In surveys of American health, Colorado routinely ranks first in fitness, last in fatness. It’s not difficult to see why. Coloradans are always out running, biking, hiking, skiing, paddling, and otherwise enjoying life in the great outdoors – when they’re not working out in the gym, that is. With an inviting climate and an unsurpassed wealth of mountains, rivers, and lakes to play on, Coloradans find little excuse to stay indoors.
Rafting on the Cache la Poudre River.
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High country scenery
There is no finer way to discover the state’s magic than on foot. From easy ambles in urban parks to grueling scrambles up steep slopes to sky-high summits, Colorado offers trails for hikers at every level of conditioning and experience. High country scenery is breathtaking, and the opportunity to explore wild areas is abundant. Mountains invite exploration and encourage people to put one foot in front of the other until they reach a goal – a panoramic viewpoint, an alpine lake, a ghost town, a windswept peak.
Climbing at Ouray’s annual Ice Climbing Festival.
Colorado Tourism/Matt Inden
Front Range trails are often snow-free through much of winter, but conditions are best from late spring to early fall. Wildflower season begins with avalanche lilies sprouting in the wake of melting snowfields, reaches a climax in July, and tapers off in September. Wildlife watching is best in spring and fall, at dawn, or dusk.
Trails crisscross the state. Many are near major highways or on the outskirts of cities and resort towns; others branch off from harrowing four-wheel-drive roads and lead deep into the wilderness. Trails vary in length and difficulty from handicapped-accessible paths of less than a mile to arduous treks along the crest of the Rockies. Many ski areas operate at least one lift in summer, so visitors who want a shortcut can ride up and hike down.
Far more challenging is scaling the hundreds of peaks that rise from mountain ranges throughout the state. The degree of difficulty varies considerably from one mountain to another, but some require no special skills or equipment and can be climbed in a single day. There are oxygen-sapping heights and often violent summer storms to contend with, but most mountains have at least one hike-up route.
Hikers with little or no experience may want to set their sights on a modest goal – say, 9,250ft (2,820-meter) Crozier Peak near Estes Park. On the opposite side of the scale is a lung-searing trek to the top of one of the state’s 54 “fourteeners” – mountains 14,000ft (4,270 meters) or higher – regarded with a certain reverence by avid hikers.
A perfect sky in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
Be prepared
Whatever your route, thoughtful preparation is the key to a successful outing. Sunscreen, sunglasses, a broad-brimmed hat (or peaked cap and bandana protecting the neck), pants and shirts that can be rolled down for sun protection, and comfortable wool socks and hiking boots, sturdy shoes, or outdoor sandals are the minimum equipment for even a moderate hike; veteran hikers often use a single walking stick or pair of trekking poles. If you intend to reach elevations of 8,000 to 10,000ft (2,400–3,000 meters), pack a fleece jacket, waterproof shell, and a high-energy snack. Above 10,000ft (3,000 meters), you’ll need cold-weather gear, including long johns, a warm hat, gloves, an emergency blanket, and extra food, even in midsummer.
Climb every mountain
The term “peak bagging” refers to a successful summit ascent, and bagging “fourteeners” – mountains 14,000ft (4,270 meters) or higher – is the ultimate goal of the hardiest hikers. Although some 200,000 people a year reach the state’s highest peaks, fourteeners have achieved mythic status. While some hikers are content to have done just one, others are compelled to ratchet up the challenge by, for example, climbing all 54 in Colorado, climbing them all in a year, on consecutive days, in winter, or all of the above. Every fourteener, whether it’s your first or your 54th, offers a sense of being on top of the world and of having gotten there one step at a time.
Difficulty ranges widely. Some peaks, like Mount Sherman, a short drive from Denver, are a good choice for beginners. A trail leads to the summit, making for a fairly easy walk-up, though hikers unaccustomed to the elevation should take it slow. Others, like Capitol and Pyramid peaks, involve traversing knife-edge ridges, loose talus, and extremely steep slopes. These summits should be attempted only by those with excellent route-finding skills and in top physical condition.
Fourteeners can be climbed in all seasons, but the best time for casual hikers is between late June and September. Afternoon electrical storms are common in summer. Start early and get below treeline before 2pm.
A trail map is a good idea even if you intend to follow a well-marked route. In remote areas, it’s essential to carry a topographical map and compass and know how to use them. GPS units are handy too, but should be used in addition to a compass, never as a substitute for one: satellite information is not the same as on-the-ground information and you may find yourself going off a cliff if you’re not careful. Other basics for wilderness travel include a Swiss army knife, matches in a waterproof case, a flashlight, a whistle, a space blanket, and turned-off cell phone at the bottom of your day pack, in case you’re on the trail longer than expected or need to signal for help. Most important, carry a gallon (4 liters) of water per person per day (at least a liter (2 pints) for short jaunts). Stay hydrated by sipping at regular intervals, even if you don’t feel thirsty, and avoid hyponatremia (an electrolyte imbalance due to low salt from sweating) by eating salty nutritious snacks like trail mix and drinking water.
Altitude sickness is another concern, especially if you’re coming from sea level. Symptoms include headache, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, and loss of appetite. The best preventative is to spend a couple of days adjusting to the elevation. Avoid overexertion, lay off alcohol and coffee (both are dehydrating), and drink more water than you think you need. Lastly, leave a travel plan with someone at home, so they know when and where to start looking if you don’t turn up.
Lightning safety
Lightning isn’t just a great light show; it’s potentially lethal and, above treeline, there are few places to hide. If you’re in the mountains when a storm moves in, descend from high, open terrain. If you can’t get away from an exposed area, make yourself as small as possible, crouching down on the balls of your feet, or perching on a small rock with insulation such as a poncho or a foam pad under you, with your feet touching rock and your hands clasped around your knees. Stay clear of tall objects such as isolated trees as well as depressions, shallow caves and rock overhangs. Ground currents can be dangerous.
Longer trips
If you like hiking, you’ll love multiday excursions, which are the logical next step. A longer backpacking trip provides the opportunity to really experience the high country, to study the wild flowers, photograph the scenery, and generally steep yourself in the beauty and tranquility of the mountains.
Overnight trips are naturally more complicated to plan and require a rather daunting list of additional equipment, including a backpack, sleeping bag, mattress pad, tent, water-purifying kit, and camping stove. The design and quality of camping gear has never been better, though choices (and prices) can quickly become overwhelming. Unless you have an experienced friend to show you the ropes, the best advice is to start by doing a little research in books, magazines and on the internet, then go to a reputable camping-supply retailer such as REI and work with a salesperson who is willing to take the time you need to make the right decisions. Remember: comfort is key. Roughing it in the outdoors shouldn’t be rough at all. The idea is to simplify your life, unload stress, and enjoy the place, people, and moment, not aggravate yourself with ill-fitting or poor-quality equipment that leaves you cold, hungry, achy, and miserable.
Once you’re properly equipped, you can begin making the tough decisions about where to go. Colorado has 30,000 campgrounds in locations ranging from the deepest wilderness to the outskirts of cities. Choosing how and where to camp is a function of taste, budget, and availability of sites. Consider why you want to camp and how rugged you want the experience to be. In general, you’ll find that the more conveniences a campground offers and the easier it is to reach, the less privacy and scenic beauty it will have.
Campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
For maximum ease, pull in to a roadside campground and use your tent, trailer, or motor home as a base for day hikes. Most drive-in campgrounds have basic sanitary facilities as well as picnic tables and grills. Private facilities may also have utility hookups (electricity, water and sewerage), showers, a laundry, a grocery, a playground, and other amenities. Electricity brings with it television, stereos, bright lights, and other “conveniences” that, in the view of many campers, spoil the point of being outdoors. Campsites at national parks, national forests, and other public lands tend to be more laid back and often feature rangers giving campfire talks or leading guided hikes.
If you want a real backcountry experience, however, you will have to leave the road behind and set out on foot to a primitive campsite or, if you’re adequately prepared, camp at large in a wilderness area designated for the purpose. If that sounds like a daunting prospect, consider hiring a guide or outfitter to help you. At the most basic level, outfitters assist with trip planning, provide the necessary equipment, and perhaps shuttle your party to and from a trailhead. At the opposite extreme, many outfitters script every inch of your trip in high style – toting your gear, setting up camp, and even capping each day with dinner beneath the stars. Most of all, outfitters can share the knowledge they’ve acquired over years of travel. Going with an expert is a great way to learn about a place and acquire new skills – and, if you choose, sweeten the adventure with a touch of luxury.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter how you experience the outdoors. The important thing is to spend time outside – to feel the sun on your face, the earth beneath your feet, the flow of a mountain stream. And to understand, as Colorado naturalist Enos Mills did, that enjoying the outdoors “will develop a love for nature, strengthen one’s appreciation of the beautiful world outdoors, and put one in tune with the Infinite.”
Rock climbing
Rock climbing epitomizes confident partnering in a vertical world. One climber moves up the rock; the other provides protection via the rope. Only when the lead climber is secure does the second climber begin to move. The process has been compared to chess in terms of concentration and the importance of small, critical moves. The satisfaction and the self-confidence gained from rock climbing are so deep that it has become a popular component of team-building and self-esteem workshops.
The learning curve is quite precipitous for rock climbing, although even in this sport, in which technical skill and strength are paramount, the opportunities for beginners are expanding. Not too many years ago, the only practical way to learn rock climbing was to tag along with experienced climbers. Today, it’s much more common for newcomers to hone their skills at climbing gyms before they actually put flesh to rock.
Always practice safe climbing techniques, and never climb alone.
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
Beginners can learn a few basic maneuvers in just four or five hours, but there’s only so much you can do without being out in the field. For that, it’s best to contact an outfitter such as the Front Range Climbing Company (1370 Windmill Ave, Colorado Springs, CO, 80907; tel: 719-632-5822; www.frontrangeclimbing.com) or the Colorado Mountain Club (710 10th St, Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401; tel: 303-279-3080; www.cmc.org), which run courses covering the fundamentals of climbing technique, equipment and, above all, safety. Such classes are a great place to meet climbing companions and learn about organized field trips.
Ice climbing
For an even greater challenge, consider ice climbing, which involves scaling a cascade frozen to a steep rock wall. To gain purchase on the slippery surface, ice climbers use axes and spiky footgear called crampons. The climber maneuvers upward in a manner similar to that of a rock climber scaling a cliff. Unlike rock climbers, however, ice climbers create their own routes by choosing where to place their tools. Despite this flexibility, ice climbing contains a constant element of insecurity because the very surface on which the climber depends can melt, shatter or break away. The changeable nature of ice also means that the same climb can vary radically from one day to another. A route’s difficulty is often impossible to predict.
Hiker and her dog, San Juan National Forest.
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The premier site for ice climbing in Colorado – and perhaps the entire western United States – is the Ouray Ice Park, an area of “cultivated” ice flows in Uncompahgre Gorge. Climbing routes, including some with safety ropes and bolts set in the rock, range in difficulty from easy to expert. The Ouray Ice Festival, usually held in mid-January, features gear demonstrations, competitions, and free instruction.
When nature calls, answer with a trowel. Dig a cathole at least 6in (15cm) deep for human waste and bury or carry out toilet paper. Pick a site at least 200ft (60 meters) from water sources.
Riding the rivers
The possibilities for outdoor adventure become even more enticing when you consider alternative modes of transportation such as biking and rafting, which often free you from the burden of lugging a backpack and open up territory that may be unreachable on foot. If you enjoy water sports, for example, you’ll get a kick out of whitewater paddling. Colorado’s 13 river systems provide everything from boat-bashing rapids in early spring to gentle summer floats that can be safely done in an inner tube. The rafting season begins in May, peaks in mid-June, and typically ends in early October. Snowmelt feeds Colorado’s rivers, so the biggest water and best paddling follow winters when the skiing was great.
A river guide leads a family rafting trip.
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The real beauty of rafting is that just about anybody can do it. Licensed outfitters handle all provisions and equipment. All you have to do – aside from paying the bill – is show up. More than half a million people a year put themselves in the hands of Colorado boatmen trained in whitewater navigation, first aid, and rescue. The best river guides know a great deal about history and nature, too. Trips range from calm half-day floats suitable for families with small children to multiday expeditions with camping, cookouts, and plenty of opportunities for exploring the surrounding terrain in depth.
The Arkansas River between Buena Vista and Royal Gorge is reportedly the most-rafted river in the western United States, but there are more than 10 others to choose from, including the Animas, Blue, Cache la Poudre, Colorado, Green, Gunnison, Yampa, and Rio Grande. River rafting contributed $162.6 million to state coffers in 2015, representing 508,728 commercial raft trips on 29 stretches of Colorado rivers, The government licenses all commercial raft companies, 50 of which belong to the Colorado River Outfitters Association, a trade group that serves as a clearinghouse for information on whitewater adventures (tel: 1-800-COLORADO; www.croa.org).
For those who crave even more action, Colorado’s fast-flowing rivers are best experienced in a kayak or canoe. Mobility, freedom, and the thrill of constantly testing yourself against the elements are the appeals of the sport. Kayakers talk about “playing” the water, not just navigating rapids but performing an aquatic ballet of “cartwheels,” “enders,” “pirouettes,” and other tricky maneuvers.
Even clear streams can harbor parasites that cause severe gastrointestinal illness. All water from wild sources should be boiled for at least a minute, treated with iodine, or passed through a portable filter.
Canoeing on Lost Lake near Kebler Pass.
Colorado Tourism/Matt Inden
Unless you already have a good deal of experience under your belt, instruction is essential. Kayaking schools throughout the state offer clinics in basic skills such as proper paddle strokes, rolls, and water safety as well as advanced “playboating” and whitewater rescue. Most introductory courses are divided into pre-river and on-river segments. The pre-river curriculum may include pool or lake instruction.
If whitewater is for thrill-seekers, flatwater canoeing has the opposite appeal – a calm, often meditative activity as well as an efficient mode of transportation. Canoes have more room for gear than kayaks and are better suited for camping and fishing trips, especially if you’re traveling with kids. Basic canoeing doesn’t take extraordinary skill either, just a little practice to paddle efficiently.
Extreme sports
Testing one’s mettle against the elements is an essential part of outdoor adventure. Numerous Colorado sporting events push human limits of strength and endurance.
For marathon runners, the Bolder Boulder 6-mile (10km) road race in May is a major event on the calendar. With categories for professional runners, elite runners, citizen runners, walkers, and wheelchair participants, 50,765 entrants took part in 2016 – a record turnout. For scenery, it’s hard to beat the Steamboat Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 10K held in Steamboat Springs in early June. It has been listed as one of the most scenic marathons in North America and a Top 10 Destination by Runner’s World. The Leadville Trail 100 in August is a 100-mile (160km) run nicknamed “the race across the sky” because it takes place at elevations of 10,000ft (3,050 meters) or higher. Events added since the first 100-miler in 1983 are a full marathon, 100- and 50-mile (160 and 80 km) mountain bike races, and a 6-mile (10km) run. Also in August, another popular road race, the Pikes Peak Marathon takes place in Manitou Springs. Competitors in this half-marathon follow the 13-mile (21km) Barr Trail to the summit of Pikes Peak, an elevation gain of 7,815ft (2,382 meters). A full marathon to the summit and back is run the next day.
If you don’t fancy Shanks’ mare, opt instead for a burro or llama. World Championship Pack Burro Races, a team event, are held in Fairplay in July and are surprisingly demanding. Described as the world’s “highest, longest, roughest, and toughest” race, the course is 29 miles (47km) long and climbs to an elevation of 13,000ft (915 meters).
On two wheels
For mountain bikers, Mountain’s Revenge (the 2014 revival of the former Montezuma’s Revenge 24-hour race that took place until 2007), held in Montezuma County in August, is a popular outing. The race is divided into seven loops that cross the Continental Divide 10 times. Those who finish the race rack up more than 200 miles (320km) and an elevation gain of 35,000ft (10,700 meters). The world’s oldest mountain bike event, the Pearl Pass Tour, is a two-day, 38-mile (61km) ride from Crested Butte to Aspen via 12,700ft (3,870-meter) Pearl Pass that takes place in September. For extreme cyclists, the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, between Durango and Silverton, receives top billing. The 47-mile (77km) road race for ranked and non-ranked racers with 5,500ft (1,680 meters) of elevation gain over two 11,000ft (3,350-meter) passes takes place over the Memorial Day weekend and includes in-town criteriums, circuit races, road races, tours, BMX races, dual slaloms, team trail rides, and mountain bike races. The Elephant Rock Ride held in Castle Rock in June includes four road cycling events, from 25 to 100 miles (40–160km), plus a 26-mile (42km) off-road ride, and attracts more than 7,000 participants.
Auto races also go to the extreme in Colorado. The famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Manitou Springs in June follows a serpentine, 12-mile (19km) gravel road to the summit of Pikes Peak, maneuvering through 156 hairpin turns with no guardrails. Vehicles include stock cars, sport cars, diesel trucks, and motorcycles.
A competitor in the Gold Rush Burro Race, Buena Vista.
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Pedal power
Colorado is cycling central. Local riders pedal everything from beat-up clunkers to mountain bikes and state-of-the-art touring bikes with four-figure price tags. You’ll find them pedaling on thousands of miles of city streets, mountain passes, bike paths, mining roads, abandoned railroad beds, and single-tracks (trails wide enough for only one bike). The number of designated trails and suitable routes is increasing so quickly that keeping track is virtually impossible.
Up, up, and away
For a real “Rocky Mountain high,” take to the skies. Tandem hang-gliding and skydiving, where students and instructors soar together, offer the experience of free flight without training. To enjoy Colorado scenery from above, consider a sedate hot air balloon ride. Pilots use propane heaters to adjust altitude and fine-tune the flight, but the balloon essentially rides air currents. Upon landing, you are served champagne and transported back to your car. Ultralights, a sort of motorized hang-glider, are another option. Do a tandem flight with an instructor at the controls, or spend a few hours learning to fly solo.
Every Colorado resident seems to have a bike or two, and visitors often bring their own. Many resort towns have as many bike shops as T-shirt emporiums, so if you are of average size you’ll have no trouble finding a rental, even if you’re looking for a tandem or other specialty bike. Children’s seats and trailers make cycling a family sport even if the kids aren’t old enough to ride by themselves. Guided rides and overnight trips are available, too, often with van support. Special events ranging from modest bike festivals to big-time road cycling, and mountain biking competitions are held throughout the summer.
Recreational paths in (and sometimes between) urban areas welcome cyclists. Some are paved; others are gravel. Cycling is permitted on unpaved roads and some trails in national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regions but only on paved roads in national parks. Networks of old mining roads lead deep into the mountains and make for excellent bike routes.
Bike maps are usually available at visitor centers, ranger stations, and other tourist information facilities. Bicycle Colorado (1525 Market Street, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80202; tel: 303-417-1544; www.bicyclecolorado.org) promotes bicycling in Colorado, lobbies for improved conditions, and gives Colorado cyclists a voice.
Cycling through the Garden of the Gods.
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications