10 Best Colorado State Parks for All the Stunning Views and None of the National Park Crowds

Lathrop State Park, Walsenburg

Lathrop State Park was the very first official Colorado state park. The truth that it was put apart and preserved in 1962 tells you a large number concerning the panorama, which is located within the shadow of the Spanish Peaks in southern Colorado and has two lakes which can be widespread for boating and fishing. Lathrop State Park has nice tenting and is simply over an hour east of Nice Sand Dunes Nationwide Park, making it a simple journey basecamp or add-on to a nationwide park go to.

Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Golden

Simply west of Denver within the foothills of Golden is Golden Gate Canyon State Park, which is thought for its stellar views—together with some over Colorado’s Continental Divide. The park has 35 miles of trails, usually resulting in high-mountain meadows, wooded forests, and rocky peaks. Plus, it’s additionally recognized for its occasional moose sightings.

Colleen Huther, normal supervisor of Hotel Boulderado in Boulder, shared with Journey + Leisure that, “Golden Gate Canyon affords golden aspen groves, open meadows, and panoramic overlooks that stretch for miles.” The park is a good alternative for these staying in Boulder and Denver, as it’s round 45 minutes from each cities, making it a simple day journey.

Mancos State Park, Mancos

Not all of the Colorado state parks are centered round boating, fishing, and tenting. At Mancos State Park, guests can dive a bit deeper into the world’s cultural historical past. The park land was as soon as inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans, a Native American civilization that lived within the space in historical instances. The lengthy historical past might be felt within the park, which can be famend for its views of the San Juan Mountains.

Many use the park as a basecamp for exploring the broader archaeological space, together with the close by Mesa Verde National Park, a private favourite of mine.

Sylvan Lake State Park, Eagle

Fishing is huge in Sylvan Lake State Park due to trout-stocked Sylvan Lake, however the wooded panorama that surrounds the water is simply as attractive. It’s not shocking that the Ute, an Indigenous tribe, made their houses within the Eagle Valley, migrating with the seasons and their meals supply. (As a bonus for these actually desirous to get off the grid: There is no such thing as a cell or web service in Sylvan Lake State Park.)

Yampa River State Park, Hayden

The winding Yampa River types the guts of Yampa River State Park, simply west of Steamboat Springs. One of many final free-flowing rivers within the western United States, the Yampa runs for 250 miles, carving by canyons, ranchland, and excessive desert. The park encompasses 134 miles of that stretch and is split into 13 distinct sections. Every part affords its personal attraction—from calm waters superb for fishing to rapids that draw rafters and kayakers from across the area.

Ridgway State Park, Ridgway

The very first thing that can catch your eye at Ridgway State Park is the sprawling reservoir that winds its method alongside the bottom of a mesa, and whereas boating and fishing are among the park’s most important attracts, there are additionally loads of biking and mountaineering trails, together with a whopping 282 campsites, together with loads of full RV hookups, tent websites, and year-round yurts.

I grew up going to this state park and extremely advocate an early-morning paddleboard alongside the glassy shoreline or a household day spent on the swim seashore. Both method, the views of the San Juan Mountains from the water are exhausting to prime.

State Forest State Park, Walden

State Forest State Park is exclusive in that it’s situated within the far northern a part of the state, close to the Colorado-Wyoming border. It’s giant, distant, rugged, and very stunning. With over 70,000 acres out there to discover, guests can tackle the park’s 136 miles of path, go to excessive alpine lakes, and climb jagged peaks. State Forest State Park can be widespread with backpackers and campers trying to get away from all of it, and has a number of cabins and yurts for vacationers searching for consolation—with actual beds, warmth, and lights.

Eldorado Canyon State Park, Eldorado Springs

Simply 20 minutes south of Boulder, situated among the many ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​space’s iconic pink sandstone, is Eldorado Canyon State Park. Huther mentioned, “One of many good components about visiting Boulder is how shut you might be to a few of Colorado’s most breathtaking state parks. A brief drive south takes you to Eldorado Canyon, the place sandstone cliffs and a vigorous creek make it a favourite spot to go to for climbers and hikers.”

It’s value noting that due to its location, Eldorado Canyon is usually busier than a lot of the different state parks on this listing. To maintain crowds at bay, the park has added a timed entry reservation system on weekends and holidays from Might to October.

Rifle Falls State Park, Rifle

Rifle Falls State Park is tiny, with simply 48 acres to its identify, however it’s also one of many state’s most stunning and sudden treasures. Whereas limestone cliffs and towering plateaus make up the higher Rifle panorama, the park is surprisingly lush—virtually tropical. The little gem encompasses a triple 70-foot waterfall that flows over a travertine dam and limestone caves which can be set underneath the falls.

The park is small, however it affords in a single day guests 20 campsites, some with electrical hookups.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado Springs

A brief 15-minute drive south of downtown Colorado Springs takes you to Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It might be one in every of Colorado’s latest state parks—it was acquired in June 2000—however it’s properly value a go to, particularly for birders. Cheyenne Mountain State Park is house to 100 species of birds, together with occasional deer, black bears, coyotes, and foxes.

The park sits on the location of a former ranch and is tucked beneath the japanese flank of Cheyenne Mountain, a mountain with three peaks that’s most well-known for the extremely protected U.S. navy set up set deep inside it.