Itap Saturday, so you load up the Subaru, caffeinate for I-70, and gleefully head toward your secret hiking spot – only to discover a full parking lot servicing a trailhead thatap giving off some serious mosh-pit energy. Social scientists call this recreational displacement. Itap the all-too-familiar feeling of being elbowed out of a go-to outpost as out-of-towners swarm the High Country like seasonal broods of cicadas.
“I’ve definitely stopped visiting places because of crowdedness,” said Ethan Billingsley, a senior instructor in outdoor recreation leadership at CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources. “Our radius,” he continued, “expands based on the subjective crowding we perceive.”
The keyword there, of course, is “subjective.” If you’re from Manhattan, a few dozen people holed up around the ponds at might feel downright intimate. But for OG Coloradans, seeing the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station into RMNP backed up halfway to Estes Park can be a real loss.
With over 4 million visitors every year, Rocky Mountain is one of the most visited parks within the entire NPS system. But according to a series of widely cited Reddit threads, roughly 90 percent of national park-goers never venture more than a half-mile from the main road.
This figure may be based on intuition rather than fact; Kyle Patterson, RMNP’s public affairs officer, couldn’t find any recent studies corroborating it. During a 2002 visitor survey, though, the majority of day-use visitors reported hiking 10 miles or less, and the most common distance hiked was 5 miles, Patterson reports. Still, itap usually possible to find peace and quiet inside RMNP – if you’re willing (and able) to “embrace rugged recreation,” Billingsley said, referring to the park’s rigorous, high-elevation routes. (And in all fairness to RMNP, the timed-entry reservation system – now in its seventh year – has been successful at “spreading use out throughout the park,” as Patterson put it.)
Colorado claims four incredible national parks, including its lesser-traveled crown jewel, (check before visiting for long-term wildfire-related closures). But we also have 13 national park sites, including five monuments, four historic sites and one recreational area – plus a handful of historic trails. NPS sites see a fraction of the RMNP crowds, but they certainly aren’t lacking in the scenic-views department.
In Cortez, for example, there’s , a 176,000-acre tract protecting more than 8,300 documented archaeological sites, including villages, kivas, field houses, cliff dwellings, petroglyphs and ancient roadways. The out-and-back Sand Canyon Trail (6 miles each way) passes a series of ancestral Puebloan ruins. If you’re visiting in the summer, mind the heat; pack plenty of water and sun protection.
The nearby town of Dolores makes an excellent home base. When you’re ready to nosh on something more sophisticated than freeze-dried camp food, try the wood-fired pizza (and craft beer) at on Fourth Street.
Wedged between two popular vacation towns – Pagosa Springs and Durango – is another southwestern Colorado gem. It’s open seasonally (mid-May through mid-October) and holds more than 100 significant Pueblo Indian archaeological sites. Try the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association’s excellent tours and guided programming – but visitors are also welcome to explore the area on their own.
Distance from Denver
For those who seek solitude, itap all about DFD. “How far away from Denver are you willing to drive?” Billingsley asked.
Billingsley’s a fan of , with multiple access points in Mesa and Delta counties. This high-desert expanse spans over 210,000 acres of protected public land, including the rugged Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, where fishing is a year-round affair on Big Dominguez Creek. Nearly 30 miles of the Gunnison River sustain a veritable backcountry zoo; visitors are likely to spot golden eagles, turkeys, elk, and collared lizards, among other species.
You’ll find a different kind of quiet in the San Luis Valley at , off County Road 38A, past the Y intersection near La Garita Trading Post. This site strikes a rare balance between serenity and world-class action. Sport climbers flock here for the volcanic tuff, but there’s enough singletrack to keep hikers and mountain bikers busy for days. Penitente Canyon is BLM territory, but you’ll still need to snag a reservation at before pitching your tent.
The southeastern part of the state has some nice topography, Billingsley reminds, and , a mile past the Picture Canyon sign on Forest Service Road 533, is a gorgeous destination tucked inside Colorado’s Comanche National Grassland. Visitors come for the unique rock formations, sandstone canyons, and rolling hills – all laid out across 13 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails.
There’s great birding on the shortgrass prairie; keep an eye out for scaled quail, wrens, ladder-backed woodpeckers and blue grosbeaks, among many other species. If you’re camping (itap the free, dispersed variety here) bring binoculars for premium stargazing. Pack plenty of water, too, since the on-site spring water isn’t potable.
Just south of the eclectic town of Trinidad, our newest state park, , houses one of southern Colorado’s most recognizable landmarks (its namesake peak). The park has 16 miles of tranquil trails. Be aware that many map applications place the property address in an incorrect location; it’s best to follow the driving directions listed on the park’s website.
Northwest of crowds
For an exceptional off-the-grid getaway, make the town of Meeker (population 2,242) your launchpad into the state’s overlooked northwestern wilderness.
“This really is the authentic West,” said Sara Stephenson, executive director of the Meeker Chamber of Commerce. In addition to hiking, biking, and motorized recreational trails, there’s plenty of fishing on ample streams, lakes, and reservoirs. The White River remains a big draw, too, though Stephenson notes that public access points along the banks are becoming increasingly scarce.
“Lots of people come here in the summer to cool off,” Stephenson said, explaining that Meeker is often 10-plus degrees cooler than Grand Junction.
Catch a rodeo if you can; held at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds, the free runs June through August on Thursday nights. (But if you’re hoping to circumvent crowds, maybe skip the town’s blowout Fourth of July festival, the annual , a weeklong celebration that includes rodeos, along with a parade, fireworks, and more.)
Since downtown Meeker is only a mile long, itap a walkable base camp with boutiques and locally owned restaurants. For your morning coffee fix, there’s on Market Street. The nearby is your best option for post-hike fuel, with brick oven pizza, beer, live music, and bingo. History buffs, don’t miss the on Park Avenue, which offers a quirky account of local history from inside a pair of the town’s original log buildings.
Consider booking a room at the . Between the massive, century-old animal mounts and famous bullet hole in the wall, it delivers the exact brand of haunted history you’re expecting from a historic Colorado inn. There are also furnished tiny homes a few miles out of town, toward Trappers, Stephenson said, referencing on County Road 8.
Meeker isn’t far from the , Colorado’s second largest wilderness area, with approximately 110 lakes and ponds, many unnamed, dotting the high plateau above and below flat-topped cliffs. “The 235,000-acre Flat Tops Wilderness is known for its solitude and remote setting,” said Aaron Grimes, a district recreation staff officer for the US Forest Service.
Flat Tops has an outstanding interconnected trail system linking over 300 miles of backcountry trails that are perfectly suited for multi-day loops. Most access points are reached from the west side, coming through Meeker, and Grimes noted that despite the isolation, the gravel roads are well-maintained, meaning a passenger vehicle should get you to most trailheads.
The South Fork trailhead opens to easy day hikes along the river as well as longer backpacking routes for those looking to disappear for a while. The Marvine (pronounced Mar-VEEN) trailhead, meanwhile, is a favorite for horseback riders and leads roughly 6 miles to a pair of stunning twin lakes. “The Trappers Lake area has numerous trailheads that lead to a variety of High-Country lakes and vary in distance and difficulty,” added Grimes. Developed campgrounds at South Fork, Marvine and Trappers Lake require reservations through.
Good planning is critical, Grimes cautions. “This remote area generally lacks cell phone service,” he said, adding, “Many trails are located over an hour from Meeker.” Bring extra food and water, fuel up your vehicle in town, prepare for longer travel times than expected, check weather forecasts, and bring essentials for backcountry travel. Study maps, too, and call the Blanco Ranger District for up-to-date trail conditions, at 970-878-4039.
You might as well tack on a day trip to the sparsely populated , which straddles Colorado and Utah. Colorado’s Canyon Visitor Center on Highway 40 opens seasonally, mid-May into October.
You won’t find the monumentap namesake fossil beds on the Colorado side of the border. “The rocks are too old to contain dinosaurs for the most part,” explained park ranger Erin Cahill. Still, we’ve got some of the best geology in the world; the rugged landscape includes massive formations, deep faults, and kaleidoscopic rock layers that occasionally give way to sweeping, hundred-mile vistas.
Inside the monument, hit Harper’s Corner Road, a 31-mile-long (each way) scenic drive delivering a series of dramatic overlooks. The 2-mile round-trip hike at the end of the road is a “must do,” Cahill said. For those of you with high clearance vehicles, a four-wheel-drive road branches off toward Echo Park Campground, a secluded riverside site thatap only accessible when the road is dry. With the exception of one group site, all camping is first-come, first-served; Deerlodge Park Campground is another remote option.
Come to the monument prepared for the high-desert heat. Dehydration’s no joke, and afternoon lightning can appear out of nowhere. Your most valuable tool is the NPS app: Download maps for offline use before you arrive since cell signals inside the monument are spotty at best.
Due north of the monument (as the crow flies) there’s . To get there, though, you’ll have to drive around the monument, through Maybell – a route that takes about 2 hours.
Tucked along the Green River, not far from the Utah-Wyoming border, the refuge serves as a vital sanctuary for migratory birds and threatened species like the bald eagle. Itap a rich tapestry of habitats, ranging from pinyon-juniper forests to lush wet meadows. The area also boasts some cultural history, starting with the Fremont Indians, including Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, who evidently helped local ranchers when they needed to avoid law enforcement.
Leave it as you found it
Public land agencies – often underfunded and understaffed – can quickly become overwhelmed when a lesser-known spot blows up overnight. If you’re heading off the beaten path, definitely familiarize yourself with ethics. Figure out which entity manages the land you’ll visit, then go online and brush up on their local rules. Itap on us to protect Colorado’s most precious spots for the next generation of adventurers. Though increased visitation can deplete natural resources, tourism is an economic boon for our state’s small and rural towns – so please be sure to buy local when visiting the places outlined in this story.
