Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is absolutely worth visiting. The canyon is stunning,…read moreand there are numerous overlooks that provide incredible views without requiring a hike. If you do enjoy hiking, there are several trails to choose from as well. One thing we really appreciated was that the park is pet-friendly. Dogs are allowed on all overlooks and on select trails, which are clearly marked, making it easy to plan your visit if you're traveling with a pet. The park has a visitor center, restrooms, and drinking water fountains, but they do not sell bottled water, so be sure to bring plenty with you--especially during the summer. Many of the trails are fairly short, but there is very little shade, so you'll be in direct sunlight for much of your visit. We visited shortly after a wildfire, so there were some burned trees and shrubs throughout the park. Even so, the scenery was still incredibly beautiful and well worth the trip. If you don't have an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass, admission is $30 per vehicle. Overall, this is a fantastic park with breathtaking views, whether you're stopping at the overlooks or spending the day hiking.

Where to start? I love a National Park and this is no exception. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a…read morefairly understated park, as in many folks don't know about it. It's further out west in Colorado so it takes a bit of effort to find yourself here but you will be rewarded if you venture out west. First of all this part of Colorado is gorgeous and a bit less traveled so you'll have more space to yourself which is lovely. The canyon itself is incredible. It reminded me a lot of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone if you've ever seen that. We did several smaller hikes around the rim as we had little kids in tow. Be sure to hold onto those small hands as I was pretty nervous about them falling in since it's just a big ol' drop around the edges. All that being said, this is a great park and I'd love to return sometimes without kids or when the kids are older to do one of the bigger hikes.

I left town because some kind of music event was going on. The town became chaos and no one…read moredirecting traffic. My peace was gone.

My daughter wanted to burn off some energy and we saw this on some lists online and decided to go…read moreand see it. It was really cool. Essentially some boulders that you can climb on. I wish there were smaller boulders for little kids though. It's also awesome that it's free. I would definitely go back if I'm in the area again.

What a cool tribute to John Denver! The garden is beautiful and free!! We were there during…read moreoffseason so I can only imagine what it looks like in the summer. It's a nice walk around, right in the town of Aspen. Kid friendly dog friendly but not wheelchair accessible, it was a rocky path with some stones crossing little streams. If you're in Aspen you should definitely check it out !

What an incredibly gorgeous, peaceful, and ethereal place to take a stroll…read more Im more of a walk-not-hike and I-like-plants-not-nature kinda gal. I could've sat and admired the landscape of this place forever. Wildflowers, and natives, gentle water and little animals about. 10/10 explore if you visit. Bonus if you're the type of person to pull out Zillow and see what some of these places backed against the sanctuary go for. (Seems fair to me!)

Great option for stretching your legs (and your kid's legs) during a road trip. The playground is…read moreplenty big and has options for small and larger kiddos. There are public restrooms (still open the first weekend of Oct) and lots of picnic tables.

You may not expect terrific park equipment in this neck of the woods, but you would be mistaken. We…read morefound this wonderful spot by accident and it is a terrific destination to get the kids out to burn some energy. There are extensive monkey bars, slides and swings. There's even a sandbox. But compared to everything else, the sandbox just isn't exciting. If you have younger ones, this is a great place to stop.

South-Central Colorado is where the Rio Grande National Forest lies…read more I sure did miss this place. Every summer when I was younger, my dad would stop slaving in the oilfield and my mom would take me out of school for two weeks just to go camping up here. This was back before truancy laws became so strict in the New Mexico educational system. I caught my first rainbow trout in the Rio Grande River. I remember how exhilarated I felt. I especially remember how proud my folks were. This is where I learned to *really* listen to nature. Where I learned my dad was resilient when he wanted to be. Where I learned my mom was a whole lot more fun to be around than when she was yelling at us three kids at home. This is where I gained a love of hiking. I would give up a lot of things just to go hiking with my grandad and grandmother in these forests again. This is also where I met my former fiancé. May he rest in peace. Works Cited https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/riogrande

The Rio Grande National Forest spans over 1.83 million acres in southern Colorado. You can enjoy…read moremuch of its beauty by hopping on and off your drive along Route 160. We were headed from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Mesa Verde and completely underestimated this stunning drive. It seems as though much of this area is untouched and not visited by many as we were the only ones one the road for miles and miles. Some fun facts: -The Rio Grande which obviously runs through this forest with the same name starts its 1800 mile journey down to to the Gulf of Mexico high up in the San Juan Mountains in the western most part of this forest. -The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the border on the west side of the Forest and the jagged tops of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the eastern border. -In between the two mountain ranges, Sangre dr Cristo and San Juan sits the San Luis Valley which is said to be the largest agricultural alpine valley in the US! -The Forest is 7600 ft above sea level and peaks at 14,300 feet Warnings: -The elevation is NO JOKE! I definitely felt it here. The kids didn't mention anything however. Come prepared with a electrolyte fluids and/or electrolyte bands. (I get mine on Amazon) -The roads are curvy and much of them remain without a guard rail. That in combination with the potential weather and slippery roads, and the wildlife...I don't suggest driving on here at night. Plan according to be off the roads before complete sunset, but try to stay on for the beginning of it! Beautiful! -Get gas before entering down this stretch of 160! Not a station is around! -You will have little to no cell reception. The sights are beautiful! Make sure you stop and wander a bit, but don't get lost as it's fairly remote and desolate and you will most likely not have cell reception. There's definitely wildlife as we stumbled upon what I believe was a deer carcass, rib cage and pelt just at the base of the Rio Grande. (There's no school class quite like self exploration for the wee ones) Oh, and if you're an avid hiker and have your filtration water bottle on hand, take some sips of the Rio Grande! How many can say they have? Cool! My kiddos very much enjoyed snowball fights mid April! It seems from the weather reports on their site there's usually snow here even in the summer, just higher up the peaks. So fun! I would come back again to explore and backcountry camp OTG (off the grid) a bit next time. We recommend exploring on your drive through this section of the highway.

Drove into town for breakfast and decided to walk area the area…read more Came across this amazing river! There is a lovely walking trail that takes you down big portions on the river on both sides. Port A Jon's near the head of the trail and they do have communal life jackets you can borrow off honor policy as well as a changing station. Many benches along the way and information stands. Great spot for people who do white water rafting, canoeing and some fishing. Great spot! if you are looking for some outdoor views, a place to picnic or go on a decent walk. Highly recommend a visit. Overall, 5/5 especially for stunning views!

What a fantastic area!!…read more Large parking lot for recreators. bathrooms at the parking lot, currently closed for winter. Port a potties available. Picnic tables just off the parking lot. And a whole beautiful trail system available to hikers and mountain bikers just across the river/bridge. WOW! would definitely love to explore this more next time i am in the area. They also have a trail for walking and biking on the other side of the river. Not sure how the water park of this works as we visited in february so not the season for that, but loved this area a lot! Will dfinitely be back to do some more exploring!

People here were so nice! We wanted to cross country ski and they were incredibly helpful and we…read morerented skis from them easily. The place had an outdoor pool, a couple laps, and a hot tub that people were using. The slide is only open during the summer. The gym inside was well-used. Great local find!

Great place with friendly staff and friendly community…read more Clean,beautiful,recommend their facilities,very positive experience.

We randomly stopped into this state park and it was such an amazing experience and just so…read morebeautiful! If you park in the visitor parking lot for more than 15 minutes, the park fee is $10. Visitor center has really informative and friendly rangers and definitely stop in to pick up a gift from Colorado! Ranger also let me know a few trails had interpretative education so follow the numbers and he gave me a guide for what each number means. Cool learning experience. State parks in Colorado are self sufficient, so taxes don't support the parks and the state parks reliant on fees they charge. I'd gladly support any state park any day. The views here are mind-blowing and we got to stroll around a bit and our dog also enjoyed the park and trails. We will definitely be stopping in here again when passing through, well worth the stop!

Nice clean sites with lots of room between. Volunteer hosts are terrific! Namely Dick & Cindy…read more Thanks you. Fishing ponds are full of fish as well. Negative which sucks- Once you pay for your site you need to also buy a "park pass" for another $10 per day!!! Outrageous!! This is like son California sh*t.

Hermit's Rest is off of Highway 92 - approximately 17 miles west from its junction with Highway 50…read more There are restrooms here, some interpretive signage, and the trailhead for the Hermit's Rest Trail. From the NPS web site: Zigzagging through oak, pine, juniper, and fir, hikers descend to wooded camp and picnic sites on the shores of Morrow Point Reservoir. Campsites with picnic tables, fire grates, and toilets are provided at the end of the trail. Good shoes or boots are recommended. Carry at least 2 quarts of water per person. Check for ticks frequently during the hot summer months. * Length: 6 miles (round trip) * Difficulty: Very strenuous and little shade. Elevation change is 1,800 ft. Allow 3 hours for round trip. We stopped here to use the restrooms and to check out the scenic vista - we were far above the Morrow Point Reservoir (see the attached pix). Gorgeous area! NOTE: Hermit's Nest does not have a physical address - so I've entered the Headquarters address for the Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Very challenging but very fun hike. I'm a fairly experienced hiker and I struggled to ascend back…read moreup the mountain. It takes approx. 1 hour down and 2 hours up. Beautiful scenery that can't be beat.

Wagner Park is right downtown. It is a nice break from all the buildings to see this park. During…read moremy visit it appeared to have a lot of happy dogs enjoying the snow. There is not too much too the park but it is pleasant.

Pretty park in the heart of Aspen! Perfect place to throw around a ball, read a book, or sit with…read morefriends! I found a spot under a tree to read my book, and there were plenty of people and families throwing around baseballs and playing with dogs! Very pretty park - and great place to enjoy Aspen's gorgeous summer weather!