Colorado has been an easy family trip option with Denver only 6 hours away. This time we wanted to adventure past Denver to see what the rest of the state has to offer. Towering mountains, historic sites, unique landscapes, and some of the most scenic drives in the United States make it a destination that’s easy to fall in love with.Spring break was a great time to pack up and head west for an unforgettable Colorado road trip that took us from Colorado Springs to Mesa Verde National Park. Along the way we explored famous landmarks, climbed into ancient cliff dwellings, drove one of America’s most scenic mountain roads, and even walked across towering sand dunes that looked more at home in the Sahara than the Rocky Mountains. On this trip we visit our 4th and 5th National Park on our path to see all 63 National Parks.
Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods
Our adventure began in Colorado Springs, one of Colorado’s most popular destinations and the perfect starting point for a road trip. Only a short drive from Denver, keep your eyes up and look at the mountains. We even saw a group of Antelope as we made our drive into Colorado Springs.
The highlight of our time here was Garden of the Gods. Massive red sandstone formations rise dramatically from the earth with Pikes Peak standing guard in the distance. The park is free to visit and offers numerous scenic overlooks, walking trails, and opportunities for photography. Keep your eyes out for
No matter how many pictures you’ve seen, the scale of the rock formations is something you really need to experience in person.
Stop first at the Visitor Center to get sticker to add to our Travel Journal. Then we started to make our way to the formations. Traffic was already very busy by 10am. The park does have a free shuttle bus for the summer months available. We decided to take our chances and drive through the scenic drive and park when we could.
Any place to stop, get out, and hike the trails here is beautiful. With kids that love to climb and explore, this is a great place to explore. Elizbeth climbed up every rock available.
Exploring the Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Just a short drive away, we stepped back in time at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. West out of Colorado Springs on Hwy 24, we headed to Pikes Peak and were surprised to find this stop along our path.
These ancient structures were originally built by the Ancestral Puebloan people and later relocated to this location to preserve them around 1885. Unlike many historical sites, visitors are allowed to enter and explore the dwellings, making it a unique hands-on experience.
Walking through the narrow passageways gave us a glimpse into what life may have been like centuries ago in the American Southwest. Climbing from level to level seeing where each room was placed to give the best use. The kids really liked the adventure of walking through the maze.
Driving to the Summit of Pikes Peak
One of the most anticipated stops of our trip was Pikes Peak.
At 14,115 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak is one of Colorado’s most famous mountains. The drive to the summit takes us through multiple climate zones, starting in forests and eventually reaching an alpine level feeling like we are in a different world. Spring at Pikes Peak can still have snow at the top.
The views from the top stretch for miles across Colorado and are absolutely worth the journey. The Scenic drive-up Pikes Peak is not only beautiful, but a famous mountain drive for an annual car rally race. The song “America the Beautiful” was inspired by this 14,000-foot peak.
We only were able to make it up ¾ of the scenic drive due to the still snow-covered drive. Stopping to get out and enjoy the views before coming back down. We walked up the snow path, put our hands in the snow and even threw some snowballs!
After a long day of exploring we ended in Pueblo, Colorado for some much-needed Mexican food and pool time for the kids.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
From Pueblo, we headed south to one of the most unique national parks in the country.
Great Sand Dunes National Park is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, with some rising more than 700 feet above the valley floor. This is our 4th National Park to visit and completely different to what we thought could be in Colorado. A Colorado road trip wouldn’t be complete without a few National Parks to explore.
Driving into the area gives you amazing views of mountains. Our first stop was to the Visitor Center. You can bring any sand items you want to play and explore in the dunes. We bought a few shovels at the bookstore for the kids to use. Sleds, Snowboards, and other surfing on sand items are also available at local stores in the town of Alamosa.
Seeing these massive dunes with snow-capped mountains in the background creates a landscape that is so beautiful. Climbing the dunes is much harder than it looks, but the views from the top make every step worthwhile. Many hikers attempt and make it to the top of Star Dune. We had more fun playing in the sand.
It’s one of those places that feels impossible until you’re standing there seeing it with your own eyes. The higher you climb the better the views. Just know that the sand dunes are deceiving for distance. Walking out from the parking lot to the dunes with arms full of gear was tiring. Once you get to a spot you like, start sliding down the sand.
Spring is a great time of year to come out to the area. With a few hundred people out on the dunes, you still feel like you are alone. The sand is warm and the air is cool. It still is a dry desert so bring plenty of water with you out on your hike. Also, the only bathroom on the dunes is in the parking lot at the base of the dunes.
After 4 hours of playing at the National Park before deciding that dinner was our next adventure.
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park was not originally on our list of places to take on this Colorado road trip. After looking at the map, we decided to drive 3 hours through the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forest to our 5th National Park.
Mesa Verde preserves some of the most remarkable archaeological sites in North America. The park protects thousands of ancient structures built by the Ancestral Puebloans, including the famous Cliff Palace.
Standing before these massive cliff dwellings was nothing like we expected. It’s difficult to comprehend how these communities were built into the canyon walls so many centuries ago. The main scenic drive takes you 21 miles into the park to many different areas to view not only the cliff dwellings but also preserved homes and community buildings that are still being uncovered.
Starting at the Visitor Center, the kids were able to complete their Jr Ranger packet and get their Ranger Badge. Our first stop on the scenic drive is Lookout Point. With amazing views of the Mountains, Valley, and the climbing Bluffs that the dwellings are in. Park Point is another observation point to see from the highest point in the park with 360-degree views.
Make sure to stop at Sun Point View. Here is where we could see Cliff Palace cliff dwellings from across the canyon. In some ways the dwellings look so small. Look at the windows of the buildings and the stairs to climb down really give you a better perspective of how massive this community of homes is. Sun Temple near Sun Point is also a great walking place where we found buildings while looking across the canyon to Cliff Palace. There also are museums and multiple other stops to look at dwellings.
Tours can be purchased for the Cliff Palace. We couldn’t do this on our visit. All tours were closed during this time. Reserve your tickets in advance online at Recreation.gov to make sure that you will have a ticket for the time you are visiting.
Treasure Falls and the Rio Grande Region
Making our way back to Alamosa, we explored parts of the Rio Grande National Forest and visited Treasure Falls.
Located near Wolf Creek Pass, Treasure Falls is one of Colorado’s most accessible waterfalls. A short hike leads to a viewing area where you can watch water cascade nearly 100 feet down a rocky cliff. The surrounding scenery alone makes this stop worthwhile, especially during a road trip through southern Colorado.
Some of the waterfalls were frozen when we drove through the area in the morning, now were flowing beautifully down the side of cliffs. Spring brought melting snow and overflowing waterfalls everywhere along our path.
Scenic Drives Through the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests
Some of our favorite moments of the trip weren’t at major attractions at all.
Driving through the Rio Grande National Forest and San Juan National Forest provided endless mountain views, winding roads, alpine forests, and scenic overlooks. This path could be its own Colorado road trip by itself.
Southern Colorado offers some of the most beautiful driving in the country. Around nearly every corner was another incredible view that made us want to pull over and take photos. These stretches of road became attractions in themselves.
Durango
Our next major stop was Durango on Hwy 550.
This historic mountain town combines Old West charm with outdoor adventure. The downtown area is filled with local shops, restaurants, and historic buildings that make it easy to spend an afternoon simply exploring.
Durango also serves as an excellent basecamp for exploring the surrounding mountains and nearby national parks.
Serious Texas BBQ in Durango was one of our favorite meals on this trip. We suggest the Meat Sampler with Pulled Pork, Brisket and Sausage that all were amazing. The Stuffed Potato was another hit with us. If you haven’t had one of these in a Texas BBQ place, it’s a must have try. Think Baked potato with your favorite smoked meat with all the fixings you want to add. Plus, most place have the biggest potatoes you have ever seen to put this meal together. William loved the local made Root Beer to go with it.
Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
If you haven’t heard about Medano Creek before this, you might think this is a Mirage when you see it for the first time. I had read about this creek that shows up only in the spring at the base of the sand dunes in the National Park. We took our chance to hopefully find this Oasis in the Sand.
April in Colorado will bring melting of winter snow in amazing ways. Medano Creek is formed from the snow melting in the mountains behind the sand dunes. As it flows through the National Park you get to see amazing views of the water, sand, and snow-capped Mountains. The kids thought this was the best 2nd day exploring the sand dunes.
As the water flows down you can even see waves from the gushes that release up higher in the stream. We brought our tubes to slide down the sand on and decided playing in the creek was exactly what the kids wanted. When the creek is higher you can tube down the creek. Our tubes were best for sleeping on as the kids played.
Zapata Falls
While visiting the Great Sand Dunes area, we made the short trip to Zapata Falls.
The hike itself is fairly easy, but reaching the waterfall requires wading through a narrow stream inside a rocky canyon. The reward is a beautiful waterfall hidden deep within the rocks. April nights were still close to freezing temperatures and with the waterfall hidden in the rocks, it was still frozen. The creek leading up to the falls was also frozen, which allowed us to walk right up to the falls frozen flow.
It was a fun adventure and a great way to cool off after spending time in the dunes. The views going back down from the falls were almost as spectacular as the Zapata falls. The hike is only 0.5 miles from the parking lot. If the creek was flowing, water shoes would have been needed to cross and see the waterfall. Warning for anyone driving up to the falls. The road is not maintained with many ruts from water drainage and limited to single lane.
Final Thoughts
This Colorado road trip exceeded every expectation we had.
From the red rock formations of Garden of the Gods to the summit of Pikes Peak, the towering dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park, the mountain scenery of the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, and the incredible history preserved at Mesa Verde, every stop offered something completely different.
Colorado is one of those states that rewards slow travel. There’s always another scenic drive, hiking trail, historic site, or hidden gem waiting around the next bend. If we had a month to do this trip, we still would find more adventures to want to go back to.
If you’re planning a Colorado road trip, make time for the journey itself. Some of our favorite memories came from the roads between destinations and the unexpected discoveries we found along the way. Sometimes the road scenery is just as amazing as the destination.
Have you visited any of these Colorado destinations? We’d love to hear about your favorite Colorado adventure in the comments below.
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