For years we drove through Colorado on our way to visit my brother in California – always mesmerized by its captivating scenery, never failing to remark that one day we will add it to our road trip itinerary. Back in 2018, we made a couple of quick stops at the Great Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde National Parks. And last year, we planned to spend a couple of weeks exploring other parts of the state, but due to a family emergency we had to cut that trip short. So most of Colorado remained untouched by our hiking boots. Until this summer that is. When my brother suggested we meet up in the Black Hills of South Dakota for a family reunion, we decided that since Colorado was only a hop, skip and jump or a seven-hour drive from there, it was finally time we got to know it better. 

After spending three weeks in Colorado, we only just scratched its rocky surface. But in those three short weeks we travelled from shortgrass prairie to alpine tundra, from coniferous and aspen forests to arid shrubland, from towering fourteeners to gaping canyons, from ice-cold lakes to hot springs. And with the red rocks of Colorado National Monument and Garden of the Gods, the green slopes and flowering alpine meadows of the Rockies, crystal clear lakes every shade of blue, it truly lived up to its moniker of Colourful Colorado. 

It is hard to squeeze in three weeks of travels into a blog post, and some of the places and trails are definitely calling for more detailed reports. But for now, here are a few highlights from Colorado’s rich palette.