How Many of These 54 Colorado Bucket List Experiences Have You Done?
In Colorado, you come for Denver and suddenly you are sandboarding beneath snow capped peaks, climbing a frozen waterfall, driving a road above 12,000 feet, or wondering why a homemade stone castle is sitting in the forest.
After spending two years vanlifing and road tripping around the West, Colorado is one of those states where you just can’t stop doing detours. Some of my favorite Colorado scenery worth seeing barely resemble each other, and Colorado’s coolest mountain towns each have their own weird reason to stop. These are the things I would actually put on a Colorado bucket list.
Colorado Bucket List Destinations
- Climb ladders into Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park
Cliff Palace is not something I would settle for seeing from the overlook. Ranger tours take you down into the cliff dwelling itself, and the ladders immediately make this feel very different from walking through ruins behind a rope. Check the current Cliff Dwelling Tour schedule before going because entry into most cliff dwellings requires a reserved tour.
- Sandboard down the tallest dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park
Rent an actual sandboard in the San Luis Valley because a normal snowboard barely moves on dry sand. The climb becomes increasingly rude with every step upward, but bombing back down takes minutes.
- Drive Trail Ridge Road above the tree line in Rocky Mountain National Park
Trail Ridge Road spends miles in alpine tundra with pullouts sitting above 11,000 feet. I would start from Estes Park early and stop often because weather can go from clear to nasty surprisingly fast up there. During the 2026 reservation season, check the current Rocky Mountain timed entry rules before driving in.
- Hike to Hanging Lake above Glenwood Canyon
One of America’s standout alpine lakes, Hanging Lake looks almost suspiciously green beneath its little waterfalls, and the steep approach makes the first view feel properly earned. Reservations are required, so sort out your visit before pulling into Glenwood Canyon and expecting to wing it. The official Hanging Lake visitor information covers the current access setup.
- Look straight down the Painted Wall at Black Canyon of the Gunnison
The canyon gets so narrow and deep that sections of the Gunnison River below disappear into shadow. Painted Wall is the stop I would save extra time for because the huge pale streaks crossing the cliff make the scale easier to grasp.
- Ride the cog railway to the top of Pikes Peak
The train climbs from Manitou Springs to 14,115 feet without requiring you to destroy your knees getting there. Sit by the window and bring an extra layer because downtown Colorado Springs weather tells you absolutely nothing about what is happening on the summit.
- Frame Pikes Peak through the Siamese Twins at Garden of the Gods
Instead of stopping only at Balanced Rock, walk the short Siamese Twins Trail and find the opening in the red rock that frames Pikes Peak. It takes very little effort for one of the park’s better views, which leaves time for a day around Colorado Springs.
- Drive the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton
This section of US 550 squeezes between mountain walls and drop offs with very little separating your car from the view. I prefer driving it from Ouray toward Silverton because the road keeps revealing bigger San Juan peaks as you climb.
- Take Rim Rock Drive across Colorado National Monument
Western Colorado suddenly turns into red rock canyon country here, which can be jarring after spending days around alpine lakes. Pull into the Coke Ovens and Grand View overlooks rather than racing the full road because the cliffs look much bigger once you get out of the car.
- Walk beneath Bridal Veil Falls at the end of Telluride’s box canyon
Bridal Veil drops 365 feet from cliffs above Telluride, with an old power station perched near the top. Walk or bike the road instead of merely photographing it from town, especially if Colorado is part of a bigger list of wild US adventure spots.
- Photograph Crystal Mill above the Crystal River
The battered wooden powerhouse outside Marble has somehow become one of Colorado’s most recognizable buildings. The road getting there is rough enough that I would use a proper four wheel drive vehicle or walk the final stretch rather than gambling with a low clearance rental.
- Walk between striped clay hoodoos at Paint Mines Interpretive Park
The eastern plains hide bands of pink, yellow, orange, and white clay beneath formations that look nothing like the mountains Colorado gets famous for. Go early or late because there is barely any shade and midday light flattens the colors.
- Stand beside all three waterfalls at Rifle Falls State Park
Three separate curtains of water spill over a mossy limestone cliff at this small state park. Walk behind the falls and poke around the little caves rather than stopping at the first viewpoint.
- Explore the ancestral Pueblo sites at Chimney Rock National Monument
The ruins sit high above the Piedra River Valley between two pointed rock towers. The climb to the upper site is worth it because the placement of the structures starts making far more sense once you can see the surrounding horizon.
- Reach the bizarre formations of Wheeler Geologic Area
Wheeler hides a collection of eroded volcanic spires deep in the Rio Grande National Forest. Getting there takes commitment, either a long hike or a rough road, which is probably why this place remains missing from so many first Colorado trips.
- Walk among giant fossilized redwood stumps at Florissant Fossil Beds
Ancient volcanic eruptions preserved massive tree stumps in an area that now sits high and dry west of Colorado Springs. The easy Petrified Forest Loop is enough to see several of the biggest stumps without turning the stop into an all day hike.
- Hike into Picketwire Canyon to one of North America’s biggest dinosaur tracksites
The tracks sit along a remote canyon south of La Junta where hundreds of dinosaur footprints cross exposed rock near the Purgatoire River. This is not a quick roadside dinosaur stop, so bring water and treat the long approach as part of the day.
- Walk onto the empty grasslands beneath Pawnee Buttes
Two huge buttes rise from northeastern Colorado prairie with almost nothing blocking the horizon. Spring is my favorite time because summer heat out here has none of the cool mountain air people assume comes standard with Colorado.
- Hike among the tilted red slabs at Roxborough State Park
Roxborough has the same Fountain Formation geology responsible for several famous Front Range rock parks, but its long rows of slanted fins feel far removed from city traffic. Carpenter Peak is the longer hike if you want to see those formations from above.
- Ride a gondola up to the caves above Glenwood Springs
Glenwood Caverns sits on top of Iron Mountain, so even reaching the caves requires heading up from the valley floor. The cave formations are one reason Colorado turns up among unusual caves around America, but the views across Glenwood Canyon are what make this stop particularly Colorado.
Adventurous Things to Do in Colorado
- Climb the 2,744 steps of the Manitou Incline
The Incline goes almost straight up the old railway bed above Manitou Springs and refuses to pretend otherwise. Start early, take the Barr Trail down instead of descending the steps, and save these favorite hikes around Colorado for when one vertical staircase was enough exercise for the week.
- Raft through the Royal Gorge on the Arkansas River
The river squeezes beneath towering canyon walls and eventually passes under the Royal Gorge Bridge far above. This is the section for people who actually want whitewater, not an afternoon float where the biggest decision is which side of the raft gets more sun.
- Climb frozen waterfalls inside Ouray Ice Park
Every winter, water is sprayed over the canyon walls to create an entire ice climbing park within walking distance of downtown Ouray. Beginners can go with a guide, while experienced climbers get routes ranging from relatively friendly ice to vertical punishment.
- Mountain bike Trail 401 above Crested Butte
Trail 401 climbs high above the valley before dropping through wildflower fields and long sections of singletrack. The descent is the payoff, especially once you stop staring at the scenery long enough to remember there are rocks directly in front of your tire.
- Hike and ski Highland Bowl in Aspen
Reaching the top of Highland Bowl means hiking beyond the normal lift served terrain before skiing down. The altitude makes the bootpack feel longer than it looks from below, and this is one of those ski days where lunch tastes deserved.
- Backpack the Four Pass Loop around the Maroon Bells
Four alpine passes above 12,000 feet turn this into much more than a pretty walk past the famous Bells. Permits matter, storms tend to arrive right when you do not want them, and packing light becomes increasingly appealing somewhere around pass number three.
- Stand on Colorado’s highest summit atop Mount Elbert
Mount Elbert reaches 14,440 feet, making it the highest point in Colorado and the entire Rocky Mountains. The standard routes are not technical, but starting before sunrise is still smart because afternoon storms do not care that you are almost back to the trailhead.
- Backcountry ski Berthoud Pass after a Front Range storm
Berthoud Pass has long been one of Colorado’s most accessible backcountry ski zones. Easy road access does not make avalanche terrain harmless, so it belongs among the top backcountry ski spots only for people who know how to travel responsibly outside a resort.
- Scramble up the First Flatiron above Boulder
The Flatirons are not merely Boulder’s backdrop. Climbers head directly onto those huge slanted slabs, while hikers can reach the base through Chautauqua. Cool mornings are much nicer, which is another reason to check when to visit Boulder before planning an exposed afternoon scramble.
- Hike to the turquoise Blue Lakes beneath Mount Sneffels
The lower lake has the easiest payoff, but continuing upward gets you into a much bigger San Juan setting. The road to the trailhead can be rough, so the adventure sometimes begins before anyone has put on a backpack.
- Climb into the blue water basin of Ice Lakes near Silverton
The final basin has intensely blue alpine water sitting beneath rough San Juan peaks. Start early because this trail has become popular, and the exposed upper basin is not where you want to be negotiating a summer thunderstorm.
- Cross the narrow Devil’s Causeway in the Flat Tops
A rocky ridge pinches down to a narrow crossing with steep drops on both sides. People who hate exposure tend to discover that fact very quickly here, while everyone else gets one of Colorado’s stranger high country routes.
- Backpack to Conundrum Hot Springs
These natural pools sit deep in the mountains outside Aspen and require a real backpacking trip to reach. Reserve ahead, carry everything out, and stay up long enough to soak once the day hikers are gone.
- Ride the Monarch Crest Trail above the Continental Divide
The ride starts around 11,000 feet and spends a long stretch moving along high ridges before dropping thousands of feet toward the valley. A shuttle saves the ugly road climb and lets you spend your legs on the part you actually came for.
Only in Colorado Oddities
- Climb the towers of Bishop Castle
Jim Bishop spent decades building this stone and iron castle by hand in the forest outside Rye. You can climb narrow staircases into towers and walk across metal bridges that would make a modern building inspector need a chair. It easily belongs among the strangest roadside stops in America.
- Watch cliff divers perform inside Casa Bonita
A giant pink Mexican restaurant with indoor waterfalls, caves, and cliff divers should not make sense, yet Denver has kept this institution alive for decades. Get a table where you can actually see the pool rather than spending dinner twisting around every time somebody jumps.
- Take a night tour inside the Stanley Hotel
The Estes Park hotel helped spark Stephen King’s idea for The Shining, and the building has happily leaned into its creepy reputation. The evening tours are the fun version if you want stories after dark, and it fits nicely beside other haunted spots around America.
- Scan the sky from the UFO Watchtower in the San Luis Valley
This roadside platform near Hooper was built specifically for watching unexplained lights in a valley famous for UFO stories. The garden below is filled with trinkets visitors have left behind, which somehow makes the place even stranger.
- See alligators living beside snow capped mountains at Colorado Gators
Geothermal water in the San Luis Valley made it possible to raise alligators in a place where winter temperatures can be brutal. The combination of reptiles, mountains, and steaming water is weird enough that nobody needs to manufacture a gimmick.
- Step inside Denver’s International Church of Cannabis
An old church was transformed into a wildly painted gathering space covered in huge murals and colored light. The interior is the reason to go, especially when the projection show turns the ceiling into the main event.
- Watch coffin teams race at Frozen Dead Guy Days
The event began around the story of a cryogenically frozen grandfather and now includes coffin races and deeply committed costumes in Estes Park. There are weird winter festivals, and then there is an event whose entire premise requires explaining why a dead Norwegian ended up frozen in Colorado.
Cultural Colorado Things to Do
- See a concert carved into the rocks at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks turns a night out into one of those Colorado experiences that actually deserves the hype. Arrive before the opener so you can walk the amphitheater while there is still daylight, then spend one packed day in Denver around the rest of your city stops.
- Spend a day at the National Western Stock Show
Denver turns livestock, rodeo, horses, and Western ranch culture into a massive January event that has been running for more than a century. The livestock barns are half the fun, especially if your usual contact with cattle ends at the grocery store.
- Ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad over Devil’s Gate Bridge
The narrow gauge train climbs between Georgetown and Silver Plume using tight curves and a high bridge built to gain elevation in very little space. Add the mine tour if you want to understand why anyone built a railway into this valley in the first place.
- Take the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through the Animas Canyon
Steam locomotives still haul passengers along a nineteenth century rail route between Durango and Silverton. I would sit on the canyon side heading north because the river drops away beneath the tracks for some of the best sections.
- Cheer on the pack burro racers at Fairplay Burro Days
Colorado has an actual heritage sport where runners race mountain courses beside pack donkeys. Fairplay is one of the classic places to see it, and there is something wonderfully Colorado about an endurance race where your teammate can simply decide it has had enough.
- Tour the Denver Mint where American coins are made
The Denver Mint produces circulating US coins right in downtown Denver. Reserve the free tour when available because watching blank pieces of metal turn into currency is far more interesting than standing outside photographing the building.
- Walk through the Coors brewery in Golden
Beer has been produced in Golden under the Coors name since the 1800s, and the brewery complex occupies an enormous chunk of town beside Clear Creek. Go before wandering Golden rather than after a heavy lunch and several other beers.
- Walk through another dimension at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station
Denver’s permanent Meow Wolf installation fills multiple floors with interconnected rooms and an enormous fictional world. Give it a few hours because rushing through just to photograph the weirdest rooms misses most of the hidden story. Checking the best seasons for Denver helps if you are pairing city stops with mountain days.
- See an opera inside Central City’s 1800s opera house
The Central City Opera performs in a tiny historic theater built during Colorado’s mining boom. Seats feel unusually close to the stage, and the old mining town outside makes leaving after the performance feel slightly surreal.
- Visit Buffalo Bill’s grave on Lookout Mountain
William F. Cody is buried high above Golden beside a museum tracing the life and mythology surrounding Buffalo Bill. The overlook toward Denver makes this one of the rare gravesites where the parking lot view nearly competes with the attraction.
- See Olympic history in Colorado Springs
The US Olympic and Paralympic Museum packs medals, equipment, athlete stories, and interactive exhibits into a city deeply tied to American Olympic training. It is one of the better indoor additions to Colorado Springs when mountain weather decides your original plan was too optimistic.
- Spend an afternoon inside Bent’s Old Fort
The reconstructed trading post near La Junta brings together the trading networks that connected Plains tribes, Mexican traders, trappers, and settlers along the Santa Fe Trail. Walk the entire compound because the workshops, sleeping rooms, and central courtyard explain far more than the exterior walls do.
- Eat a Pueblo slopper buried under green chile
A slopper starts with a burger, then abandons any idea of staying neat by drowning the whole thing in Pueblo green chile. Order it with a fork and plenty of napkins because pretending this can be eaten politely defeats the point.
Catherine, a seasoned travel writer, has lived in 4 different states and explored 36 states and 28 national parks. After spending two years embracing van life, she's now dedicated to sharing her vast knowledge of day trips across America. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.
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