Colorado Natural Park Wonders

National and State Wonders Found in the Centennial State:

Colorado, known for its cresting mountain peaks and breathtakingly colorful scenery, is home to a plethora of national and state parks, as well as national forests, trails, and wilderness areas.

Let us be your guide to discovering these natural wonders. Follow the links below to obtain more information, insider tips, and pictures, as well as ideas for where to stay when visiting.

Colorado Welcome Sign National Parks:

  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  • Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
  • Mesa Verde National Park
  • Rocky Mountain National Park
  •  

    National Monuments:
  • Browns Canyon National Monument. Established: 2015. [Official Site]
  • Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Established: 2000. [Official Site]
  • Colorado National Monument. Established: 1911. [Official Site]
  • Dinosaur National Monument. Established: 1915. [Official Site]
  • Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Established: 1969. [Official Site]
  • Hovenweep National Monument. Established: 1923. [Official Site]
  • Yucca House National Monument. Established: 1919. [Official Site]
  •  

    National Scenic Trails:
  • Continental Divide National Scenic Trail along the Continental Divide [Official Site]
  •  

    Calico National Recreation Trail National Recreation Trails:
  • Alamosa South Bluff National Recreation Trail
  • Apex National Recreation Trail
  • Barr National Recreation Trail
  • Bear Creek National Recreation Trail
  • Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail
  • Calico National Recreation Trail
  • Clear Creek National Recreation Trail
  • Crag Crest National Recreation Trail
  • Devils Head National Recreation Trail
  • Fish Creek Falls National Recreation Trail
  • Grays Peak National Recreation Trail
  • Greyrock Mountain National Recreation Trail
  • Highline Canal National Recreation Trail
  • Highline Loop National Recreation Trail
  • Lake Fork National Recreation Trail
  • Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail
  • Monte Vista National Recreation Trail
  • Mount Evans National Recreation Trail
  • Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail
  • Petroglyph Point National Recreation Trail
  • Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail
  • Poudre River National Recreation Trail
  • Vail Pass National Recreation Trail
  • Rio Grande National Recreation Trail
  • Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Recreation Trails
  • Round Mountain National Recreation Trail
  • Swamp Park National Recreation Trail
  • Two Elk National Recreation Trail
  • Two Ponds National Recreation Trail
  • Vail Pass National Recreation Trail
  • West Lost Trail Creek National Recreation Trail
  • Wheeler Ten Mile National Recreation Trail
  • White House Ranch National Recreation Trail
  •  

    National Recreation Areas:
  • Arapaho National Recreation Area. Location: north central Colorado, home to five lakes/reservoirs (and which the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail passes through), and administered by the Forest Service as part of the Arapaho National Forest. [Official Site]
  • Curecanti National Recreation Area. Location: southwest Colorado, the heart of which are three reservoirs (Blue Mesa Reservoir -- Colorado's largest body of water, Crystal Reservoir, Morrow Point Reservoir), and administered by the National Park Service. [Official Site]
  •  

    White River National Forest National Forests:
  • Arapaho National Forest [Official Site]
  • Grand Mesa National Forest [Official Site]
  • Gunnison National Forest [Official Site]
  • Pike National Forest [Official Site]
  • Rio Grande National Forest [Official Site]
  • Roosevelt National Forest [Official Site]
  • Routt National Forest [Official Site]
  • San Isabel National Forest [Official Site]
  • San Juan National Forest [Official Site]
  • Uncompahgre National Forest [Official Site]
  • White River National Forest [Official Site]
  •  

    National Grasslands:
  • Comanche National Grassland [Official Site]
  • Pawnee National Grassland [Official Site]
  •  

    National Wildlife Refuges:
  • Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
  • Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge
  • Baca National Wildlife Refuge
  • Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge
  • Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
  • Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
  • Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge
  •  

    Buffalo Peaks Wilderness National Wilderness Areas:
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness
  • Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness
  • Buffalo Peaks Wilderness
  • Byers Peak Wilderness
  • Cache La Poudre Wilderness
  • Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
  • Comanche Peak Wilderness
  • Eagles Nest Wilderness
  • Flat Tops Wilderness
  • Fossil Ridge Wilderness
  • Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
  • Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness
  • Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
  • Holy Cross Wilderness
  • Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness
  • Indian Peaks Wilderness
  • James Peak Wilderness
  • La Garita Wilderness
  • Lizard Head Wilderness
  • Lost Creek Wilderness
  • Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
  • Mesa Verde Wilderness
  • Mount Evans Wilderness
  • Mount Massive Wilderness
  • Mount Sneffels Wilderness
  • Mount Zirkel Wilderness
  • Neota Wilderness
  • Never Summer Wilderness
  • Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
  • Platte River Wilderness
  • Powderhorn Wilderness
  • Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
  • Raggeds Wilderness
  • Rawah Wilderness
  • Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
  • Sarvis Creek Wilderness
  • South San Juan Wilderness
  • Spanish Peaks Wilderness
  • Uncompahgre Wilderness
  • Vasquez Peak Wilderness
  • Weminuche Wilderness
  • West Elk Wilderness
  •  

    National Conservation Areas:
  • Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
  • Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area [Official Site]
  • McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
  •  

    National Scenic Roads and Byways:
  • Colorado River Headwaters Byway
  • Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
  • Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Lariat Loop Scenic & Historic Byway
  • San Juan Skyway
  • Colorado state park
  • Santa Fe Trail
  • Top of the Rockies
  • Trail of the Ancients
  • Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road
  •  

    Colorado State Parks, Campgrounds, Recreational Areas:
  • Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
  • Barr Lake State Park
  • Bonny Lake State Park
  • Boyd Lake State Park
  • Castlewood Canyon State Park
  • Chatfield State Park
  • Cherry Creek State Park
  • Cheyenne Mountain State Park
  • Crawford State Park
  • Eldorado Canyon State Park
  • Eleven Mile State Park
  • Golden Gate Canyon State Park
  • Harvey Gap State Park
  • Highline Lake State Park
  • Jackson Lake State Park
  • James M. Robb Colorado River State Park
  • John Martin Reservoir State Park
  • Lake Pueblo State Park
  • Lathrop State Park
  • Lone Mesa State Park
  • Lory State Park
  • Colorado state park
  • Mancos State Park
  • Mueller State Park
  • Navajo State Park
  • North Sterling State Park
  • Paonia State Park
  • Pearl Lake State Park
  • Ridgway State Park
  • Rifle Falls State Park
  • Rifle Gap State Park
  • Roxborough State Park
  • San Luis State Park
  • Spinney Mountain State Park
  • St. Vrain State Park
  • Stagecoach State Park
  • State Forest State Park
  • Staunton State Park
  • Steamboat Lake State Park
  • Sweitzer Lake State Park
  • Sylvan Lake State Park
  • Trinidad Lake State Park
  • Vega State Park
  • Yampa River State Park
  •  

    Colorado River State Scenic Roads and Byways:
  • Alpine Loop Scenic Back Country Byway
  • Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Collegiate Peaks Byway
  • Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway
  • Garden of the Gods
  • Guanella Pass Scenic Byway
  • Highway of Legends Scenic Byway
  • Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Mount Evans Scenic Byway
  • Pawnee Pioneer Trails
  • Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Silver Thread Scenic Byway
  • South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway
  • Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway
  • West Elk Loop Scenic Byway
  •  

    Colorado Tourism: 800-COLORADO

    Empowering Sites Network logo