Tuesday 10 September 2013


Colorado is situated in the range of Rocky Mountains. The state boasts of rivers, mountains and other natural marvels. Denver, a popular metropolitan city is the capital of Colorado. The state of Colorado has more than a hundred mountain tops, including the peak of Mount Elbert at 4,401m, which is the highest point in the entire Rocky Range. Despite this more than half of Colorado is flat. Most of the Coloradoan population lives along the eastern edge of the Rockies. The state has the most extreme climate and tremendous thunderstorms are the most common occurrences in Colorado. These variations of climate and an overall natural bliss makes Colorado a tourist's paradise.

It will be easy for you, if you explore one general direction. All of north, east, west, south and central Colorado regions provide various national parks, historical sites, adventurous experiences and friendly people along with the scenic beauty of this state. Let's get to know some of the exciting stuff you can do in Colorado.

Colorado National Monument
It is popularly known as 'the monument' and is situated near the semi-desert part of the city of Grand Junction. There is a richness of wildlife here and it forms the base camp for various adventure sports including road biking, horse back riding and hiking. The view from the 'Rim Rock' drive is just astonishing. The rock formations such as Monument Canyon, the Coke Ovens, the Kissing Couple and the Independence Monument, the world's largest flat-top mountain 'la mesa grande' are huge tourist attractions. Several sites from the park have been named in the national register of historic places.

Mesa Verde National Park
This is a Spanish term meaning 'green tabletop', because of the dense forests of juniper and pinyon pines. Mesa Verde has been converted to a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1978. Located in the Montezuma county, it is near the 'four corners' (a region formed by the four states of the US namely - Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona). There are some mind-blowing cliff dwellings as well as ruins of the villages of the 'Anasazis' (the ancient Pueblo people) who lived there during the 13th century.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
It is situated in the Teller county in the western region of the 'Pikes Peak,' which is a national historic landmark. The 'Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument' is a place noted for the remains of prehistoric life in fossil form that are preserved in the 'florissant formation' from the Eocene age. Thousands of living species were destroyed about 35 million years ago, due to an enormous volcanic eruption. Those living things are still present there in the form of fossils.

Summit County Expeditions
There are three erstwhile mountain towns in the region of Summit County. A small trip to these townships will provide you with beautiful sightseeing, some fishing and a lot of shopping as well. Frisco is in the center of the county. It is both quiet and cheerful at the same time. Arapahoe National Forest and the lake Dillon makes this town even more tranquil. Dillon is another town with one of the most amazing lakes of the state. It provides you with a great vacation spot anytime throughout the year along with Silverthorne, which is better known as the 'gateway of the Summit County'. There are numerous ski resorts in this town. Shopping is the foremost reason for the rise in tourist populations in this town. You can really enjoy good quality time in all these three towns.

Beaver Creek
It is a bustling mountain, best known for its world-class skiing schools and exceptional quality of snow. It is also a famous resort master planned for the perfect accommodation of the skiers and the friendly western hospitality and grand charm of the European village. The resort has hosted many world level skiing championships. So, if you are interested in skiing, Beaver Creek will prove really exciting for you!

Dinosaur National Monument
It is situated in the south eastern wing of the Uinta Mountains near the banks of the Yampa and Green rivers. The park is a preservation site of the fossils of various sauropod dinosaurs. The rocks that enclose the fossils are sandstones, formed in the 'Morrison Formation'. The dinosaur quarry building is where the dinosaur wall is located, though the initial rocky layer is removed for its exhibition.

Colorado is mainly famous for its parks and historical treasures. There is much more to see, like the historic trails of Pony Express and the Spanish trail, national parks like the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Sand Creek Massacre National Historical Site, Gunnison National Park, etc. Adventure sports like mountaineering and rock climbing, ski resorts and the panorama of various glaciers and lakes make this place absolutely breathtaking! So, when are you visiting Colorado?

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