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COLORADO'S NATIONAL PARKS
In the two years since the start of the pandemic, Americans have flocked to natural areas, escaping the confines of our homes toward socially distant activities. And that has meant record visits to national parks: 44 parks set a record for recreational visits in 2021 and six broke a visitation record they set in 2020, a trend experts expect to continue in summer 2022.
“Not only do the parks benefit from a renewed preference for outdoor activities and road trips, (but) many families are also still avoiding international travel, so they (may) decide to take domestic ‘bucket list’ trips this year, ” says Dr. Lynn Minnaert, Clinical Associate Professor at the New York University Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and lead researcher for the Family Travel Association’s annual U.S. Family Travel Survey.
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The increased demand for popular national parks also means limited lodging options and new reservation systems implemented to limit crowds. Minnaert says families might look at destinations beyond the most-popular national parks this summer.
“Consider State Parks or less well-known national parks too, ” she says. “There are so many great parks that are waiting to be
discovered!”
As a Colorado native, I have no doubt there will be crowds in my state’s four national parks. So with Minnaert’s advice in mind, I offer basic information on each, plus a lesser-known alternative destination for three of them; there’s simply no alternative to the Great Sand Dunes!
Black CanyonBlack Canyon OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK (BCGNP)
Colorado’s least-visited national park is not so for lack of beauty. Featuring a dramatic gorge of black walls plummeting up to 2,700 feet into a nearly 50-mile canyon carved by the Gunnison River, this park should be on your radar. Some of the rock walls in BCGNP are so deep that they ’re exposed to sunlight for as little as 30 minutes per day, making them appear black.
Of two entrances, the North Rim lies about 11 miles southwest of Crawford. The main entrance, South Rim, is roughly 15 minutes east of the town of Montrose. The latter offers the only year-round visitor center and more services/infrastructure (without any bridge between entrances, the drive between them can take up to three hours). Highlights include Gold Medal Waters, world-class climbing spots, and Colorado’s tallest cliff, the 2,250-foot Painted Wall.
In 2015, BCGNP was also certified as an International Dark Sky Park and their programs include night-sky viewing with telescopes, as well as an annual astronomy festival. www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm. The South Rim Visitor Center is open year-round, 8am–6pm during summer months.
Pro tip: There are few established trails down to the river, so anglers wanting to experience the park’s coveted fishing waters should consider going on a float trip with an outfitter like Gunnison River Expeditions, www.gunnisonriverexpeditions.com.
ALTERNATIVE: CURECANTI NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
While BCGNP is not likely to be overcrowded like other national parks, access to the water within the park is difficult. So if you ’re seeking a water-lovers’ paradise, head next door to Curecanti (kur-uh-KAHN-tee) National Recreation Area, named for an Ute Indian sub chief who roamed the area in the late 1800s.
Connected on the north border to BCGNP, it features three reservoirs: Crystal, Morrow Point, and Blue Mesa, Colorado’s largest body of water within the state. At 20 miles long with some 96 miles of shoreline, Blue Mesa features Elk Creek Marina (open May 1–September; 7 am–5pm, 970.641.0707), which includes boat launching, boat rentals, tackle, gasoline, kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes, as well as Pappy ’s Restaurant.
There are numerous camping opportunities, including camping right on the shores of Blue Mesa in one of five Adventure Pods, cabin-like structures accommodating up to three people (dogs allowed in some), which come with two paddleboards, two Pappy ’s drink tokens, and more. Summer only. Contact marina for pod reservations.
Great Sand DunesGreat Sand Dunes NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
I wish I could offer you an alternative to this otherworldly landscape, which encompasses a variety of geography, from tundra to forest and wetlands, in addition to the sand dunes. But you ’ll just have to brave the crowds to experience its wonder, a vast stretch of sand tucked at the base of the stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountains, featuring the tallest dunes in North America (Star Dune is the tallest, rising to the highest at 755 feet; five of the park’s dunes top 700 feet).
The state’s newest national park of the four (est. 2004), you can hike in the sand, even to the top of Star Dune, roughly 6 miles roundtrip (about eight hours of hiking). To be clear, though, it’s as difficult as you would imagine to hike in the sand, and it’s not going to be fun for young children. Trust me on this! In fact, some kids may just prefer to play in the seasonal Medano Creek located at the dunes’ base, which is often high enough for tubing. And, of course, it’s worth sledding or boarding the dunes, but you won’t have to hike far for that kind of fun if the kids protest. Parents beware: Prepare for you and your kids to get very dirty.
As with any national park, there are several camping options available. Or you can stay in the region’s largest city, Alamosa. Visit www.alamosa.org for lodging and activity ideas.
Pro tip: Use only gear that’s created for sand boarding and sledding in the dunes. (Your own gear will just get stuck in the sand.) We rented in town at Kristi Mountain Sports, 3223 Main St., 719.589.9759, www.kristimountainsports.com. Additionally, the sand can reach 150 degrees at its peak, so you should wear socks (at the very least, even in sandals) to protect from the heat or arrive early in the morning to avoid high temperatures.
Mesa VerdeMesa Verde
NATIONAL PARK
The country’s largest archaeological preserve and Colorado’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, MVNP maintains nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites of the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here for over 700 years. Renowned for some 600 cliff dwellings, including Balcony House, Long House, and the park’s largest and most famous, the 150-room Cliff Palace. The latter can only be visited via ranger-guided tours. Purchase tickets at the Visitor and Research Center, located just east of the park exit ramp off US Hwy 160. Reservations required. Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center, 35853 Rd H.5, Mancos, 970.529.4465.
Another good stop is the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum, located 21 miles (45 minutes) from the park entrance, open year-round. Visitors also have several camping options in the park, but from late April to midOctober, Far View Lodge offers 150 rooms and on-site dining. Mile Marker 15, 844.684.9427, www.visitmesaverde.com. www.nps.gov/meve.
Pro tip: If you’re traveling with young kids, skip the park’s four-hour bus tour where they’ll be bored and can’t touch anything. Stick to the rangerguided tours so they can explore the cliff dwellings.
Rocky MountainRocky Mountain
NATIONAL PARK
Colorado’s most-visited national park of the four—attracting more than 4.4 million visitors in 2021 and the fifth-busiest national park in the country— RMNP is precisely where visitors will find the landscapes so emblematic of the state; craggy granite peaks surrounded by alpine lakes and verdant, flower-filled meadows.
Set within view of Colorado’s northernmost Fourteener (peaks 14,000 feet or higher), the iconic Longs Peak (14,255 feet), RMNP boasts Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the country (12,183 feet). A 48-mile route along US 34 connecting RNMP’s east side near Estes Park to the west side at Grand Lake (roughly a two-hour drive), Trail Ridge also features the highest-elevation visitor center in the National Park System, the Alpine Visitor Center (11,796 feet). ALTERNATIVE: CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT
Set less than 20 miles northwest of MVNP, this national monument contains the country ’s highest-known density of archaeological sites, featuring 176,000 acres along the Utah-Colorado border and preserving more than 6,000 ancient sites as part of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System. That means less signage than included in the national park system, and few structures are excavated - Do Not Disturb artifacts or structures! You ’re likely to have much of the park to explore on your own.
To get started, stop first in nearby Dolores at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum, which also offers tours of two 12th-century archaeological sites, the Escalante and Dominguez Pueblos. 27501 CO-184, 970.882.5600. Or consider a guided tour via the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance, which offers half-day “Family Time on the Monument'' tours (ideal for parents and kids ages 5–13). 970.560.1643. www.swcocanyons/tours
Since summer 2020, however, the park has launched a reservation system to reduce crowding, a program that will remain in place for 2022. From May 27 through October 10, visitors will have two reservation options: Bear Lake Road access from 5 am-6 pm, and another excluding Bear Lake Road from 9am - 3pm. Available at www.recreation.gov starting around the first of the month for the following month, beginning May 2, 10am MDT, for visits May 28-June 30. (Roughly 25 percent of the tickets are sequestered for day-before visits, to be released at 5 p.m.) Visit www.nps.gov/romo or call 970.586.1206 for updated information.
Pro tip: Book a tour with one of the numerous outfitters who work in the park to avoid the reservation system. Find ideas at www.visitgrandcounty.com or www.visitestespark.com.
ALTERNATIVE: STATE FOREST STATE PARK
Located roughly 90 miles northwest of Grand Lake (just outside RMNP’s western entrance), this state park features much of the same topography as the nearby national park: rugged mountains, alpine lakes, and plenty of wildlife, including some 600 moose. And fewer crowds.
Situated near the small town of Walden, known as the Moose Viewing Capital of Colorado, the area offers 71,000 acres of outdoor recreation, including camping at more than 150 campsites and fishing destinations like the Ranger Lakes, and the Canadian and Michigan Rivers. My older son and I opted to stay at the Never Summer Nordic yurts, which offers 11 yurts, two huts, and two large cabins, plus a gift shop with snacks, wine, beer, and more. www.neversummernordic.com
There are also three attended entrance stations at Ranger Lakes, North Park, and North Michigan (summer season only), two corrals, a fishing pier, and the Moose Visitor Center, located about 20 miles southeast of Walden, open 9 a.m. -5 p.m. in summer. 56750 Hwy 14, Walden, 970.723.8366. www.cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/StateForest
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