Colorado

Colorado is located in Southwestern United States of America. The rugged Rocky Mountain range dominates the western half of the state. It is a favorite destination for hikers, backpackers, campers and mountain climbers who love to trek through and enjoy the spectacular scenery. In the winter, it attracts numerous skiers and snowboarders to some of the best ski resorts in the USA.

Colorado Springs is located about 70 miles south of Denver near the base of 14,110 feet high Pikes Peak. The Garden of the Gods, in the western suburbs, contains some spectacular rock formations including a huge balancing rock. The city is home to the Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame, the US Air Force Academy, a museum of Anasazi Indian culture, and a Ghost Town museum. Suburban Manitou Springs has a refurbished old west flavor with many restaurants and unique shops as well as a cog-wheeled train that ascend to the summit of Pikes Peak. A partially paved road to the summit of the peak begins a few miles west of the city.

Colorado is a great place to experience the Wild West of the US. Working cattle ranches and guest ranches abound both in the eastern Great Plains of Colorado and in the Rocky Mountain high country. This is still the land of cowboys and Indians. Old West gold and silver mining towns survive in the mountains along side many abandoned ghost towns.

Colorado has thousands of miles of well-maintained trails through the mountains, forests and plains. These attract hikers, backpackers, trekkers, wilderness campers and mountain climbers as well as horseback riders and mountain bikers. The Rocky Mountains offer some excellent rock climbing and mountain climbing challenges. Many of the streams and rivers provide excellent kayaking, canoeing and rafting adventures. Throughout Colorado, you can find numerous wilderness outfitters, guides, guest-ranches and horse stables to satisfy your thirst for adventure.

Denver, the capitol of Colorado, is a sprawling metropolitan center on the Great Plains at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains. The city is located at an altitude of over 5,000 feet, which is about one mile above sea level. It has a thriving commercial district with many opportunities to enjoy shopping, entertainment, cultural and sports events. A short one or two hour drive from downtown brings you into the heart of the Rocky Mountains for some of the best wilderness hiking, mountain climbing and skiing in the US.