Cuddle up for a sleigh (or, oftentimes, a wagon) ride through the mountains. Sleigh rides are a great group activity for the youngest of children to grandparents. Some rides are complemented by a dinner, wine, and/or hot drinks along the way.
For more information about sleigh rides and to find one near you, check our recommendations.
Lace up for some old-fashioned fun on ice. Colorado boasts many outdoor rinks, some staying open late into the evening for après ski laps. Most rinks offer skate rentals.
With ice rinks in the heart of many Colorado mountain towns and ski resorts, there are a number of opportunities for ice skating in Colorado!
Like to see the backcountry on an ATV, or other types of 4×4 off-road vehicle? We have just the ticket, with certified guides providing tours covering varied and challenging terrain, from the Arkansas Valley floor to trails that hit 9,100 feet above sea level elevations.
With 11 National Forests and 8.3 million acres of public land (BLM) there is plenty of space to explore via ATV. Please keep in mind that these public forests and lands do have rules. It’s best to read up on how to use these lands before jumping in. The US Forst Service rules are different than BLM rules. Please educate yourself about both.
Just outside Denver off of I-70 in Dumont, CO., is an ATV tour company worth visiting. The 4×4 roads in this area are pretty extreme and make for an exciting adventure.
Ouray Colorado is a favorite off-road destination and features 100s of miles of historical mining roads. This town has a vibrant community of ATV, Jeep, and 4×4 enthusiasts. Bring your own vehicle or sign up for an off-road tour. Guided tours, especially for newbies, is the best way to go, as these routes require skilled off-road drivers. When in Ouray, check out the variety of natural hot springs this area is renowned for.
The Royal Gorge region has miles and miles of off-road trails too. Colorado Jeep Tours has an excellent fleet of Jeeps to show you around in. There are many guided ATV, Jeep, and off-road tour companies in the area to choose from, plus plenty of other attractions like the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. The Royal Gorge region is close to the front range and easily accessible from Colorado Springs or Pueblo.
BLM areas are amazing places for off-road exploration. Some of the largest acres of BLM are found in NW Colorado and on the western slope of Colorado. However, unlike Ouray or the Royal Gorge region, most of these western slope BLM areas don’t have nearby guided off-road Tours companies or even quaint mountain towns to hang out in. For the most part, you are on your own when venturing off into these areas.
Visit a Colorado art gallery and discover a wide variety of artworks ranging from contemporary art to traditional fine art, glass art, prints, paintings, sculpture, fine art photography and other types of visual art. There is no better way to remember your trip than to take a part of our rich art heritage home with you.
Colorado is loaded with history, and it’s also home to hundreds if not thousands of antique stores – so if it’s a piece of the past you’re after, you’ve absolutely come to the right state. Beautiful little Florence south of Colorado Springs is known as the Antique Capital of Colorado, with more than 20 shops on its main street. Denver also has its Antique Row, a seven-block stretch on South Broadway. Whether it’s Victorian finery or mountainman primitive, it’s in the Centennial State in abundance.
Aerial parks and ziplining are gaining in popularity, and for good reason: They’re fun! You’ll find them all over Colorado – good bets are Soaring Tree Top Adventures in Durango, Captain Zip Line Adventure Tours in Salida and AVA-Cliffside Zipline in Idaho Springs. You’ll see nature from a whole new perspective as you zip along through forested mountains, over rivers and cliffs and above the high desert. Soar with the eagles!
Many people come to Colorado for adventure, and Adventure Parks top that experience off. Adventure Parks in Colorado are amazing because they have been incorporated into the natural mountain landscape. Using mountainous terrain and features to help peek the thrill of rides and awe-inspiring experiences. Various choices of Adventure Parks are spread across Colorado, and due to their popularity, aspects of Adventure Parks are popping up or are mixed in with other types of adventure.
The Royal Gorge Bridge and Park near Cañon City is renowned for their featured attraction, the highest suspension bridge in North America. However, this park features several thrill-seeking rides and experiences. Here’s the list:
Whitewater rafting in the Arkansas River or through the Royal Gorge is a huge attraction and a stand-alone thrill-seeking adventure. Some companies feature combo packages such as Royal Gorge Rafting and Zipline Tours. This company maximizes your fun by keeping these experiences headquartered out of the same location, the Adventure Hub.
Alpenglow Adventure Train Tours specializes in beginning and ending your tour right from your door. Planning your adventure via Alpenglow means choosing between Colorado’s top scenic train rides: the Georgetown Loop Railroad, the Zephyr Tour, or the Royal Gorge Railroad Tour, and receiving 25% Off your group ticket price.
This outdoor adventure center is located near Denver (Castle Rock, CO.) and features 4 popular attractions.
Adventure Parks in Colorado are in motion as they continue to pop up in various locations and combine man-made features and natural settings. Learn more about Colorado’s best thrill rides.
If you are in or traveling by Glenwood Springs, CO., stop at Glenwood Caverns. This mountain-top park goes year-round with various thrill-seeking rides, a scenic gondola, and cave tours.
Adventure parks or elements of adventure parks are becoming more and more prevalent in Colorado’s popular resort towns. This is especially true for ski resort base areas. You can anticipate to find any assortment of the following during the summer months:
Typical Ski Resort Base Area summertime attractions are activity centers or mini-adventure parks. Many have attractions such as: 
In the outdoorsy, cold, fast-moving fashion of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race from Anchorage to Nome, sledding operators in Colorado can put you in a canine-powered conveyance and send you rocketing down a path behind a dozen dogs that are enthusiastically responding to the sound of, “Mush!”
There are several operators in the state – you’ll find them in Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Bond, Fraser, Oak Creek, Durango and Leadville – all in winter activity areas, of course.
Nestled in Southwest Colorado at the base of the Continental Divide, Pagosa Springs is one of the state’s undiscovered gems. Known for its three natural hot springs facilities, “Pagosah” is the Southwestern Ute word for “healing waters”. With 300+days of sunshine, ancient archaeological areas, and pristine forests, Pagosa Springs offers plenty of opportunities to soak up the scenery and enliven your spirit.
Surrounded by the largest contiguous wilderness area in the country, the Weminuche Wilderness, visitors to Pagosa Springs enjoy more than 3 million acres of National Forest to hike, bike, climb, drive, run, fish, raft, float, ride or explore our endless trails.
Pagosa Springs also offers visitors a rich geological and cultural history with Chimney Rock Archeological Site, the farthest “outlier” of Chaco Canyon, offering a fascinating historical look into the ancient culture of the Ancestral Puebloan Indians and the Fred Harman and Historical Museums both giving and intriguing insight at the rich past.
Surrounded by some of the most fantastic – and fantastical – landscapes on the continent, Grand Junction is a study in contrasts. Here in far western Colorado, the Colorado River meets up with the Gunnison and flows onto the Gulf of California. Even with the two rivers’ confluence, much of the area is desert-like. But it also boasts abundant fruit tree orchards, vegetable farms and an increasingly fruitful wine industry.
Off to the west of the city, where the desert gets serious, visitors encounter jutting spires, enormous domes and yawning, mysterious canyons of the awesome Colorado Monument, but just a short drive to the southeastern hem of the city is the much cooler, much higher pine and aspen forested wilderness of Grand Mesa, the largest flattop mountain in the world.
Oh, and to the north is a moonscape of weathered rock known as the Book Cliffs.
You’ll find much in the way of water sports – there’s plenty of fishing both on the Mesa and the Gunnison; the Colorado is great for guided white water raft trips that can be expanded to include kayaking.
Mountain biking is unparalleled no matter which direction you go; hiking is likewise an adventure waiting while you to lace your boots; horseback riding can take you through lush forests atop the Mesa or into a shadow-filled canyon. Climbing enthusiasts will enjoy mountain climbing, bouldering, canyoneering – the challenges change with the topography.
And don’t forget you can get off the beaten path and go four-wheeling as well.
Downtown is a charming mix of old and new, Western and college town. There are enough restaurants to give you ample choices in cuisine and appointment; shopping is just as adventurous as you might expect in a town that continues to spread its wings culturally. It’s eclectic but, at the same time, reassuringly peaceful – a mix of culture and outdoor activity flare.
Music at Colorado Mesa University is a series of more than three dozen concerts; the Math & Science Center features more than 150 interactive exhibits geared for kids; Western Colorado Center for the Arts features exhibits and educational programs; and you can cheer on the boys of summer at a Grand Junction Rockies Minor League baseball game!
If that’s not enough, go fly a kite – or, better yet, go for a helicopter tour and get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Grand Junction.
