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Colorado's Hidden Travel Jewels
15
items Yes, jewels, not gems. Is there a difference? Anyway, these places should be on every Colorado traveler's list.
Map
To us, some areas look like a chess board. It is an incredibly rough hike, but since you feel like you're on another planet, it's worth it. The Wheeler Geologic Area is located near Creede, a small town nestled in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. The Wheeler Geologic Area is a landscape of eroded volcanic ash (tuff) forming spires, domes, and "ghostly" formations from ancient eruptions of the La Garita Caldera, It was Colorado's first National Monument and is known for its otherworldly appearance, sometimes called the "City of Gnomes".
Rio Grande National Forest: Wheeler Geologic Area
No. Just no. Not for us. But we are cowards. For the brave, this place is for you. Colorado Gators, located in Mosca, CO, has rescued hundreds of reptiles. Along with alligators and crocodiles, they also have caimans, tortoises and turtles (the last two which we love, but no, just no). You can see a genuine movie star here, none ot... You can even feed the alligators! Yeah! For others. Anyway, a great place for education about reptiles and also learn about their conservation.
Colorado Gators
This stunning art display is on our bucket list. Loveland is about 26 miles north of Denver, and it is the location of a truly unique art display in Colorado - an outdoor exhibit of monumental stone sculptures from Zimbabwean artisans traversing 26-a...
Chapungu Sculpture Park - Loveland, CO
So why a restaurant? There are thousands and thousands in Colorado. Yes, but did any of them used to be a mortuary that housed the remains of Buffalo Bill while Wyoming and Colorado fought over where he would be buried? (Colorado won). The current owners of Linger embraced the history of the building. The restaurant is death-themed and usually packed. A truly unique dining experience.
Linger
About 3 miles from Dolores, CO (a place most native Coloradoans don't even know about), Canyons of the Ancients (what a great name!!) is a stunning array of ancient Pueblo structures and artifacts. It's home to about 6,000 archaeological sites, a concentration of historic treasures that’s unrivaled in the United States. There are a bewildering amount of well-preserved remnants of the area’s native cultures, such as the ruins of homes, reservoirs, shrines, farms and entire villages. Do the opposite of what we did - take a vehicle used to rough terrain as the roads ar...
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument - Mesa Verde Country
Long story. The website explains it. Only in Colorado.
Frozen Dead Guy Days | March 27-29, 2026
We just call it The Bug Museum. They have a huge collection of the craziest bugs you can't even imagine. We've gone there many times. Where we will not go is New Guinea where the most crazy, psycho bugs come from in the museum. We just stared at them thinking no way, simply no way. Think the Alien times 10.
May Natural History Museum
This area was the site of the “Bone Wars” - the dinosaur rush of the late 19th century. Two paleontologists engaged in a vicious dinosaur war and found the area of Canon City, CO incredibly rich in bones. In addition to the abundant bones, the rock layers were far softer than in other regions, making digging and preparation of samples easier. The result was a “Great Dinosaur Rush” that led to damaged careers, mislabeled species, and lasting animosity.... Today, the area is still rich in dinosaur specimens where you can help dig for them.
Garden Park Fossil Area | Bureau of Land Management
Ouray, Colorado bills itself as the Switzerland of America with good cause. It has breathtaking scenic wonders such as the Box Canyon Falls. Thousands of gallons of water spill down this 285-foot waterfall, which ends in a frozen wonderland. Absolutely a must see.
Box Cañon Falls and Nature Center
This incredible park is located in Mosca in the San Luis Valley. The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. You would think it's just endless sand, but it is not. What's most spectacular to us is at night where you can camp out and look at endless stars. It is so clear, you feel like you are there with them.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
In Manitou Springs, west of Colorado Springs, there is a castle that is an architect's and history buff's dream. The house claims at least nine different styles of architecture including Gothic, Flemish, Queen Anne, Romanesque, Tudor, Elizabethan, Venetian Ogee, Byzantine and Moorish influences. In 1895, a Catholic priest from France built the home. He came from a very wealthy family and didn't give up that lifestyle. He built a luxurious home and filled it with expensive furniture, tapestries, statues, and Native American artifacts. He was still charitable and shared his home with the Sisters of Mercy. His family was not popular there, and they left. He gave his home to the nun who converted it to a tuberculosis hospital / respite. Sometime in the 1920s, they used the home as a high-end boarding house before selling it in the 1940s. Now, it's a museum that also houses a tea house.
Miramont Castle, Manitou Springs, CO
I love, love, love this place! About 275 independent dealers hawk their wares from antiques to ancient tribal masks to Danish modern furniture. I can live there, seriously. Several times, my husband had to physically restrain me from buying everything there.
Colorado Antique Mall, Littleton, CO
This is not just your usual cinema. It brings bizarre art, eclectic films screenings and peculiar performance pieces. It's a movie theater, part live performance venue, and part art gallery. It even has an in-house Art Czar. It has so much to offer for different tastes, including live music, DJs, stand-up comedy, local food dinners, costume dance parties, and circus performers all with stunning mountain views.
The Lyric, Fort Collins, Colorado
Absolutely stunning sculptures of the moments of Jesus Christ's crucifixion. There are 14 Stations of the Cross, but the internationally known San Luis sculptor, Huberto Maesta, added a 15th - the resurrection of Christ. This is one of our favorite places. I try hard not to, but I cry each time I visit. The whole place strikes at the heart.
Stations of the Cross
A tiny but mighty museum of musicians that rocked out at the most iconic stage in the United States. A large, sweeping wall holds photos and plaques with descriptions detailing each artist's legacy as well as why and how they received their nomination. You can also peruse a bewildering number of old posters, flyers and signed photographs.
Red Rocks Hall of Fame