water or ‘mild’ fl oat trips suitable for the
whole family. Led by experienced – and
often entertaining – guides, raft trips are
simply a lot of fun. Chaff ee County, home
of Buena Vista, Salida and the Arkansas
Headwaters, might be the whitewater-
rafting capital of Colorado, given the sheer
number of rafting outfi tters there, but you
can also put-in on the Roaring Fork River
near Aspen, the Colorado River near
Glenwood Springs, the Cache la Poudre
River in Fort Collins and dozens of other
spots throughout the state.
Golf
At Colorado’s altitude, golf balls fl y 10
per cent farther – all the more reason to
High-altitude hiking near Vail
tee up at one or more of the state’s 300
courses. In fact, Colorado is home to
award-winning courses, designed by some
of the top names in the game. Plus, with
mild climate on the Front Range, many
are open year-round – go golfi ng in the
morning and skiing in the afternoon!
Horseback Riding
If you’re not keen on committing to a
week’s stay at a Colorado dude ranch
Climb a mountain or ride a raft to get up close and personal
(see page 8), look for horseback riding
with Colorado’s glorious scenery
opportunities at many of the state’s tourist
towns. Trail rides that will take you
through aspen groves and across meadows
A
dmiring Colorado’s towering hikes or technical climbing skills, but fi lled with wild fl owers are usually geared
mountain peaks, steep canyons others, such as Mount Bierstadt, south toward beginners, and they move at a
and rushing rivers from the of Georgetown, off er relatively moderate mellow pace.
comfortable seat of a car or train is grades and well-defi ned trails that are
absolutely respectable – after all, there’s more accessible for recreational hikers. Mountain Biking
something to be said for daydreaming Four other mountains that are great for Fruita, west of Grand Junction, is known
and watching the scenery as it passes fi rst-timers: Mount Torreys and Grays world-wide for its mountain-biking
by. (No daydreaming allowed if you’re Peak, right next to each other, 40 miles terrain. But challenging single-track
behind the wheel!) (64km) west of Denver; Mount Sherman, can be found at virtually all of the
But you might also copy the locals’ near Fairplay; and Quandry Peak, six state’s ski resorts (ski hills make great
example and get active in the outdoors. miles (10km) from Breckenridge. mountain-biking terrain), or seek out
Colorado is seen as one of the fi ttest more moderate, level, off -road paths often
states in the US for a reason – it’s typical Rafting in Whitewater found outside town. A bike rental shop
for residents to ski and snowshoe their For a quintessential Colorado activity, hit is the place to get insider information on
way through the winter and hike and the rapids with one of the commercial the best trails for your skill level; don’t
bike in the warm-weather months. Take rafting companies that off er adrenaline- hesitate to ask for advice. And always
it easy on your fi rst couple of days to charged ‘wild’ trips through Class IV wear a helmet!
let your body acclimatise to the high
altitude; you might prefer to wait until
Rafting the Arkansas River near Buena Vista
day three or so to tackle vigorous activity.
While there are dozens of ways to be
active in Colorado’s splendid nature, here
are a few options that are popular among
tourists:
Climbing a Fourteener
Colorado has 54 mountains that exceed
14,000 ft (4,267m). Reaching the summit
of some of these peaks involves multi-day
18 » www.colorado.com
COL10_pp18_Outdoor.indd 18 9/24/09 5:45:49 PM
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30