In the contiguous U.S., nothing quite compares with skiing the Colorado Rockies. The alpine vistas are beautiful, the dry snow is deep and dreamy, and the above-tree-line skiing is some of the best in the world. In addition to the superb natural conditions, the state has top-quality resort facilities in many locations. Supplementing the well-known ski resort cities of Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Telluride and Vail are several excellent ski resorts that are within an hour's drive of Denver, including Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Loveland Ski Area, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. They're popular with city residents, who often drive up for the day or the weekend. Most ski areas also offer warm-weather activities to entice visitors in the summer: mountain biking, hiking, golfing, shopping and fine dining.
Those interested in seeing the backcountry on skis may want to take advantage of the 10th Mountain Huts. They consist of 29 backcountry huts connected by some 350 mi/565 km of trails between Aspen, Vail and Leadville. The system was named in honor of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, which trained in this area to fight on skis during World War II. There's an average distance of 6 mi/10 km between huts, and each hut sleeps approximately 16 people. Some of the trails are advanced, so be prepared. Contact the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association for more information. Phone 970-925-5775. http://www.huts.org.
Shopping
Colorado offers a wide variety of shopping. It's a good place to find western wear, Old West and cowboy memorabilia and outdoor gear and equipment (for hiking, camping, backpacking, mountain biking, climbing). In the ski areas, you'll find many gift and clothing boutiques, as well as lots of art galleries.
Vail and Aspen are particularly notable for their chic boutiques, expensive furriers and jewelry stores. Looking to spend thousands on a ski outfit? Search no further than Vail or Aspen.
When traveling west from Denver on Interstate 70, if the grandeur of the mountains just doesn't do it for you, duck indoors at the Silverthorne Factory Stores and pick from 70 brand-name clothing stores and other items you absolutely need, most of it not made in the U.S., let alone Colorado.
Day By Day
There's plenty to see and do in Colorado—and a lot of ground to cover. We suggest the following minimum itinerary of 10 days. It assumes you are visiting in the summer and that you like to cover a lot of ground—you could spend the whole 10 days at any of these destinations.
Days 1 and 2—Denver.
Day 3—Leave Denver on Highway 36 North to Boulder, stopping at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Lunch, then continue on Highway 36 to Estes Park. Spend the afternoon fishing or take the tramway up Prospect Mountain. Overnight in the Estes Park area.
Day 4—Head into Rocky Mountain National Park on Highway 34, stopping at the visitors center. Spend the day on Trail Ridge Road on your way to Grand Lake. Overnight there or in Granby.
Day 5—Drive south on Highway 40 from Granby and then take Interstate 70 West to Georgetown. Explore Hamill House and other historic buildings. Take the round-trip Georgetown Loop train to tour the silver mines, then continue west on I-70 through the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, exiting onto Highway 91 South to Leadville. Overnight there.
Day 6—Go south on Highway 24 to Florissant. Take the local road out of town to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, then return to Highway 24 and take Highway 67 to Cripple Creek. Tour the Old Homestead Museum, reserve some time to gamble if it interests you and take the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad trip. Overnight in Cripple Creek.
Day 7—Return to Highway 24, and head for Manitou Springs, outside Colorado Springs. On the outskirts, stop at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings Museum and take time to tour Cave of the Winds. In the afternoon, take the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak. Overnight in Colorado Springs.
Day 8—Spend the day and night in Colorado Springs.
Day 9—Depart Colorado Springs for Denver. Overnight in Denver.
Day 10—Depart Colorado.
For the traveler with more time, add any combination of the following to the schedule above: Add five days to go from Leadville through Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Montrose, Gunnison, Canon City and Pueblo. Or, make an eight-day swing to cover most of the southwestern part of the state, including Telluride, Cortez, Mesa Verde, Durango and Silverton.
