Paint Mines Interpretive Park east of COS.
Great Sand Dunes National Park near Alamosa.
Try and schedule the San Juan Mountains (Ouray, Telluride) for the end of your trip. Fall colors usually start in the middle of September. Safe travels!
Buffalo Bills grave, Lookout Mountain, Golden. Boulder's Pearl St. Mall.
The hikes up to Ice Lake out of Silverton & Blue Lakes 1,2,&3 out of Ridgeway offer spectacular wild flowers peaking sometime between July 15 & August 15. Unfortunately, you have missed the flowers this year but the scenery is still worth the effort. Can be a day hike or overnight backpacking.
WGWJ
In Telluride, take the gondola to the stop at Allreds. Go to overlook and walk around on the trails. Alpen glow at sunset is beautiful. Also head to the end of the Box Canyon and Bridal Veil Falls. September is the month when you might get fresh snow on the peaks with golden aspen.
Agree with all the other suggestions too.
gorgehiker wrote:
I will be driving from Kentucky to Colorado Springs next week for a three week road trip. I would appreciate any suggestions concerning best photo spots. I am planning several days in Colorado Springs to recuperate from the drive. I can include day hikes of 8-10 miles or roadside shooting spots. I hope to include stops at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Ouray, Telluride, Aspen and Rocky Mountain National Park. Thanks for any suggestions.
Take the cog RR up Pike's Peak. Take chair lift or gondola up the mountain at Telluride and Aspen.
SusanW
Loc: Huntington, Indiana
I appreciate all these suggestions and comments as well. We leave Saturday for Colorado. Really looking forward to the trip!
SusanW wrote:
I appreciate all these suggestions and comments as well. We leave Saturday for Colorado. Really looking forward to the trip!
Enjoy your trip!
I hope you will be able to visit the Western Slope (Ouray, Telluride, Durango etc) There is a different "look" there.
SusanW
Loc: Huntington, Indiana
Thanks! We have two weeks and are going to try and cover as much and enjoy as much of the scenery as possible.
Back in the late 1970s-1980s, the late Al Weber ran his photo workshops out of the old Victor school in Victor Colorado. It's an old gold mining town south of Cripple Creek. Nice historic area an hour or two out of the Springs. I was able to work with Polaroids 20-24 camera one year. 😂
Grand Junction is on I-70, not far from the Black Canyon, the Colorado National Monument is the giant version of The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Rim Rock Drive gives great views of Independence Monument and the rest of the canyons and sandstone structures, the Grand Valley and the Bookcliffs to the north. There are some short hikes, Devils Kitchen, desert big horn, etc. Colorado National Monument was established in 1911 thanks to the work of John Otto; a bronze statue of John, his horse and dog stands at the west end of Main Street which has many other significant statues. The Grand Valley is also wine country, Palisade. Great panoramic and telephoto views from the Museum of the West tower in downtown Grand Junction. The Grand Mesa, Hwy 65 is a great drive, especially in fall. Ck out websites for our area.
mnemonic wrote:
Grand Junction is on I-70, not far from the Black Canyon, the Colorado National Monument is the giant version of The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Rim Rock Drive gives great views of Independence Monument and the rest of the canyons and sandstone structures, the Grand Valley and the Bookcliffs to the north. There are some short hikes, Devils Kitchen, desert big horn, etc. Colorado National Monument was established in 1911 thanks to the work of John Otto; a bronze statue of John, his horse and dog stands at the west end of Main Street which has many other significant statues. The Grand Valley is also wine country, Palisade. Great panoramic and telephoto views from the Museum of the West tower in downtown Grand Junction. The Grand Mesa, Hwy 65 is a great drive, especially in fall. Ck out websites for our area.
Grand Junction is on I-70, not far from the Black ... (
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I don't know about the OP but you caught my interest. I have been to Grand Junction since the early 90's. After doing a Google search (images and goggle earth) Things have certainly changed! GJ is now on my itinerary for next year.
Appears you will be more than busy for three weeks. I would suggest the drive to Steamboat Lake State Park, north of Steamboat. Also, Drive highway 14 west of Ft. Collins to Chambers Lake and Long Draw Rev.
Quick hint. If you try and go to all the places mentioned here, you will need to move here or at least plan on spending 3 months instead of 3 weeks. I have lived in Colorado for 25 years and know pretty much everything from Denver west, north and south. My hint is to find one region and explore it. Don't try and go bopping around to see all of Colorado. You will end up seeing nothing but asphalt. My humble suggestion is Southwest Colorado, the San Juan Mountains. It is the true jewel of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Good luck.
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