Colorado

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site


Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
402 Santa Fe Avenue
La Junta, CO 81050-2300

Phone: 719-383-5010

The fort, now completely reconstructed on its original site north of the Arkansas River, was an important fur trading post in the 1833-49 period, where Indians and trappers exchanged furs for trade goods.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park


Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
102 Elk Creek
Gunnison, CO 81230

Phone: 970-641-2337

The ancient Gunnison River was wedged here by volcanic deposits and committed to a course from which it could not escape. Monolithic rock walls rise 2,000 feet above the river.

Colorado National Monument


Colorado National Monument
Fruita, CO 81521-0001

Phone: 970-858-3617

Sheer-walled canyons, towering monoliths, soaring arches, weird formations, dinosaur fossils, and remains of prehistoric Indian cultures reflect the environment and history of this colorful sandstone country.

Curecanti National Recreation Area


Curecanti National Recreation Area
102 Elk Creek
Gunnison, CO 81230

Phone: 970-641-2337

Three reservoirs--Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal--extend for 40 miles along the Gunnison River and the Black Canyon, with excellent water recreation, hiking, and camping. Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest lake in Colorado.

Dinosaur National Monument


Dinosaur National Monument
4545 E. Highway 40
Dinosaur, CO 81610-9724

Phone: 970-374-3000

The quarry here is the single most important Jurassic dinosaur paleontological site to be found anywhere. The monument also has a nearly complete stratigraphic geologic record.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument


Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
P.O. Box 185
Florissant, CO 80816-0185

Phone: 719-748-3253

A wealth of fossil insects, leaves, fishes, birds, and small mammals is preserved here. Few areas in the world yield more fossil species. Here too are standing petrified sequoia stumps.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve


Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
11500 Highway 150
Mosca, CO 81146-9798

Phone: 719-378-2312

The tallest in North America, these dunes were deposited over thousands of years by winds blowing through the passes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Includes all significant portions of sand deposits associated with the Great Sand Dunes system, as well as important archeological and cultural sites and unusual hydrologic features. The preserve, containing the entire surface watershed and primary topographic features interacting with the Great Sand Dunes, ranges in elevation from 8,000 to more than 13,000 feet and includes life zones from desert to alpine tundra.

Hovenweep National Monument


Hovenweep National Monument
McElmo Route
Cortez, CO 81321-8901

Phone: 970-562-4282

Pre-Columbian Indians built these six groups of towers, pueblos, and cliff dwellings.

Mesa Verde National Park


Mesa Verde National Park
P.O. Box 8
Mesa Verde National Park, CO 81330-0008

Phone: 970-529-4465

These world-famous cliff dwellings and other works of the Ancestral Puebloan People are the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

Rocky Mountain National Park


Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, CO 80517-8397

Phone: 970-586-1206

The park's rich scenery, typifying the massive grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, is accessible by Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide. Peaks towering more than 14,000 feet shadow wildlife and wildflowers in these 415 square miles of the Rockies.

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