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Explore one of the dozens of local, state, and national parks in Colorado.

Colorado boasts 13 National forests and grasslands, 42 state parks, 2 state forests, 16 state wildlife areas, 19 State and federal fish hatcheries, 13 national parks, 22 national historic landmarks and 8 wildlife refuges. What do all these numbers mean? It means you have no excuse to not get outdoors. There are plenty of beautiful places to explore and some are probably near you. You can do almost any activity in these places, like hike, bike, camp, raft, kayak, climb, ski or canoe. As always, know before you go, check weather conditions, bring water, a friend and a responsible adult! Plan a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall and watch the Elk Rut! Visit the Heart of the World and see breathtaking views at the Colorado National Monument. Chimney Rock near Pagosa Springs was just designated a National Monument.  The Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests are close to the Front Range and easily accessible by car. The Forests are great places to hike, camp, climb, canoe, watch wildlife or experience the change of seasons.

Plan It!

There are so many wonderful state parks to visit in Colorado – we picked out a few just to get you started. Go to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website to find a complete list. Do you think you could visit every state park in a year? Imagine what you would see.

  • Elevenmile State Park
  • Navajo State Park
  • State Forest State Park

For something close to Denver at Chatfield State Park

Wildlife Refuges are great places to take in nature and watch wildlife in their natural habitat.  Here is a list of all the wildlife refuges in Colorado http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/ByState.cfm?state=CO

Looking for some historic spots? Check out the list of places on the National Historic Landmark registry! http://www.nps.gov/nhl/designations/Lists/CO01.pdf

 

Fun Ideas

Estes Park Elk Rut Festival: Hear the Elk Bugle here 

National Public Lands Day: Volunteer on public lands 

Volunteer for the Outdoors: http://www.voc.org/

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