Colorado - International Traveller

From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains, Colorado is a place for unparalleled adventure.

Bordering Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Utah (it also touches Arizona at the famous Four Corners), Colorado is a Middle American state with immense character and an exhilarating history, with a rich Gold Rush heritage dating back to the 1800s and strong lineage to the Old Wild West.

However, where Colorado truly stands out from the crowd is within its picture-perfect landscape. Bountiful in mountains, forests, canyons, river plains and deserts, it’s an adventurer’s dream destination.

Dating back to the Old West era, Denver is a cosmopolitan city that still boasts ties to its storied origin, giving guests a taste of the old and new in one gulp. To experience the best of Colorado’s outdoor capital city like a local, there are three things any visitor must tick off their list: western art, shopping and craft beer.

Packed with museums like the Denver Art Museum and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which hosts celebrated music acts, there’s no better way to wrap up a Denver day than with a pit stop at the Strange Craft Beer Company, or Freshcraft for a tipple of the best this town has to offer.

Take a hike in one of Colorado’s four national parks or 42 state parks or eight National Monuments. The National Parks are like giant playgrounds for visitors, especially in the summer. Rocky Mountain National Park boasts peaks that overlook vast plains, while the ancient dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park and the grand mountains of sand in the Sahara-esque Great Sand Dunes National Park will leave you speechless.

Colorado’s 10 historic and scenic rail routes will not only take you on a tour through history; they’re as entertaining as they are informative. For a thrill, hop aboard the Murder Mystery Train operated by Royal Gorge Route Railroad and find out who dunnit over a theatrical dinner.

Also for the history buffs out there, travel on the historical Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train for some of the most spectacular scenery in Colorado.

While it has mountains and picturesque landscapes aplenty, Colorado also boasts bodies of water perfect for whitewater rafting or casting a lazy line, for those hoping to reel in the catch of the day.

With 1500 ghost towns scattered across it, visitors can easily find traces of the Old West as they take a walk down deserted streets and peek through dusty windows. Towns like Carson, Victor and St Elmo give an insight into life during the Colorado Gold Rush of the 1800s.

Alternatively, become a cowboy (or girl) for a day by jumping in the saddle at a dude ranch to take the experience one (exhilarating) step further. Travelling 26 scenic and historic byways throughout Colorado on horseback is an increasingly popular way to explore the state’s four National Parks.

With 28 world class ski resorts, Colorado could well offer up the epic ski trail you’ve always wanted to hurtle down. In fact, Colorado’s slopes (including Aspen and Telluride) have been named America’s best and claim to be home to the most thrilling trails you’ll find country-wide.

One of the state’s most popular natural offerings are its hot springs. The coolest part about accessing these naturally heated pools, is that you’re never far from one. With 30 soothing mineral-rich baths scattered across the state, you’re just as likely to stumble across one in a luxurious resort as you are at a hike-in hideaway.