7 Best National Parks and Monuments in Colorado to Visit

Lake reflecting mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park — With views like these, it’s no wonder Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the country.

With 58 peaks taller than 14,000 feet—more than any other state or province in North America—Colorado lives up to its Rocky Mountain High moniker. But Colorado’s four national parks (Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Black Canyon) and nine national monuments showcase an astonishing diversity of terrain, from golden dunes to thundering river gorges and protected human-made wonders that date back thousands of years.

So, whether you’re planning a Colorado road trip or looking for things to do on a weeklong getaway, here are seven of Colorado’s best national parks and monuments to visit while you’re there.

1. Rocky Mountain National Park

Why go: Iconic Colorado peaks and valleys
Nearest town: Estes Park is the closest to the east entrances, and Grand Lake is closest to the western, Grand Lake entrance.
Where to stay: There are five campgrounds in the park, as well as plenty of hotels and vacation rental options in Estes Park, like the Stanley Hotel (the historic hotel that was the real-life inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining) and the modern Estes Park Resort.

Of all the Colorado national parks, Rocky Mountain is probably the most famous. Here moose graze in valleys, elk leap across streams, and trails snake up jagged granite peaks (most are taller than 12,000 feet and many are more than 130 million years ago) and drop into lake-studded glacial basins. No wonder RMNP (as locals call it) received 4.3 million visitors in 2022, according to National Park Service data, making it the fourth most popular national park in the country, above even with Yosemite and Yellowstone (and after Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, and Zion).

Most visitors start their explorations in the central area of Beaver Meadows and Moraine Park, while the west side of the park (Grand Lake entrance) has quieter appeal. Stay in woodsy Grand Lake to spot elk in Coyote Valley, bag Longs Peak (one of Colorado’s 14ers), go horseback riding, or test your rock climbing skills on the 12,100-foot Mount Ida. One of the main attractions is a scenic drive along Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the continental divide, passing moose, marmots, birch trees, and alpine lakes along the way.

Note that RMNP is one of several parks to implement a reservation system. Reservations go on sale on recreation.gov at 8 a.m. Mountain Time the first day of each month for the following month’s dates (for example, reservations to visit in October go on sale September 1).

Backed by snow-topped mountains, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve looks like a mini Sahara Desert. — A surprising site in the mountains of Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve looks like a mini Sahara Desert.

2. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Why go: Dune sledding and sandboarding
Nearest city: Colorado Springs (to the north), Durango (to the west), and Santa Fe, New Mexico (to the south) are the closest big cities, all about three hours away. Alamosa, a town of 9,800 people, is just a 30-minute drive.
Where to stay: Perhaps the best offering near the park is Zapata Ranch, a working dude ranch and nature conservancy. You can also camp at Piñon Flats Campground within the park or several hike-in, backpacking campgrounds. (Note: advanced reservations for Piñon Flats sites and permits for backcountry camping are needed.)

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of the nation’s more underrated national parks. But for those who make the effort to get here, it’s an incredible sight: The Great Sand Dunes sit with the white-capped Sangre de Cristo range behind them, left behind by a prehistoric lake more than a million years ago.

And yes, you can hike the dunes—High Dune and Star Dune are two favorites—then sand sled or sandboard down. First-timers should start close to the visitor center parking lot, while aficionados can head for tallest dunes at the Point of No Return parking lot.

Starting with the spring snowmelt, seasonal Medano Creek emerges from the mountains and winds between the dunes, creating a beach where families build sandcastles and swimmers sunbathe until the late summer sun dries up the flow.

During the summer, NPS offers guided tours from the visitor center, so be sure to check in to see what kind of programing is available that day.

Steep canyon at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park — Stand at the top of a vertigo-inducing canyon at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

3. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Why go: Dramatic crevasses that rival the Grand Canyon
Nearest city: Montrose is 30 minutes from the South Rim and Crawford is 30 minutes from the North Rim entrance.
Where to stay: Black Canyon of the Gunnison has several campgrounds within the park as well as basic hotel options in Montrose and Crawford. If you don’t mind a little bit of a drive, there are some good options a hour away in Ouray, including Beaumont Hotel & Spa and St. Elmo Hotel.

Slicing through marbled rock walls, the Gunnison River carved a canyon so deep that, at its narrowest point, sunlight reaches the bottom for only half an hour a day. Most people who come to this part of western Colorado do so to gaze into the depths from Dragon Point, Devil’s Lookout, and other viewpoints along South Rim Drive or walk the Chasm View nature trail on the north rim. There are no maintained hiking trails into the canyon, although experienced hikers with wilderness permits venture down unmarked routes.

Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park hosts sky parties during the summer. So if you have the time, book a campsite and plan to spend a night camping in the park.

Cliff Palace, one of Mesa Verde’s most well-preserved examples of a cliff dwelling — Cliff Palace is one of Mesa Verde’s most striking and well-preserved examples of a cliff dwelling, but you can’t visit it alone.

4. Mesa Verde National Park

Why go: Learn about the Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde
Nearest city: The towns of Mancos and Cortez are 10 and 15 minutes to the park, respectively, but you’ll find more accommodation options in Durango, 40 minutes away.
Where to stay: Mesa Verde has one campground and a lodge (Far View Lodge) inside the park. Alternatively, book a cabin at Majestic Dude Ranch in Mancos. If you’d rather go to Durango, the General Palmer Hotel and the Rochester Hotel are excellent choices.

The Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde, like other Native Americans who inhabited Canyon de Chelly and other Arizona sites, carved their dwellings in the protective shadow of cliffs, constructing elaborate, multi-level communities high above the canyon floor.

Today, Mesa Verde National Park—a UNESCO World Heritage site—protects more than 4,000 such ruins dating as far back as 650 C.E. While you can see the most spectacular dwellings from viewpoints on Mesa Loop Road, you can only enter Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House on ranger-led tours. Petroglyph Point Trail offers excellent hiking, views of red rock canyons, and a chance to see some of the park’s best Indigenous artwork.

An archeological site at sunset — Canyons of the Ancients National Monument contains some of the highest densities of archaeological sites in North America, with pueblos from around 1200 C.E.

5. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Why go: More archaeological sites than any other U.S. park
Nearest city: The closest towns are Dolores and Cortez, though Mancos is also a good homebase, especially if you want to explore this park in tandem with Mesa Verde. Durango is an hour away.
Where to stay: Although there’s no official campground, camping is allowed in the monument’s backcountry. In Durango, consider the General Palmer Hotel and the Rochester Hotel.

Most visitors are surprised to discover that Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, 12 miles from Mesa Verde, has more archaeological sites containing Native American artifacts than any other park in the country—6,300 are scattered across its rugged 176,000 acres. Wander through the historic site’s star attraction, the 40-room Lowry Pueblo with its eerily well-preserved great kiva ceremonial room, then try your hand at weaving, corn grinding, and archaeological identification at the interactive Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum.

Kayaks along shore in Dinosaur National Monument — So much more than dinosaur bones, Dinosaur National Monument is a great place to swim and kayak.

6. Dinosaur National Monument

Why go: For prehistoric fossils and water sports
Nearest city: Vernal and Jensen, Utah, are the closest towns to the main, western entrance (technically on the Utah side of the monument). Steamboat Springs is about 90 minutes from the east entrance on the Colorado side.
Where to stay: There are several developed campgrounds in Dinosaur National Monument, as well as backcountry camping by permit. If you prefer four walls and a roof, a vacation rental in Vernal is your best bet nearby.

If you’ve ever wanted to see—and touch—gigantic dinosaur bones jutting out of the rock where they were found, head to this national monument in western Colorado. At Dinosaur National Monument, which spans the Colorado-Utah border, visitors can also swim, kayak, and explore Echo Park, the area where the Yampa and Green rivers meet and loop around Steamboat Rock in an almost perfect horseshoe bend.

You’re in luck, if you plan to stay the night and camp. Dinosaur National Monument has also been designated an International Dark Sky Park, and those who stay past sunset will be rewarded with some incredible stargazing.

Boulders and trees beside a river — The Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado protects a some of Colorado’s upper Arkansas River Valley and is known for its whitewater rafting.

7. Browns Canyon National Monument

Why go: Whitewater rafting and wildlife viewing
Nearest city: The artsy towns of Buena Vista and Salida—also stops on one of our favorite Colorado road trips—are closest to the monument.
Where to stay: Yes, you could camp but there are some stand-out accommodation options nearby as well: European-esque Surf Hotel in Buena Vista and retro Amigo Motor Lodge in Salida.

Established in 2015, Browns Canyon is best known for whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River, which tumbles over Class IV and V rapids with names like Pinball and Seidel’s Suckhole. The 22,000-acre park’s rugged terrain also offers prime wildlife viewing: Hike the Turret Trail to spot black bear fishing the river, bighorn sheep jousting on rocky outcrops, and falcons and eagles gliding on the canyon’s updrafts.

This article was originally published in 2019 and was updated in July 2021 and April 2023 with extra information. Jessie Beck and Bailey Berg contributed to the reporting of this story.

Melanie Haiken

Melanie Haiken is a San Francisco–based writer.

7 Best National Parks and Monuments in Colorado and How to Visit Them

The Centennial State is so much more than mountains and trees—you’ll also find fossils, dunes, and canyons in its many protected spaces.