Colorado Mountains, Canyons, Forest and State Parks

When you think of Colorado, you tend to think about outdoor adventure, mountain climbing, hiking trails, camping, etc., but did you know that there is so much land to cover and see in the beautiful state of Colorado, that you most likely could never possibly ever see it all in one life time? Colorado is a state with many trails in it's many forest, canyons, and state parks, you could literally take a new adventure everyday!

Our family moved to Colorado two years ago this month. We came into the state from the New Mexico boarder, and as soon as we got in the state and seen the beautiful mountains, we said we would never leave! Colorado has to be the most beautiful state in the Country, in my honest opinion of course.

So let's take a look at a few of the awesome great outdoor adventures that await you in Colorado...

Trinidad State Park. This is the first state park you will come to when coming into the state from New Mexico on I-25. It is located in Trinidad, Colorado. The park is wonderful, with great camping spots that come complete with a pea gravel pad for your tent! It sure was nice after all the rocky ground we had camped on up to that point when we were traveling across the Country two years ago. We saw, (and heard), some of the coolest wildlife here. Our favorite was the baby birds and their momma.

Another state park to visit while in Colorado, is Lathrop State Park, located in Walsenburg, Colorado. This park has a lot more trails than Trinidad State Park, and some really neat rock formations that reminded us of dinosaur tracks, LOL. Lathrop is full of Magpie birds, they are really a beautiful bird, and very photogenic!

We just recently visited Mueller State Park, located in Divide, Colorado on Hwy 67. Mueller is the biggest state park we've been to so far. Mueller has more than 50 miles of hiking trails, and in my opinion, it is one of the most awesome parks ever. The views of Pikes Peak from Mueller are just spectacular, and you can see many other mountains off to the far West. The photo opportunities in Mueller are breath taking.

Colorado state parks are awesome. Park passes are $6.00 for a day, or you can buy an annual pass for $60.00. For our family, it paid to get an annual pass. You can go to any state park in the state with your pass, and can do so every day of the week at no additional charge beyond the $60.00. A great deal, especially when you think about the thousands of miles of hiking trails you can access at no extra charge. Some parks in Colorado charge very large fees for admission, so this is a great deal.

Garden Of The God's is a great outdoor adventure that can be taken either on foot, or by car. The rock formations in Garden Of The God's are unbelievable, and must been seen up close and personal to really take in the full size of the rocks in the park. Garden Of The God's is open 7 days a week, and is free to the public.

While at Garden Of The God's you must go over and visit the Glen Eyrie Castle and gardens. I have not seen the gardens yet, but the castle is quite the site to see, and it even has a moat! Glen Eyrie is only open to the public Monday - Thursday. This is to help preserve the castle and the grounds. There are also long horn sheep at the castle garden' s.

Helen Hunt Falls, located in the Cheyenne Canyon, in Colorado is to date, my favorite hiking area. The water fall can be a bit dry depending on the time of year, but that is not the only site to see when hiking in the Cheyenne Canyon, and especially hiking in the area of the Helen Hunt Falls. The drive to the short trail head to the big falls, which starts at a beautiful smaller waterfall, is 3 miles long and absolutely, gorgeous! The rocks that jet up out of the earth are absolutely, breath taking, gloriously, beautiful! Words could never explain the beauty of this canyon and the waterfalls and streams that flow through it.

So if you are wondering what to do this month, and are in Colorado, or would like to be in Colorado, then why not check out some of the sites I mentioned above? You'll be glad you did!

There are too many photos to put in this article, so I will be doing a slide show and posting it in the next couple of days.