Colorado is known throughout the world as having some of the most breathtaking views in all of America. With all the sights to behold and take in, travelers often run into the common problem where should they spend their time, film, and energy seeing that will encapsulate the destination they are at?
While I may have my own opinion since I live here, I have not been to all the places or researched every attraction.<br><br>Frommers Travel Organization has dubbed five extraordinary areas of Colorado as having the “Best Views.”
Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs, CO: Famous for its glorious sunrises and sandstone wind and water -formed structures, the Garden of the Gods is indeed a sight to behold. This is a national park and hiking is the travel method of choice, but the trek will be well rewarded by awe-inspiring scenery.
Trail Ridge Road - Rocky Mountain National Park: Completed in July, 1932 and immortalized in the opening sequence of The Shining, Trail Ridge was built to counter deficiencies of Fall River Road and now offers seasonal scenic tours by vehicle. The drive rises above 12,000 feet and crosses the Continental Divide with over a dozen areas to stop, take short hikes, and admire the work that it took to complete the 8 mile pass.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison - Montrose, CO: Another amazing example of Mother Nature’s power, pressure of water and rock scouring have left these Proterozoic crystalline rock caverns among the steepest in North America along for the views into darkness that gives this canyon its name. A 40ft base couple with eerie 2,500 ft high walls makes the view spectacular, but footing is certainly first in your mind.
Colorado National Monument - Fruita, CO: Preserving 32 square miles of western American landscape, Colorado’s National Monument offers an enchanting landscape of deep canyons and soaring cliffs that have come to define the West. A 23-mile Rim Rock Drive, hiking, short walks, and backcountry trails offer incredible views including heer-walled canyons, towering monoliths, colorful formations, desert bighorn sheep, and soaring eagles.
The San Juan Skyway - San Juan, CO: Spanning the high elevation towns of Durango, Telluride, and Ouray, this 233 mile circle drive is considered to be one of the most beautiful scenic drives in America. The route takes travelers through historic mining camps, gorgeous nature, grand forests, snowcapped mountains, waterfalls, and Western landscape across five mountain passes.