10 Must Sees in Colorado
I know this may seem dramatic but I have been in love with Colorado for YEARS (while never having visited, haha). This summer my Colorado dream finally came true when I took a 10 day trip at the end of August with my family.
Keep reading to find out all of my must sees in case you're planning a trip out to this beautiful state soon!
WOW - that's all I can say. Whether there's someone you'd be interested in seeing play here or not during the time of your visit, this place is just too good to pass up. My boyfriend happens to be a very big reggae fan so we were lucky enough to attend their "Reggae on the Rocks" night. The atmosphere and views of this concert venue are stunning and it is by far my #1 recommendation to do while in the Denver area!
#2 - Garden of the Gods
If there is one thing you should wake up at the crack of dawn for.... its the Garden of the Gods. We woke up at 3:30 am and drove for 2 hours to see this place at sunrise and it did not disappoint! This park provides scenic walks through amazing rock formations, making it the perfect spot for a photo op!
#3 - Pike's Peak
If you're looking to take a scenic mountain drive that will also make you fear for you life, look no further. Pike's Peak is the the highest summit accessible by man in the Rocky Mountains which makes getting to the top a trip for only brace thrill seekers. With an elevation of 14,114 feet, you cannot be scared of heights to climb this thing. Fun fact - every year people RACE up this mountain and there are no guard rails the entire way up :)
#4 - Pearl Street Mall
While visiting Boulder, don't sleep on the downtown shopping center! This quaint little area is filled mom + pop shops along with delicious places to eat and relax the day away. As I told many of my friends and family when I got back, if I had to choose a place to live in Colorado it would for sure be Boulder!
#5 - Colorado Rockies Baseball Game
I'm very NOT into sports. I seriously couldn't tell you one thing about baseball. So imagine my surprise when I actually had one of the best nights of our trip at a Colorado Rockies game! As a relatively new team, their stadium is modern, beautiful, and located in the center of the LoDo district in Denver.
#6 - McCullough Gulch Waterfall Trail
You can't do Colorado right without a little hiking. We did this trail on our second day in Colorado. While this hike is extremely beautiful, it was very intense because of the fact that your body requires a few days to acclimate to the high Colorado altitude. For me it was especially tough on the lungs. But the views were totally worth it. We climbed up to the edge of a waterfall and also found a lake at the top of the mountain.
#7 - Rocky Mountain National Park
This national park is filled with tons of wildlife, scenic drives, and history. Similar to Pike's Peak, this park features a long and nail biting ride up through the mountains (and once again with no guard railings). The great thing about this park is that you can drive or walk it as much as you'd like. There are small trails you can pull off to take a picture, hang out, OR you can just drive through the whole thing.
#8 - Rafting through the Upper Colorado River
This was my first time rafting and it was so much fun! This two hour guided tour was super chill and an activity you can do with the whole family. Looking back our only regret was that we didn't do a more intensive and longer tour. We loved it so much that we wanted more!!!
#9 - Coors Brewery Tour
Ok I have two key words for this - FREE BEER. That's right, this tour is 100% free and you get three full glasses of any of the beers they make at their factory. Not to mention its kind of cool to see how its all made!
#10 - Denver Botanic Gardens
Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a flower girl at heart. So naturally one of my favorite places in Denver was the Botanic Garden. This park is beautiful and has every variety of plant / flower on the planet. It's definitely a more laid back scene so I would recommend doing this towards the end of your trip when you're super tired and looking for a place to just relax!
So there you have it, my 10 must see attractions when visiting the great state of Colorado...... I miss it so much already, we are already itching to go back!!!
Happy traveling!
xoxo,
Natalie