We love Colorado, and our state is celebrating a very big birthday this year.

Happy 150^th Colorado!

On Aug. 1, 1876, Colorado officially became a state. Before that, Colorado was a territory, and it took five attempts for boosters in stunning Colorado to persuade federal officials that we deserved to become a state.

The timing proved fortuitous and gave Colorado its nickname as the “Centennial State.” That’s because our birth as a state coincided with the 100^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States in 1776.

The celebration of a 150^th anniversary is known as a sesquicentennial. (Sesqui is a root word that comes from the Latin and simply means “one-and-a-half.”)

In honor of Colorado’s sesquicentennial, we’re sharing a list (in no particular order) of 150 fun places you can visit and interesting things to do in our spectacular square state.

Let the adventures begin

1. Start with a visit to History Colorado, where you can enjoy an exhibit all about Colorado’s sesquicentennial. It’s called “38^th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State.”
2. While you’re in downtown Denver, check out the gold dome of the Colorado Capitol. Is the building haunted? Take a tour and find out.
3. Love western art? Visit the American Museum of Western Art.
4. You also can check out western art at one of Colorado’s historic hotels, The Broadmoor. Stay for a night, stroll around the lake or join a sing-along at the famous Golden Bee. (Get other ideas for things to do in Colorado if you don’t ski.)
5. Another historic gem is Denver’s famous Brown Palace Hotel, where you can enjoy high tea any time of year. A visit to the Brown’s soaring 8-story atrium is especially beautiful during the holidays when hotel managers gussy up the hotel.
6. While we’re on the topic of interesting “Browns,” have you ever heard of the Unsinkable Molly Brown? She was a legend in Colorado and helped people survive the Titanic. You can visit her former home in Denver.
7. Native Americans called Colorado home for generations. Visit the Ute Mountain Museum and other special places that highlight the role of indigenous people in Colorado.
8. Attend a Native American powwow.
9. Test your fitness at the famous Manitou Incline west of Colorado Springs.
10. Fitness buffs also can climb the red stone steps (or the seats) at Red Rocks, the iconic natural amphitheater in Morrison, west of Denver. Along with working out or hiking in the area, you can enjoy outdoor yoga or see a concert at Red Rocks.
11. If you’re a fan of outdoor concerts, head to “The Mish.” This century-old venue, officially called Mishawaka Amphitheatre, has drawn music lovers to the Cache la Poudre River canyon for generations and recently earned major bragging rights after being named Westword’s 2026 (Readers’ Choice) Best Outdoor Venue. If you’re not able to make a concert, pack a lunch and drive up a beautiful canyon to The Mish on a Sunday afternoon. Bonus: on some Sundays, there are free concerts.
12. Walk along the 3-mile Pueblo Levee and marvel at the mural artwork that adorns it. The levee was built after the devastating 1921 flood in Pueblo and is now the longest painting in the world.
13. While you’re in Pueblo, visit the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, where you can dine and shop, rent a paddle boat or enjoy live music.
14. Meet Rita the Rock Planter, a towering troll sculpture created from recycled wood, outside the historic mining town of Victor. Thomas Dambo’s other troll sculpture, Isak Heartstone, is in Breckenridge.
15. Take a factory tour at Liberty Puzzles in Boulder to see how they make their much-loved wooden puzzles. Celestial Seasonings tea, also in Boulder, offers factory tours, too. So does Hammond’s candies in Denver.
16. Experience a contemplative, sensory journey in the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace, a light-based immersive art experience by James Turrell. The space features a retractable roof, with showtimes coinciding with sunrise and sunset.
17. Take a spin on one of the historic carousels in Colorado, including in Burlington, Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and more.
18. Learn about the marble that sculptors used to create the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and hundreds of other buildings at the Marble Museum in this former mining town.
19. While in Marble, visit the much photographed Crystal Mill, reachable only by four-wheel drive, mountain bike or hiking.
20. Take a mountain bike excursion in Fruita, which has become a premier destination with more than 250 miles of trails. This is just one of many mountain bike opportunities throughout Colorado.
21. Visit the Trinidad History Museum, which occupies an entire city block with three historic buildings and heritage gardens that tell the story of this southern Colorado city’s place in the American West and the Santa Fe Trail.
22. Visit Colorado’s oldest town, San Luis.
23. Ride one of two Amtrak train routes in Colorado:
    • The Southwest Chief Amtrak line makes stops in Lamar, La Junta and Trinidad, Colorado before heading to Kansas or New Mexico, depending which direction you’re headed.
    • The California Zephyr Amtrak line travels through northeastern Colorado with a stop in Denver. Don’t miss seeing Union Station in Lower Downtown, which opened in 1881, was replaced in 1914 and was lovingly restored in 2014. The imposing Beaux-Arts style depot has hosted multiple presidents and countless travelers. This scenic Zephyr train route winds into the mountains to Winter Park, then follows the Colorado River across the state and into Utah, servicing views you can’t get from the highway — including, on busy rafting days, a few unexpected “moons” along the riverbanks.
24. Train buffs can enjoy these other rail excursions in Colorado. Check websites for opening and closing dates.

• Royal Gorge Route Railroad
• Georgetown Loop Railroad and Mining Park
• Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
• Leadville Railroad
• Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad
• Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
• Tiny Town

25. Drive the Highway of Legends from La Veta to Trinidad, where you can see unusual volcanic formations radiating outward from the Spanish Peaks. Colorado has 26 scenic and historic byways.
26. Stand in four states at once at Four Corners, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico state borders meet.
27. Watch a drive-in movie from your hotel room at the Best Western Movie Manor in Del Norte. Or check out other drive-in movie theaters in Buena Vista, Pueblo, Monte Vista, Commerce City or more.
28. Hunt for wildflowers, enjoy culinary arts or try your hand at painting during the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2026.
29. Take in world-class theater at 9,000 feet with the Creede Repertory Theatre, founded in 1966 in this remote box canyon town in southern Colorado.
30. While in Creede, try 4-wheeling the famous Bachelor Loop, where you’ll see countless mines that kept this part of Colorado humming for years.
31. Visit the “Switzerland of America,” Ouray, Colorado, which is surrounded by soaring peaks in the San Juan mountain range. While you’re there, test your nerves and drive the “Million Dollar Highway,” a 25-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 550 between Silverton and Ouray. Be warned. The highway features steep cliffs, narrow lanes and no guardrails but spectacular views.
32. Play hide-and-seek in the arroyos that lead to the Pawnee Buttes in the Pawnee National Grasslands in northern Colorado. The winding cuts in the prairie make perfect hideouts and turn a simple walk into an adventure.
33. Check out a bocci ball set from the local library and play it at a local park or while camping. It’s simple, portable fun that works for all ages.
34. Rent a paddleboard on Horsetooth Reservoir and glide across the water with postcard-worthy views of the Front Range as you get a full-body workout that also boosts balance and brain health. Here are tips on why paddleboarding is so good for you, plus key safety basics.
35. Book a rafting trip. Whether you want a mellow float or heart-pounding rapids, Colorado’s rivers deliver big scenery and big fun.
36. Pedal to work (and snag sweet swag) during Colorado’s Bike to Work Day. It’s a fun, low-pressure way to try biking with extra riders on the road and support stations handing out coffee, breakfast and goodies.
37. Take your family car camping. It’s one of the easiest ways to unplug, tell stories around a campfire and wake up to Colorado sunshine. Before you go, brush up on Leave No Trace basics so these wild places stay wild.
38. August (Colorado’s birthday month) is prime mushroom hunting season but do it the smart way: tag along with someone who really knows fungi or learn the ropes at an annual mushroom festival (Eagle and Telluride both host them).
39. Ride the free gondola between Mountain Village and Telluride. It’s one of many in the state, although not all are free, and a fun way to get amazing views. Your dog can ride too.
40. While you’re in Telluride, check out the tallest, free-flowing waterfall in Colorado. Bridal Veil Falls, which measures 365 feet. Visitors can park at the base of the falls and can hike the Bridal Veil Trail, which leads to two smaller falls.
41. Pack hot cocoa and snacks, grab a hand saw, tape measure and straps, and make a day of cutting down your own Christmas tree. Here’s a guide to permits, where you can go and the rules to follow.
42. Swing by one of Colorado’s many disc golf courses during your next road trip. Disc golf is a fun, low-cost way to stretch your legs (and your dog’s), and get outside for a bit.
43. Try bird watching by joining an annual bird count or local birding club outing. It’s a great way to slow down, enjoy nature and learn more about the birds in your own backyard.
44. Visit a Dark Sky community or park to contemplate the vastness of our universe. These places are Dark Sky International-certified destinations and follow specific lighting policies to prevent light pollution and preserve dark sky areas.
45. Take a hike where dinosaurs once roamed. Colorado parks and monuments offer short to long hikes for a view of fossil beds and ancient footprints.
46. Check out a local whitewater park, like the one in Pueblo, where rivers double as community playgrounds. Watch kayakers surf rapids, cool your feet or enjoy an easy riverside walk. You can also surf a river wave in Salida’s Whitewater Park.
47. Take in all that the Colorado State Fair has to offer: music, rodeo, food, the best of Colorado agriculture and much more. The fair takes place every summer in Pueblo and starts in late August.
48. Pick up some local honey to share with a friend and get some for yourself. This thoughtful gift supports local beekeepers and gives you a sweet taste of Colorado.
49. Attend a peach festival along Colorado’s Western Slope, where summer is celebrated with ripe Palisade peaches, live music and small-town charm.
50. Camp in an orchard and fall asleep surrounded by fruit trees and wide Western Slope skies. During the day, experience Colorado’s agricultural roots up close by picking your own fruit to take home. (Here are delicious recipes to try.)
51. During Colorado’s birthday month in August, wild raspberries grow on sunny slopes in the Colorado mountains. You’ll have to beat the critters to the berries, but if you’re lucky, you might find some at Monarch Lake near Granby, a stunning, busy area that leads into the Indian Peaks Wilderness.
52. An easier place to pick fresh berries is at a place like Berry Patch Farms near Brighton. Be sure to make reservations.
53. Plan a summer or winter hut trip in Colorado’s backcountry.
54. Visit Camp Hale and learn about the legendary World War II “ski troops” who trained near Leadville in Colorado.
55. Go for a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
56. While you’re in “Rocky,” drive Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the U.S. If you want to drive up one way and down another, head up the older route, Fall River Road, and drive back down on Trail Ridge Road to either Estes Park or Grand Lake. While you’re on top of the world, stop at the Alpine Visitors Center, where you can learn about tiny wildflowers that survive in incredibly harsh conditions.
57. In Grand Lake, you can stroll through town on wooden sidewalks and can do a short hike to a Adams Falls. A much tougher hike will take you to the very well-preserved Shadow Mountain fire lookout tower. People who love fire towers and history can climb to the top of others that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and U.S. Forest Service crews in the early 20^th Staffers who spent summers in these towers once guarded forests in Colorado. A few towers remain, providing those who can find them with amazing views of Colorado’s vast wilderness.
58. Colorado is home to multiple national parks, monuments and historic sites, all of which allow free access on particular days.
59. Visit Amache. It’s one of the somber national historic sites in Colorado and commemorates an internment camp where Japanese people were forced to live during World War II. Learn about the Amache roses that survived for decades and recently bloomed again.
60. Visit Bent’s Old Fort. This real fort dates back to the 1840s and was an adobe trading post along the Santa Fe Trail.
61. See some of the steepest cliffs and oldest rocks in North America at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
62. Check out other canyons in Colorado. Start with a visit to Glenwood Canyon. You can see Glenwood Canyon from Interstate 70, which winds its way through the canyon. But you can also raft the Colorado River through the canyon or ride your bike along a stunning bike path.
63. If you plan ahead, you can do one of Colorado’s most famous hikes from Glenwood Canyon. You’ll need reservations, but you’ll love the hike up to Hanging Lake.
64. The Royal Gorge is another of Colorado’s famous canyons. It’s home to all sorts of rides and attractions, including a bridge suspended 1,000 feet above the river that carved this giant gorge.
65. Visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. It’s a magical place year-round. You can sled on sand at this park. And in the fall and spring, sandhill cranes migrate through the area.
66. People can enjoy dips in soothing hot springs throughout Colorado from Steamboat Springs to Pagosa Springs, Glenwood Springs and Buena Vista.
67. Visit Colorado’s amazing state parks, including Chatfield and Cherry Creek, both of which boast fun off-leash areas to walk with your dog.
68. Ski or board at Howelsen Hill, Colorado’s oldest continuously operated ski area. Whether you enjoy alpine or Nordic skiing, Howelsen offers beautiful terrain in downtown Steamboat Springs. In the summer, give the alpine slide a try.
69. Winter and summer activities abound at Saddleback Ranch, located just outside Steamboat Springs. Enjoy year-round horseback rides, summer cattle drives or shout “Yee-Haw” as you race down the tubing hill.
70. The Yampa River flows through downtown Steamboat Springs and offers pristine mountain views while you cast for rainbow and brown trout.
71. The Main Street Steamboat’s Farmer’s Market showcases more than 150+ vendors on Saturdays from June through September.
72. The excitement goes up as the sun goes down every Friday and Saturday night at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo. Held from mid-June through late August, the rodeo brings professional riders to town and delivers family-friendly fun each summer weekend. Other fun small-town rodeos include the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park and “the biggest little rodeo in the West,” tiny Grover’s Father’s day rodeo.
73. Learn the history of Steamboat Springs, at the Tread of Pioneers Museum. Permanent and rotating displays highlight the town’s history, western and Native American influence, and the community’s skiing and Olympic influence.
74. Complete the Zirkel Circle, an 11-mile loop that takes you past Gold Creek and Gilpin lakes.
75. Stay at the iconic Rabbit Ears Motel in Steamboat Springs, then hike the Rabbit Ears trail. Time it right in early summer and you’ll pass through fields of wildflowers on your way to the ears.
76. Enjoy a live performance at Strings Music Festival, an incredible pavilion that attracts artists from around the world. The pavilion walls can open in the summer, allowing mountain breezes to flow through the venue during performances.
77. Catch one of Colorado’s nine (give or take) hot air balloon festivals. One of the largest is the Labor Day Lift Off in Colorado Springs, but even the smaller events have something spectacular to offer, like the views of the San Juan Mountains at the Telluride Balloon Festival.
78. Visit a ghost town. One of the best preserved is St. Elmo. Wooden buildings, a still-operating general store and a dramatic mountain setting make it easy to imagine life during Colorado’s mining boom.
79. Don’t let accessibility keep you from enjoying the outdoors. Experience fresh air and open spaces at one of these accessible trails or nature areas.
80. Reserve a rustic cabin for a night or two. Places like Alder Guard Station near South Fork or Robert’s Cabin in the Pike & San Isabel National Forests have roots in the early 1900s mining, railroad and ranger areas — and miles of quiet forest right outside the door. Reserved these special places on recreation.gov.
81. Interact with exhibits and learn about powerful athlete stories at the Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. Feel the intensity, grit and joy of the Games, and leave your passport at home.
82. Walk among cliff dwellings carved into sandstone alcoves and see how Ancestral Pueblo people built and lived more than 700 years ago at Mesa Verde National Park.
83. See what a vision and determination can build at Bishop Castle in the mountains southwest of Pueblo. Jim Bishop bought land in the mountains when he was just 15 and went on to create a castle by hand, using stone from his property. Bishop died in 2024, but his family still welcomes visitors to the site.
84. Colorado is home to other fun castles including the Redstone Castle near Aspen, which you can tour, and the Cherokee Ranch & Castle in Sedalia, where you can enjoy tea.
85. Spend a day at a zoo, in Denver, Colorado Springs or Pueblo. Timed ticket reservations required in Denver and Colorado Springs. And if butterflies are more your style, don’t miss the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster.
86. The Downtown Aquarium in Denver features more than a million gallons of underwater exhibits that highlight ecosystems around the world.
87. The Denver Children’s Museum offers hours of fun for children of all ages, with workshops, exhibits and more. Or visit the Buell Children’s Museum at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference center in Pueblo.
88. Take a stroll along one of several pedestrian malls in Colorado, including Denver’s 16^th Street, Pearl Street in Boulder, Grand Junction’s downtown and Aspen’s car-free areas.
89. Make plans ahead of time if you’re visiting Aspen and book a reservation to see the iconic Maroon Bells. This area is especially beautiful in the fall when the aspen trees paint mountain slopes gold in the fall.
90. Cool off at one of the largest water parks in the country. Water World, north of Denver, is a wonderful place to spend a summer day. Lines can get a bit long, so show up early, but bring a cooler (no alcohol), snacks and your favorite friends.
91. Enjoy sweet honey on your pizza crust at Beau Jo’s — a quirky Colorado tradition that turns your last bites into dessert. There are seven locations throughout Colorado’s Front Range.
92. Check out the lively summer atmosphere at a Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field.
93. Colorado is home to the final resting place of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. A museum and the grave of this historic mountain man (turned entertainer and showman) is located atop Lookout Mountain.
94. While atop Lookout Mountain, take in one of the best views of the city and surrounding valley. We highly recommend being there for sunrise and sunset.
95. Perched above Estes Park, The Stanley Hotel has a famously eerie backstory that’s worth checking out. (Hint: this hotel inspired Stephen King’s The Shining.)
96. Unlike the Midwest, fireflies are uncommon in Colorado, so catching their glow feels like you’ve stumbled onto a magical secret. These “lightning bugs” do frequent a few places in Colorado during a certain time of year. The Denver Gazette highlights a few of those places.
97. Take in one of the many art museums in Colorado, including the Denver Art Museum, founded in 1893 and with 70,000 works of art in 12 collections; the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, which has three Chihuly chandeliers; or the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, which has nearly all of this abstract expressionist artist’s work. There also are art museums in Aspen, Steamboat Springs and Boulder, to name a few.
98. Drive up a Colorado 14er, or a peak with an elevation of 14,000 feet or more. Mount Blue Sky has a road to the top. So does Pikes Peak, with a toll.
99. If you’re in great shape and are willing to start hiking well before dawn, try climbing a 14er. Be prepared as these peaks can be dangerous.
100. Another tough but legendary hike is the trip from Aspen to Crested Butte (or the other way around).
101. Spend the day tiptoeing through the tulips, or whatever’s in bloom, at a botanic garden. The Denver Botanic Gardens has two locations offering an array of events along with acres of stunning plants and trees. Or visit the Yampa River Botanic Park in Steamboat Springs or the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail.
102. Consider going underground by visiting these caves in Colorado.
103. Take in the towering red rock formations at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs by car, on foot or on a bike. This city-owned 1,300-acre park is a National Natural Landmark.
104. Visit what was once the largest homesteading settlement for Black people in Colorado, Dearfield. The former town is now a Homestead National Historic Park.
105. Step inside a re-created 1840s adobe trading post and plaza at El Pueblo History Museum. The museum occupies the site of the historic trading post in downtown Pueblo.
106. Visit one of the country’s largest urban refuges, Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, outside Denver. Once the home of Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche and Ute peoples, it became a chemical weapons manufacturing facility after the attack on Pearl Harbor before undergoing an extensive cleanup and restoration.
107. Visit Crestone in the San Luis Valley, a community of 150 people but home to a number of spiritual centers representing various traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Native American spirituality.
108. While you’re in the area, don’t miss the UFO Watchtower, a roadside attraction that welcomes extraterrestrial seekers hoping to spot an alien or UFO.
109. Ride a roller coaster or Ferris wheel at one of these amusement parks (check for opening and closing dates): Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park, Lakeside Amusement Park or North Pole Home of Santa’s Workshop at the foot of Pikes Peak.
110. Step back in time at the century old Manitou Springs Penny Arcade. The eight-building venue features video games, pinball, pool tables, photo booths, skee-ball and a 12-horse race Derby game manufactured in England.
111. Visit the iconic research center that overlooks Boulder. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research study everything related to the natural word, and the center’s visitor center is open 363 days a year, with tours available along with nice hikes around the center.
112. The Poudre River Trail now connects Laporte to Greeley with 21 miles of paved trail, offering a long, quiet ribbon of river and cottonwoods. It is enjoyable at any time of day, but there are self-guided and guided full moon bicycle tours available during the summer months.
113. Sign up for a Colorado race. Whether you’re drawn to the endurance challenge of the Leadville Trail 100 or the festive, community feel of the BOLDERBoulder, options span all distances and abilities.
114. See Colorado’s ranching roots in one place at the National Western Stock Show. Held each January in Denver, this family-friendly event covers all the basics, from livestock shows to rodeos.
115. Embrace Colorado’s cold and snow. Take in frozen art at Breckenridge’s international snow sculpture competition or explore immersive ice castles.
116. If you want to be more hands-on, take an ice-climbing lesson at Ouray’s Ice Park. There are beginner-friendly lessons that introduce you to climbing their frozen waterfalls, and even if you don’t make it to the top, the park itself is a spectacular site.
117. Visit the spot where a meteorite fell during a funeral in northern Colorado. In 1924, a fiery rock from space crashed to Earth near present-day Johnstown, startling mourners and becoming one of the state’s strangest true stories.
118. Hike up to a glacier. Colorado still has a handful of glaciers (although they’re melting fast). One of the most accessible is St. Mary’s Glacier.
119. Stroll, run or ride your horse on the 71-mile High Line Canal, one of the longest urban trail systems in the U.S.
120. Visit Colorado’s newest state park, Fishers Peak, near Trinidad.
121. Hike to a natural water slide in the San Isabel National Forest near Rye. This secret spot near Lake Isabel has no signs and can be tough to find and navigate. But on a hot day, you can glide over smooth rocks and cool off in a refreshing Colorado creek.
122. Pick your own pumpkin for Halloween.
123. Hike to Royal Arch in Boulder’s Chautauqua Park.
124. View colorful wood carvings or enjoy at cup of tea at Boulder’s Dushanbe Tea House. To honor its sister-city relationship with Boulder, the mayor of Dushanbe in Tajikistan enlisted 40 artisans to create this peaceful building, which has become a symbol of international friendship.
125. Head out on an urban scavenger hunt. Can you find the famous blue bear in downtown Denver? And don’t miss the famous blue horse statue at Denver International Airport. Its official name is “Mustang.” Its nickname is “Blucifer.” And it might have killed its creator.
126. Journey back 34 million years in time and visit an ancient redwood forest at Florissant Fossil Beds, a national monument in Colorado.
127. Contemplate one of the saddest chapters in Colorado history and pay respects to indigenous people at the site of the Sand Creek Massacre. On Nov. 29, 1864, U.S. troops killed more than 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, mostly women, children and elders.
128. Tour an old silver mine or pan for gold in Clear Creek County.
129. Witness the elaborate mating rituals of tarantulas in southeastern Colorado during the fall.
130. Hike a section of the famous Colorado Trail, which includes 567 miles of trails from Denver to Durango.
131. Visit Leadville, elevation, 10,200 feet, which bills itself as the “highest incorporated city in the U.S.” Plan months ahead, and you can score a coveted reservation to visit Melanzana, home to outwear made 100% in Colorado.
132. Love airplanes? Visit a museum that’s perfect for flight enthusiasts of all ages. Wings Over the Rockies is Colorado’s official Air and Space Museum with locations at the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver and an immersive flight experience at Centennial Airport.
133. Visit the highest and lowest points in Colorado. The high point is Mount Elbert, which tops out at a lofty 14,433 feet. The hike to the summit is not easy. The low point is on the Eastern Plains in the Yuma County, where the Arikaree River is dry except during floods. The elevation there is 3,315 feet.
134. Hike up to the spot near Snowmass where town officials were expanding a lake to increase the town’s water supply in 2010 when construction workers made a remarkable discovery: Colorado’s first mastodon skull. The site came to be known as “Snowmastodon.” Volunteers joined experts from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for a remarkable dig. You can see the site in Snowmass and the discoveries from the dig at the museum in Denver.
135. If you’re up for a hike or a 4-wheeling adventure, visit Rollinsville, where the founder of the town, John Quincy Adams Rollins, built the first toll road over the Continental Divide. A train route followed later.
136. Gaze up at what was once a secret military installation inside Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. The facility became operational during the height of the Colorado war in 1967. NORAD, which stands for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, operated the facility. It’s not open for tours but is no longer top-secret. These days, NORAD officials take on extra duties around the holidays when they track Santa’s trip around the globe on Christmas.
137. You’ve probably heard of Magic Mountain, an amusement park in California. There’s also a Magic Mountain in Colorado. And it’s a community archaeological project. Now owned by the city of Golden, this site is considered one the most significant archaeological locations in Colorado. Experts are finding remnants of people who lived in the area 9,000 years ago.
138. Explore Colfax Avenue, the longest road in the U.S.
139. In Boulder, you can hike up Flagstaff Mountain and peer down at another very significant landmark: Baseline Road. Long before the city grew, surveyors in the mid 1850s marked a dirt road that stretched from east to west and later became Baseline, the exact path of the 40th parallel.
140. Visit a unique library that documents Black history: Denver’s Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. Special tours are available and visitors can delve in the archives.
141. Nearby, check out Five Points in Denver, a place where five streets come together. This neighborhood once was home to Jazz legends.
142. Check out the new Clear Creek Trail, which will someday be a 65-mile trail connecting the South Platte Trail in Denver with the headwaters of Clear Creek on Loveland Pass.
143. Speaking of Loveland, be sure to visit Loveland and Loveland. Colorado is home to Loveland Ski Area and Loveland, northern Colorado’s “Sweetheart City,” where you can send Valentine’s Day greetings to be “remailed” with a special stamp from Loveland.
144. Visit one of Colorado’s most unusual tourist attractions in the San Luis Valley. You’d expect to find this place in the Florida Everglades, but this high-altitude area of the state is home to Colorado Gators, where rescued reptiles thrive thanks to natural hot springs in the region.
145. You can see lions and tigers and bears in another unlikely place: Colorado’s Eastern Plains, where you’ll find the Wild Animal Sanctuary.
146. Colorado is home to the headwaters of four major rivers and 158 named rivers flow through the state, including the Colorado River. Visit the Headwaters River Journey in Winter Park to learn about Colorado’s precious water.
147. Colorado’s Cache la Poudre River is designated as a Wild & Scenic River. Visit Island Grove Park and check out other fun, free things to do in Colorado.
148. Enjoy a bike ride on the South Platte Trail that winds from Denver south to Littleton. Take time during your ride to visit the Carson Nature Center, where you can learn about a devastating flood that hit the area in 1965.
149. Eat donuts at high altitude. We’re all about health, so we don’t usually promote confections. But if you make it to the top of Pikes Peak on foot, in a car or on the train, you might as well indulge in one of the famous donuts at the Summit Visitor Center. After all, how often will you have the opportunity to sample a donut crafted just for you at 14,115 feet above sea level?
150. Belt out “America the Beautiful” at your favorite, hidden place in Colorado, where no one will care if you can’t reach the high notes or you’re singing off key. Katharine Lee Bates visited the summit of Pikes Peak in 1893 and wrote about “purple mountain majesties” in her poem, “America,” which later became “America the Beautiful.”