Colorado National Parks

At this impossibly sheer, narrow canyon in southwestern Colorado, 40 feet at it's narrowest, rock walls plunge a half mile down.

Cruise along 23-mile Rim Rock Drive for a striking upper level view of canyons filled with pillars, passing 19 signed viewpoints and 14 hiking trails.

Two visitor centers, one in Colorado and one in Utah have interactive displays. One leads to the wall of bones. Raft the Yampa River past the iconic Steamboat Rock.

Is this south central Colorado or the Sahara? It’s not always easy to tell at this unique park where the continent’s tallest sand dunes join the rugged Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Described as the pyramids of North America, the ancient ruins at Mesa Verde hold the early stories of our nation from 1,400 years ago.

Spanning the Continental Divide, the park stretches across 415 square miles filled with alpine lakes, the headwaters of the Colorado River and dozens of mountain peaks.

Colorado has 42 state parks, many wildlife preserves, plus parks devoted to the state's history. Explore dinosaur dig sites, ancient cliff dwellings, peaks and canyons.