Top Colorado Mountain Towns to Visit and Embrace
Explore Colorado Mountain Towns
Colorado has 272 active incorporated municipalities, including 197 mountain towns and 73 cities. The opportunities for year-round mountain living and outdoor activities are endless in Colorado. Each area has characteristics unique to mountain living, while places like historic Colorado cities and mountain towns offer picturesque scenery and memorable experiences just around the corner. You might also consider stopping at some of the lesser-known Colorado towns as you travel through Colorado.
Top Mountain Towns
Breckenridge
Breckenridge is a classic Colorado mountain town in the Tenmile Range and a popular year-round destination. It’s located in the heart of ski country and has a world-class ski resort of its own. A charming Victorian downtown area with a colorful historic district full of shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Breckenridge is home to several great breweries, including the popular Breckenridge Distillery. Throughout the year, they host a ton of great local festivals and events, like the Viking-inspired Ullr Fest and the International Snow Sculpture Championships.
Carbondale – Mountain Towns
Carbondale is between Aspen and Glenwood Springs and sits on the Roaring Fork River. Together, these mountain towns encompass the best of what Colorado has to offer. Carbondale is nestled in the Colorado mountains, with the gorgeous Mount Sopris as a standout backdrop. It is easily accessed by the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway. Parks, trails, nearby ski resorts, sports, and a downtown area filled with shopping, restaurants, galleries, and a full calendar of fun events make Carbondale a place to explore.
Crested Butte and CB Mountain Resort
During the summer, Crested Butte is well known as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. Home to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, this beautiful combination of mountain towns offers ski slopes in the winter, mountain bike trails in the summer, and a host of year-round festivals. Downtown Elk Avenue is lined with quaint local shops, restaurants, and other businesses that will keep you busy during your stay.
Durango
In Durango, near the New Mexico border, the history of the railroad comes alive with the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Railroad Museum. Durango is also only a short drive from Mesa Verde National Park. Purgatory Resort offers some amazing winter sports opportunities. Nearby, Durango Hot Springs is a great place to relax, soak, or thaw out after a day on the slopes. In town, Durango is home to several local breweries and a wide array of shops, restaurants, and entertainment that varies from movies to dog sledging.
Estes Park – gateway to Mountain Towns
Estes Park is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and a popular tourist town. Besides the park itself, downtown Estes Park has a charming strip of local souvenir shops, confectionaries, bars, breweries, restaurants, and more. Watch out for elk that occasionally wander by—massive herds of these beautiful animals regularly make themselves at home on the local golf course or sometimes on the streets. If you head west from Estes Park and travel over Trail Ridge Road, you will have a choice of mountain towns to visit.
Georgetown
Located just off I-70, Georgetown is a historic little silver mining town in Clear Creek County. It even looks like it was taken right from a postcard, with landmark buildings and a colorful history. Located at the end of the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway is a clue that it’s gorgeous. Dramatic peaks rise above the town and are often frequented by Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. The town is also home to the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a narrow-gauge scenic train that runs through the mountains and connects the mountain towns of Georgetown and Silverplume.
Grand Lake – gateway to Mountain Towns
Most tourists coming from the Front Range go through Rocky Mountain National Park on their way to Grand Lake. The western gateway to RMNP is Grand Lake, a destination in its own right. The town is situated around the lake, which it’s named after, Grand Lake. This lake is Colorado’s largest natural body of water, making for tons of wonderful water activities, like boating, fishing, stand-up paddleboarding, and more. In the winter, the land around Grand Lake turns into amazing terrain for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
Idaho Springs
Idaho Springs is less than an hour’s drive along I-70 from Denver. It’s a popular Colorado mountain town destination for a day trip. It has hot springs and spas, old mines available for tour, and a historic downtown area (home to Tommyknocker Brewery and Beau Jo’s Pizza). Idaho Springs is the perfect place for those on the Front Range to get their mountain fix without dealing with the sketchy roads or bumper-to-bumper traffic farther along I-70. Nearby St. Mary’s Glacier makes for a pretty hike, and Mt. Bluesky is a great 14er to summit either on foot or from your car.
Leadville
At 10,152 feet above sea level, Leadville is one of the highest incorporated cities in North America. This charming mining town is proud of its history in the mining industry. Many museums are dedicated to the topic, as Leadville was central and a financial power to the surrounding mountain towns during this era. Leadville is also home to two of the tallest mountains in the Rockies—Mount Elbert (14,439’) and Mount Massive (14,429’)—which tower over the town like imposing yet scenic protectors. One of the best ways to experience Leadville’s mining history and see the fantastic mountainscapes is by taking a scenic train ride on the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad.
Nederland
Just a short drive from Boulder, Nederland is a quaint little mountain town perhaps best known as the home of Frozen Dead Guy Days, a unique annual winter festival celebrating an illustrious member of their village who was cryogenically frozen in a TuffShed after his death. But Nederland is also a great place to visit for its proximity to Eldora Mountain Resort, with slopes locals love, or to Indian Peaks Wilderness, which has plenty of beautiful trails for snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, or hiking.
Ouray and Surrounding Mountain Towns
Some out there like to call Ouray the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado for all the amazing outdoor opportunities in the area. Others call it the Switzerland of Colorado, and it only takes one look at the historic Victorian buildings and the stunning mountain peaks that rise behind them to understand why. Ouray is home to the world-renowned Ouray Ice Park, the annual Ouray Ice Festival held there, and several other seasonal festivals. Ouray is a popular hiking destination with a variety of trails of varying difficulty and stunning scenery. Other interesting mountain towns surround Ouray, worth exploring en route.
Silverton
In Silverton, you can visit the Mining Heritage Center, explore the nearby ghost town of Animas Forks, or tour the Old Hundred Gold Mine. Silverton is also close to unique natural features, where you can hike to the breathtaking Ice Lakes, rent an ATV along the Alpine Loop, or hit the slopes at Silverton Mountain Ski Area. Scenic drives in the Silverton area include the Alpine Loop, the Million Dollar Highway, and the San Juan Skyway, and the town itself is full of history and adventure.
Telluride
Telluride is located in a box canyon, meaning it is surrounded by forested peaks, jagged cliffs, and high 13ers and 14ers, all of which is to say it’s simply breathtaking year-round, but especially in the winter, when the snow-frosted peaks set a winter-wonderland backdrop for the entire town. This Colorado mountain town might be small, but it’s an authentic Wild West mountain town with classic Victorian buildings and a rich mining history. Today’s outdoor enthusiasts maintain the Wild West vibe and flock to this unique town, seeking its fantastic natural playground and contributing to its eclectic community.
