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 didn't have the highest expectations going into our trip to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National…read morePark. I didn't know too much about the park and was a bit disappointed that we had to nix the plans to do our large hike in the North Rim of the park. That being said, BCGNP far surpassed all expectations on just our very first overlook - Tomichi Point - within minutes of driving into the South Rim. I was not prepared for the sheer beauty of the canyons. The South Rim is so very different from the North Rim, so if you only have time to go to one, make sure to do your research. The South Rim is much more developed, more popular, has plenty of tiny hikes and overlooks, and brings the easy, classic beauty. The South Rim drive is an easy 7 miles and features 12 overlooks with the longest hike to the overlook being about 0.5 of a mile. And most of the hikes are more like walks. Stunning views, perfect for sunset. You'll also find the BCGNP visitor center on the South Rim drive. The North Rim is much more underdeveloped and less visited. We visited in the late afternoon and only ran into one other group of people while driving their scenic North Rim drive. I believe it's about 4.5 miles, and it is unpaved - that being said, we drove it in a Toyota Corolla without any issues. These overlooks are equally gorgeous but give you a different perspective of the canyon. You'll find a lot of the bigger hikes in the North Rim. While we weren't able to fit one into our schedule, we did do part of the North Vista Trail to see Exclamation Point - wonderful hike, wish we had been able to do the full trail. Overall, I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison, but it definitely wasn't how breathtakingly beautiful this park is. 100% worth a stop, and if all you do is stop at their overlooks, you will still get to experience so much beauty.

Ouray has done it again this stunning friendly town never disappoints from their fantastic stores…read moreto a cute and cozy dog park. We stay in the RV park that's next door to this dog park it's always busy so we were very lucky to have a day of freezing weather to take our two dogs Mimi and Bart over to play in it. It's quiet small and by no means is it a brand new dog park but the views outweigh the conditions of this dog park and it gives peoples dogs a place to play. My hope is that someone who works for the town of Ouray decides that the town dog park could use a face lift.

Great park but it is small. I think best for dogs that don't like to run and fetch…read more I will go back but it is too small for my dog. This makes it so I have to throw the ball more times because he is running a shorter distance.

I want to start by saying this is the only park in the town and it offers tons of amenities. Pool,…read moremultiple jungle gym/playgrounds, soccer field, river to fish, baseball fields and tons of areas to hang out and relax while enjoying the beautiful scenery. The reason for our visit was a baseball tournament and sadly we were quite disappointed by the fields. For being such an expensive and historic town, the fields were amongst the poorest we have seen. There is no actual fence to specify the outfield (on one field), no dugout for the players (it's a park bench) with no covering, infield is all dirt and the backstop is maybe 5 feet from home plate. The park itself is beautiful and has plenty to do and offer other than baseball fields.

Beautiful park in Telluride. It has a river moving through it and I could have stayed there all day…read morelistening to the running water. Honestly forget the high priced restaurants and touristy shops and art galleries and spend a day at the park.

Stopped at the dog park on our road trip - great place for the dogs to get out some pent up energy…read moreand stretch our legs. Lots of places to walk around! Only complaint is a lot of dog poop not picked up.

I came here to the dog park which is great as it has 2 sections: small and big dogs. It was not…read morevery clean tho a lot of owners don't seem to clean up. Large park which had a lot of people walking.

I had an awesome time visiting box canyon waterfall while in Ouray! I came with my husband and…read moretoddler children. They absolutely loved it! Great for all ages. The waterfall was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It was super loud inside of the canon which made it all the more exciting. Check out both the lower and upper box canon falls trails. The lower falls trail gets very close to the waterfall, we were getting wet from the spray we were so close. The upper trail has a great view of Ouray and a fun bridge to cross that leads into a tunnel. It is $7 for each adult, but super seniors, military, and children under 4 are free! No dogs allowed in the park. I don't think the dogs would want to come anyway with the metal bridges and aggressively loud waterfall. If you are in Ouray in the summertime this needs to be on your itinerary!

Truly magnificent. The lower trail is easy for all levels, it has stable footing and minimal…read moreelevation changes, yet still offers beautiful views of the creek, and waterfalls along steel walkways and short trail. There are also stairs to near bottom of the waterfall. The high bridge trail is much more challenging, although one can opt to only climb the stair portion for a better view of Ouray and a little cardio. At the top of the stairs there is a small shelter, if you're feeling the altitude at this point it's a good idea not to continue further, as the trail continues to climb and there are no stairs/structure. There is a cable above the trail in sections for stability, and cables below some sections for safety. I'd guess the top of the stairs is a little less than half way to the high bridge. The bridge is a very sturdy structure, over a steep narrow gorge, the views of Box Cañon, the creek, waterfall, and town below are breathtaking. There is a hallway-like tunnel on the far side of the bridge, which is part of the perimeter trail. It's low in some spots but walkable, and offers some shade and cooling after the climb. The trail was drub when we went, it would be significantly more challenging/difficult with any moisture or icy conditions.

Don't miss this one! When we first arrived in Fruita, Colorado. The Colorado National Monument was…read morenot on our list of things to visit. We would of totally missed it if it hadn't been for some people we met at a restaurant. Colorado National Monument is not a National Park; it is a National Monument managed by the National Park Service. It's name doesn't portray the beauty and magnitude of this gorgeous park. It is a 23 mile drive and is often called the mini-grand canyon. The towering red rock monoliths and the Canyon views were absolutely incredible.

What bliss this is…read more Colorado National Monument is basically the smaller in scale sandstone-stacked cousin of the Grand Canyon, but without all the horrific traffic and crowds upon crowds, especially at the start of summer. This place has miles of views with gorgeous towering cliffs, dramatic canyons and many trails for walking and hiking. You can also see the Grand Mesa (the world's largest flat-topped mountain) and the Book Cliffs from the monument. And it has that Grand Canyon feeling when you look at its depth -- as though you are looking directly into a painting. Along about a 20-mile highway (with an east and west entrance) you can enjoy the full views. There are plenty of places to pull over and park to take a look or to plan for a hike. And be very, very careful. The main drive is very deeply beloved by cyclists, so be sure to drive slow and keep eyes on the road. Do not miss Independence Monument. This is a glorious rock spire. also, the Kissing Couple is adorable. The Coke Ovens are these beautifully shaped domes -- some of my favorites in the area. Also, be aware of wildlife. I did not get lucky, but there are regular sights of bighorn sheep, coyotes, red-tailed hawks, eagles and many other animals. I did see a pretty spectacular aerial fight between a hawk and a raven during a recent visit, though. Also, be sure to check out the visitor center on the west side. It has some natural history exhibits and a gift shop. There is also the Saddlehorn Campground, which is very well maintained and has a good number of spots, but not all with sprawling city or canyon views. All told, there are three loops with nearly 80 sites. Some are small and best for a pair and others that are good for a couple of tents on one site. Overall, bring lots of water and snacks, because it is dry and sometimes feels desert like. And do not over rely on cell service, as there are a number of dead zones.

Who knew that a bike park could also provide some great hiking and trail running?…read more My partner is a serious mountain biker and enjoys black and double black routes and this was mainly a mountain bike trip that he organized and I tagged along with the doggie. This was a great bike park for hikers and trail runners too and dogs are allowed and make sure they are leashed. I did see plenty of dog owners have their dog(s) off leash, which can be great for the dogs, but can be more trying for little dogs who may not want to deal with that. There is a parking lot here with plenty of spots, restrooms and air pump for your bikes here. I was able to hike this bike park for 3+ hours and really enjoyed it. I started on Tabegauche Trail and made it up to Eagle's Connector and finally to Eagle's Wing and then back on Tabeguache Trail back to the parking lot. This was about a 6 to 6.5 mile hike and with some portions where there is a bit of climbing (around 800 to 1,000 feet ascent). I really enjoyed the views and could do a bit of trail running also, and my companion, an 18 pound Shiba Inu was great! I was on the Eagle's Connector Trail and there were so many blue colored birds and I was able to ID them and they are Pinyon's Jay, which is a new species for me! Awesome! Definitely check this bike park out, but also if you have folks in your group that aren't bikers, this would be fun for them too! Lots of great trails, very well marked (can't get lost as I usually do) and some awesome views from the top and just an overall cool place to hang out for a couple of hours!

Wonderful dog park!! There is a very good sized area for both small/ senior dogs and for large…read moredogs. There is a fire hydrant on both sides that seems to be on a timer to spray water, which our two dogs loved. My two 16 pound pups really wanted to play with the two big dogs on the other side. So after checking with the two owners I brought them over and they were super happy to run with the big dogs and splash in the kiddie pool on that side. There is an entrance on both sides into either small or big dog side.

Beautiful grassy area for small and senior dogs. The large dog area is set up w a kiddie pool in…read morethe summer as well. A great spot to hang out while your puppy explores and plays.

I like the great .7 mile walking trail around the perimeter of the park. The large lawn in the…read moremiddle is wide open with trees skirting the edge. There are two shelters with picnic tables and charcoal grills. There is a huge playground area for the kiddos with slides and the like.

Sherwood Park is sooo cool. The city put in workout equipment!! I love this place five starsread more