What if I told you a week-long Colorado road trip could completely change the way you see nature? That’s exactly what happened when I started my first Colorado adventure in Denver, with a mission to explore the state’s wild landscapes—stopping only for hikes and rest.
I wasn’t prepared for Colorado’s breathtaking beauty or the sense of vast, untamed space. Mountain roads climbing 14,000 feet and expansive wilderness made me feel as if I’d time-traveled into another world. Here are the places that left the most lasting impression on me.
1. Grand Mesa
The 63-mile Grand Mesa Scenic Byway isn’t just “scenic”—it’s a spectacle. They were not exaggerating when they decided to put “scenic” in the name.
This drive climbs from I-70 across an 11,000-foot plateau to Cedaredge, offering panoramic mountain vistas, sandstone formations, and endless photo opportunities.
A Thrilling Adventure
The roads are narrow with steep drops, and the surrounding wilderness is nearly untouched. Driving here can be intimidating, but pushing through the fear rewards you with sweeping views and solitude.
Fun Fact: A mesa is a flat-topped mountain with cliff-like sides. The Grand Mesa is the largest of its kind in the world, spanning 500 square miles of wilderness.
2. Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Next, I drove southwest toward Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, where the canyon plunges nearly 3,000 feet with sheer cliffs and a roaring river below.
Hiking the Canyon
I hiked the trail recommended by a helpful ranger, descending into the canyon while staying alert for wildlife—from mule deer and elk to golden eagles. The steep, exposed trail provided both a physical and mental challenge, and the dramatic cliffs left me awe-struck.
The incline, as he’d warned me, was steep. “It’s the way up that gits ya,” the ranger had said. After five minutes on a decline as steep as stairs, I could see that he’d be right.
Black Canyon is nearly 3,000 feet deep and has many plunging cliffs and one long, thundering river. You are exposed to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America in the valley.
A Meeting with a Nomad
Halfway down, I met Paul, a full-time van-dwelling hiker exploring national parks while working remotely. It was inspiring to see someone living the nomadic, adventure-filled life in Colorado, reminding me that the country is full of hidden stories and lifestyles.
This was before I began my nomad journey, but clearly, he made an impact.
“How long are you going for?” I asked.
“Well, I was only planning to do it for a year, but there are a lot of places to see,” he said. “I haven’t even made it all the way west yet.” I hear ya, Paul.
There are over 400 national parks, monuments and sites in the United States. Sixty-three+ of those are big national parks.
3. Telluride, Colorado
After a steep hike out of Black Canyon that really did “git me,” I meandered my way south-ish toward Telluride.
This isolated Victorian-era mining town is situated in a box canyon surrounded by mountains on all four sides. It isn’t easy to get to and isn’t exactly on the way to anything else. As a result, it has earned a well-deserved spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
It was my birthday, and I celebrated with ice cream in a historic square, imagining the lives of miners chasing gold and dreaming of a better life.
They said that the town still looks like it did in the 1870s when the miners first found gold. I believe it.
Miner, miner 49er
They say Butch Cassidy once robbed a bank in Telluride and that’s kind of cool … if you’re into criminals. As I ate my ice cream, I walked and hummed a song. I could not get out of my head since I set foot in the town. You might know it…
In a cavern, in a canyon
excavating for a mine
dwelt a miner, forty-niner
and his daughter, Clementine.
4. Mesa Verde National Park
I finished my ice cream and headed south toward Durango, located on the Colorado-New Mexico border.
The heat was nearing 100, and the sun shone down relentlessly as I neared my destination. Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings hidden in the mountainside. I was intensely curious about how these people ended up here and what possessed them to make it their home.
Once I made it to the treeless mesa, I drove up, up, up along Mesa Top Loop Road. There, I admired the vista overlooks with panoramic canyon views that left me gasping for breath once again. Somewhere miles into the distance were the four corners where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona met.
Exploring the Cliff Dwellings
The cliff dwellings are architectural marvels, ranging from one-room homes to massive 150-room structures built into the mountainside.
The ingenuity and resilience of these people, living over 700 years in such a harsh environment, was humbling and inspiring. Then, one day, for reasons we will likely never know, they left the mesa, never to return.
5. Garden of the Gods
I headed east toward Colorado Springs and some of the more traveled spaces and places. I even stopped by Pikes Peak – that famed 14,000-foot mountain of yore.
Colorado Springs is an interesting area where the Great Plains grasslands meet pinon-juniper woodlands that extend to the peak. That uniqueness is its blessing and its curse.
Unlike the other places I visited, Colorado Springs felt commercialized. Indeed, even the mountain requires an entry fee.
Things to do at Garden of the Gods
The rocks at the Garden of the Gods are red sandstone and limestone. The formations have been tilted vertically and faulted into “fins” jutting out of the ground.
Garden of the Gods, while lovely, doesn’t offer many challenges, which makes it a good alternative for families and those with limited physical ability.
As I drove toward them, I was surprised to find suburbs surrounding the National Natural Landmark. There was also a visitor center offering climbing, paved hiking trails, biking, and jeep tours.
I was a little disappointed to return to “normal” Colorado suburban life. After all of the wildness and wide-open spaces, it lost some luster with easily attainable alternatives for everything. But this is what’s great about Colorado – there’s something for each of us.
Colorado Road Trip Takeaways
From the isolated peaks of Grand Mesa to the ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, Colorado offers something for every adventurer. Whether you crave high-altitude solitude, historic towns, or accessible red-rock beauty, a Colorado road trip reveals the state’s unmatched natural diversity.
If you’re planning your own Colorado adventure, remember: the best experiences are often off the beaten path.
Read about more places in Colorado here.
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