Colorado Tour
The highlights of Colorado
Green forests, dizzying plateaus, impressive mountains and raging rivers: welcome to Colorado! This vast state in the middle of the US is known for its diverse and fascinating landscapes. It is not for nothing that a tour of Colorado is very popular. According to smber, the state is surrounded by the states of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota . In addition to beautiful nature reserves, colorful Colorado has more to offer.
Colorado landmarks
In addition to the Rocky Mountains, you will find 2 more national parks in Colorado that are definitely worth a visit. Combine this with a visit to the big and cozy cities for a perfect Colorado tour!
- Denver
- Colorado Springs
- Yellowstone National Park
- Aspen
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- St Elmo Ghost Town
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Train journey Durango & Silverton
Read all about it in the top 9 things to do in Colorado.
Nature and landscapes
For nature lovers, Colorado is a true paradise. Alpine mountains, lakes, plateaus, prairies, ravines and deserts surround you during your tour. The high-altitude Colorado continues to surprise you with landscapes in all kinds of colors and shapes. Special nature areas that you should definitely visit are the dizzying Colorado Plateau and the world famous Rocky Mountains . These whimsical, wild rock formations take you into the inhospitable natural areas that Colorado has. The highest point in the state, at 1011 meters, is Mount Elbert in the Rocky Mountains.
During your tour of Colorado, admiring the wild Colorado River and the Colorado Eastern Plains are highly recommended. At the Eastern Plains you will find high plains, prairies and meadows with a vast range here and there. You can relax completely in this rustic, endless-looking environment. The San Luis Valley in the south should also be on your list. Here you will find dry deserts that flow into impressive mountain ranges. Nearby is the Rio Grande Rift, a long rock formation that will leave you amazed.
National parks are very worthwhile during your tour of Colorado. The parks Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and Canyon of the Ancients National Monument are among the absolute top.
The state of Colorado is especially beautiful in the fall!
History and culture
For thousands of years Colorado has been inhabited by all kinds of Indian tribes. The first were the Pueblo, ruins of which can still be found. Later the Ute, Apache, Comanche, Arapaho and Cheyenne also came into the picture. These tribes today live in reservations and try to stick to their own lifestyle as much as possible. A small part of the population is Indian, about 80% is white and about 20% is Hispanic/latino.
Food plays an important role, you will certainly notice that during your tour through Colorado. Rocky Mountain cuisine and Southern cuisine are dominant here. In the city of Boulder, food lovers can really indulge themselves. Here you will find many restaurants and food companies, so there is no shortage of delicious food. Boulder is also the place to be for good beer and wine. The region’s wines are highly sought after even outside of the state. Every year the annual festival ‘Food & Wine Classic’ is held in Boulder where you can taste all kinds of drinks and dishes.
Weather and climate
The fact that Colorado consists of high mountains and flat steppes has an influence on the climate. You will mainly encounter the cold steppe climate and the high mountain climate here. In general, the state is very dry, often resulting in large fires. Furthermore, extremes such as tornadoes, storms, floods and huge hailstones are not uncommon in Colorado.
In the winter months you can ski great in Colorado, in the summer months it is around 30 degrees. It is advisable to travel to Colorado in September/October, in the autumn period (Indian Summer) the forests are beautifully colored.
Tour of Colorado
A tour of Colorado has something for everyone. Lovers of nature, history, culture and food can indulge themselves in this state. In addition, fans of winter sports can fully enjoy themselves in one of the many ski resorts. The ski resorts in Aspen, Vail and Steamboat Springs are particularly busy. Other attractions not to be missed on your tour of Colorado are Glenwood Springs (hot springs) and Dinosaur National Monument (dinosaur fossils).
The road network in the state is fairly dense, but there are significantly fewer roads in the west. The largest roads in the state are Interstate 25 and Interstate 70. You will use them a lot during your tour through Colorado!
Traveling in Western America
If you make a tour through Colorado, there is a good chance that you will also include the nearby states. Wyoming, Utah and South Dakota are perfect to combine with Colorado, not to mention beautiful states.
UTAH
The capital of Utah is Salt Lake City, or the Mormon City. Followers of this religion see Salt Lake City as the holy city, and have established their largest temple here. Utah is characterized by an extremely wide variety of nature reserves, sand plains, lush forests, deserts, rolling valleys and impressive mountain ranges. In addition, you will find huge salt flats here, which are so large and flat that they even provide optical illusions.
WYOMING
The state of Wyoming is best known for the Yellow Stone National Park, with the most beautiful natural phenomena. Don’t forget to attend one of the rodeos when you’re in Wyoming, in this ‘Cowboy State’ you’ll find them all summer long. The largest takes place in the capital Cheyenne, in the last week of July. Another must-see city is Buffalo. The Wild West is evident here, in the historic buildings and museums that line Main Street.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Originally populated by Native Americans, the Sioux, South Dakota is a state with history. Here you can visit Mount Rushmore, an 18 meter high monument. Carved out of granite, there are 4 portraits of 4 American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. For the Native Americans, the ‘Crazy Horse Memorial’ is also located here. This is the largest sculpture ever made by man, of the great Indian leader Crazy Horse.
