Colorado is a wildlife wonderland in the heart of the American wilderness. Whether you want to explore the quaint small mountain towns such as Keystone Resort or the numerous state and national parks, there are lots of unique places to explore in this great state. With its snowy mountain winters, mild summers and an average 300 days of sunshine a year, Colorado is beautiful during all seasons and is perfect for the family vacation.
Colorado is most renowned for its stunning landscape, with over 54 peaks over 14,000 feet, sand dunes, red rock formations and emerald green forests. The state is also home to 25 scenic byways, five national monuments and 41 state parks; all of which are just waiting to be explored on your vacation. Colorado isn't just home to natural beauty but also to wildlife like marmots, bears, moose and elk. Breath-taking scenery and wild animals such as these make it a perfect place to go hiking and camping beneath the stars!
For the more active among you, Colorado is globally renowned for its epic variety of outdoors activities available in both summer and winter. In summer, the state is famous for its mountain biking and backpacking opportunities as you can get some really unique views from high up in the forest. In the lake areas, fly-fishing, swimming, whitewater rafting and canoeing are popular choices and suit the slow pace of the outdoors. If you are a bit more adventurous there are lots of more extreme sports on offer. There are many vacation resorts that offer horse-riding and rock climbing inductions and during winter months make the most of the skiing, mountaineering and snowboarding opportunities on clean crisp slopes of Colorado. With all of these outdoor opportunities and vacation spots in Colorado, it is important to have the right equipment with you.
[caption id="attachment_29927" align="alignleft" width="600"] A Mountain Goat Sits Near the Top of Colorado Peak[/caption]
If you can only handle so much of the great outdoors, there is no cause for concern as Colorado is home to a lot of beautiful mountain lodges; one of the most stunning being the Keystone Resort. The resort is located only an hour from Denver and is the perfect vacation destination for couples, families and young snow-bunnies alike. Find Keystone accommodations in gorgeous chalets, vacation condos, and hotel rooms. In addition to guaranteed powder and clear slopes, Keystone Resort also offers fantastic summer festivals, luxury spa treatments, nightlife, shopping opportunities and concerts for when you fancy a break.
Colorado doesn't just have the great outdoors to offer though, as there are several large adventure theme parks and also themed heritage centres with a twist of the old American bygone days. You can even vacation on a fully functioning dude ranch if you want to try your hand at living like a cowboy. As well as exploring the old "ghost towns" from the nineteenth century, you can visit dinosaur graves and dip in the many hot springs that are located in Colorado.
With all of the fantastic outdoors opportunities, you likely won't want to spend a minute inside whilst you are in Colorado. The state is definitely one of the most picturesque places in the world, so don't forget your camera. With all of the different outdoor activities on offer, it's no surprise people say "if you can dream it, you can find it in Colorado!"