, the Chisholm Trail in Wichita, the Wild West in Dodge City, then up into Colorado for Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and the Mile High City. Offered by our DriveAmerica partner ATI.
- •Dallas & Fort Worth, Sixth Floor Museum, Reunion Tower, Stockyards, Billy Bob's
- •Chickasaw Country & Oklahoma City, Bricktown, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- •Route 66 to Tulsa, POPs in Arcadia, Cyrus Avery Bridge, Philbrook Museum, Brady Arts District
- •Wichita, Old Town District, Old Cowtown Museum, Keeper of the Plains
- •Yoder Amish country, Fort Larned, then Dodge City, Boot Hill Museum, Wyatt Earp's Trail of Fame
- •Into Colorado, Pueblo's Union Avenue Historic District on the Arkansas River
- •Pikes Peak Highway or Cog Railway from Colorado Springs
- •Garden of the Gods red rocks, then Denver, Larimer Square, Colorado State Capitol, City Park
Top Places To Visit
The unmissable Colorado
Colorado's capital city
Begin your journey amid the cultural heart of Colorado.
A signature national or state park
Untouched landscapes that define the Colorado experience.
A coastal or scenic byway
An unhurried drive past viewpoints, diners, and small towns.
An iconic small town
Local craftsmanship, regional cuisine, and Colorado hospitality.
Continue Exploring The West
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Colorado in pictures
