12 Best Places to Visit in Colorado

Aerial view of mountain valley with small town and some orange trees among green — The peaks and valleys around Mountain Town and Telluride are spectacular in all seasons.

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This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on September 21, 2026, with current information.

You could spend decades exploring Colorado’s stunning scenery and top attractions and still have more to experience. No single trip can cover everything that makes the state a traveler’s dream destination. Hit the highlights by following this guide to top experiences in each season, from relaxing hot springs to epic hikes and everything in between.

The best places to visit in Colorado in fall

Colorado is spectacular year-round, but autumn’s vivid colors and mild temperatures guarantee a particularly magical visit.

Tumbling River Ranch

A dude ranch stay is a quintessential Colorado getaway. Among the state’s newest off-the-grid offerings is Tumbling River Ranch, a renovated, 21-room luxury property in the Pike National Forest about an hour west of Denver. The updated log cabins (first built in the 1930s and ’40s) have a modern mountain vibe, with a combination of vintage decor, zellige-tiled showers, and, in some, wood-burning fireplaces. Cedar hot tubs and a wooden barrel sauna await by Geneva Creek, while the hotel’s open-fire kitchen helps produce hearty, family-style meals, with the added option of s’mores. Now an all-year destination (inclusive nightly rates start at $840 depending on the season), Tumbling River is at its best when guests can horseback ride, rock climb, and fly-fish against a backdrop of gold and orange leaves.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Trees in autumn colors dot mountain and forest landscape, with glimpse of lake in middle — Hit up Rocky Mountain National Park in shoulder season for all the beauty and fewer crowds.

Many of this park’s 4 million annual visitors flock to Rocky Mountain National Park in summer, so visiting in September or October is a good strategy for fewer traffic backups on Trail Ridge Road (a must-do, high-elevation drive traversing alpine tundra). Fall is also mating season for the park’s elk herd, and the possibility of hearing bulls’ distinctive bugles adds to any outing. The 4.5-mile Moraine Park Loop trail, which can be shortened to preference, is a good bet for spotting the majestic creatures. You might also sight wildlife on a walk through Estes Park, the mountain town gateway to the park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Visiting the tallest dunes in North America typically means overnighting at one of the park’s campgrounds, because accommodations are scarce near the remote Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, some 230 miles south of Denver. For those who prefer not to sleep on the ground, the Dark Sky–approved Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa offers geodesic glamping domes 20 minutes from the park. Campers are rewarded with dusk’s and dawn’s light shows on the sand dunes, which ripple beneath the sawtoothed Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Summers are scorching, but in fall, sand surfaces remain comfortable all day. Scramble across the dunes or rent a sandboard or sled to surf the slopes like waves.

Best places to visit in Colorado in winter

Snow envelopes much of the state in the colder months, turning urban areas into winter wonderlands and promising world-class outdoor fun.

Pagosa Springs

Nothing cures the chill of Old Man Winter quite like a dip in the natural hot springs that pepper the Centennial State. Pagosa Springs requires some effort to reach—it’s five hours from Denver and an hour from Durango’s airport—but it’s well worth the drive to relax in the recently renovated pools at the Springs Resort & Spa. Adjacent to the San Juan River (for a natural cold plunge) and surrounded by the craggy San Juan Mountains, the 50-plus pools are fed by the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring. Choose the best temperature for your recovery goals, after a day carving through the deep powder at Wolf Creek Ski Area, snowmobiling across groomed and backcountry trails, or riding the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Telluride

Distant view of several skiers near top of ski lift, with snow-covered mountains in background — Telluride, Colorado, is all about the skiing. And the views. And the restaurants . . .

Sure, it’s far from major cities, but I wager that the only winter enclaves with mountain vistas that rival Telluride’s are in the Alps. These jagged southwest Colorado slopes offer scenery so jaw dropping, I always feel dazzled, regardless of the snow conditions. And several mountaintop eateries showcase the splendor. Perched at 11,966 feet, Alpino Vino ranks as the second highest restaurant in North America and serves Northern Italian food and a wide array of wines in a cozy stone and log cabin. More tableside panoramas—and an award-winning wine list—await at Allred’s Restaurant at 10,551 feet.

Meow Wolf Denver

Since “Convergence Station” opened in 2021, the Meow Wolf Denver outpost of the immersive art collective has grown into a full-scale entertainment venue. Beyond the 70-plus rooms filled with interactive art, all tied to a mysterious storyline that visitors can uncover, the site hosts live music, dance parties, and variety shows. Sips (with a Z) is a cocktail bar and lounge “for Earthers looking to take a load off in their natural gravitational conditions,” according to the website. Mirrored walls reflect a mashup of classical sculpture and graffiti, and vintage furniture provides myriad perches for pondering the experiential art. The multiverse that is the basis of the quirky art experience continues to grow as well: An archaeology-inspired room, Heirloomarium, debuted in September 2026.

Best places to visit in Colorado in spring

Visitor numbers drop during the spring, which makes the season the ideal time to visit some regional hot spots minus crowds. Just remember to pack for snow, rain, and blazing sunshine.

Casa Bonita

Coloradans Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of the South Park animated TV series) reportedly spent more than $40 million renovating Casa Bonita, a Denver icon of Mexican food and carnivalesque stunts. A longtime staple for family birthday parties and fans of the show, the venue’s summer 2023 reopening cleaned up the then-49-year-old space and unveiled a menu designed by James Beard–nominated chef Dana Rodriguez. Diners (around 1,000, at capacity) don’t just dig into chicken enchiladas and pork carnitas tacos—they also fork over $40 per person to watch cliff diving in the waterfall-fed pool, puppet shows, and live mariachi performances.

Aspen

Crowds taper, but deals abound during this fashionable destination’s shoulder season (known to locals as mud season). In April and May, Aspen’s celebrated restaurants often offer discounted menus and drink specials, and at these elevations (the Snowmass base village sits at more than 8,000 feet), snow can blanket the slopes well beyond the resorts’ typical mid-April closing dates, making for slushy, but fun ski conditions—and rowdy parties. At Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, the springtime ritual includes uncorking staggering quantities of champagne on the summit-ringed outdoor deck.

Fruita

Idyllic weather and blooming cactus make spring my favorite time to visit Colorado’s canyon country, and Fruita is the best home base. From here, it’s a 20-minute drive to the sculpted red rock sandstone spires of Colorado National Monument, and world-famous mountain bike trails are even closer. Fruita’s walkable downtown includes the Hot Tomato, which tosses East Coast–style pizza that’s good as gospel. Live music often enlivens the area, and for sips, there are award-winning wineries in Palisade, 25 minutes east.

Best places to visit in Colorado in summer

Colorado’s hiking and biking trails come into their own during the warmer months, while road-tripping offers a flexible way to see much of the state—including in an EV on the 20 charged-up scenic byways that crisscross the state.

Crested Butte

Shaded meadow with wildflowers and footpath in forested mountain valley — It’s hard to pick only one season for Crested Butte.

After more than two decades in Colorado, I still gape at the beauty of Crested Butte, because in a state that’s chockablock with pretty views, this town always finds its way to the top of the list. Sheer peaks rise up beside the streets’ grid, where colorful, mining-era Victorian buildings line the sidewalks. No highway noise ruins the mountains’ quiet, and only merry sounds emerge from Elk Avenue’s bars and eateries. The surrounding trails wind through aspen groves and meadows that are deservedly famous—never more so than during July’s unmatched display of wildflowers. Visit during the annual Crested Butte Wildflower Festival for guided hikes, photography workshops, and art classes.

Buena Vista

Bagging a fourteener (hiking to the summit of a 14,000-foot mountain) is a Colorado rite of passage, and Buena Vista—about two hours southwest of Denver—offers access to the highest concentration of these peaks in the state. It’s also a prime put-in locale for whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River, which flows right by downtown. Make an easy weekend of it by overnighting at one of the many campsites that speckle the surrounding Collegiate Peaks Wilderness or settling in at the boutique, riverfront Surf Hotel, from which you can walk to the eateries and shops on the main drag.

Fort Collins

Visit during Colorado State University’s summer break, and you won’t have to elbow your way into this northern Colorado city’s esteemed breweries. Nationally known New Belgium Brewing Company organizes the annual Tour de Fat each August, when upwards of 20,000 wildly costumed cyclists pedal the streets. You can also find your favorite pour at any of the two dozen beer spots across the city. Make the 103-year-old Armstrong Hotel your downtown home base, and stroll from its classy-hip rooms to shopping and eating in Old Town—a neighborhood so delightful, it inspired Disneyland’s Main Street USA.

Kelly Bastone

Happiest when she’s outside, Kelly Bastone lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, but she chases outdoor adventure around the world. She covers gear and outdoors as a freelance writer for Afar.