Colorado Parks and Recreation Areas with Interpretive Programs

William and Charles Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, built the original fort on this site in 1833 to trade with plains Indians and trappers. The adobe fort quickly became the center of the Bent, St.Vrain Company's expanding trade empire that included Fort St.Vrain to the north and Fort Adobe to the south, along with company stores in Mexico at Taos and Santa Fe. The primary trade was with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for buffalo robes. read more...

Phone: 719-383-5010   Price Range: $2 - $3   Open Season: N/A   Camping: No
Nearest Popular City: La Junta   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Historic Site   Activities: Birding, Interpretive Programs   Details Provided By: Bent'S Old Fort

Established on January 26, 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park is a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. With elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Long's Peak, a visitor to the park has opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures. read more...

Phone: 970-586-1206   Price Range: $0 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Estes Park   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Cross Country Skiing, Downhill Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Rock Climbing, Wildlife Watching, Camping, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Rocky Mountain National Park

Three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River, form the heart of Curecanti National Recreation Area. Panoramic mesas, fjord-like reservoirs, and deep, steep and narrow canyons abound. read more...

Phone: 970-641-2337   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Gunnison   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: Recreation Area   Activities: Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Cross Country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting and Shooting, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Whitewater Rafting, Wildlife Watching, Camping, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing, Snowmobiling   Details Provided By: Curecanti National Recreation Area

Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers an unparalleled opportunity to see and experience a unique cultural and physical landscape. The culture represented at Mesa Verde reflects more than 700 years of history. From approximately A.D. 600 through A.D. 1300 people lived and flourished in communities throughout the area, eventually building elaborate stone villages in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. Today most people call these sheltered villages cliff dwellings. The cliff dwellings represent the last 75 to 100 years of occupation at Mesa Verde. In the late 1200s within the span of one or two generations, they left their homes and moved away. read more...

Phone: 970-529-4465   Price Range: $3 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Mesa Verde   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Birding, Cross Country Skiing, Hiking, Wildlife Watching, Camping, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Mesa Verde National Park

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison's unique and spectacular landscape was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. read more...

Phone: 970-641-2337   Price Range: $5 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Gunnison   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Birding, Cross Country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Wildlife Watching, Camping, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Hovenweep National Monument protects five prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages spread over a twenty-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Multi-storied towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of their builders.

Phone: (970)562-4282   Price Range: $3 - $6   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Cortez   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Monument   Activities: Hiking, Camping, Interpretive Programs, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Hovenweep National Monument