Colorado’s Legendary Mountains: A Journey Through Natural Beauty and Culture
Colorado’s legendary mountains offer the ultimate getaway destination for those who love both exploring landscapes of astounding natural beauty and discovering the vibrant local culture of those who live in and around them. It’s a world where everything looks like a romanticised landscape painting, and it’s frequently difficult to believe that what you’re seeing is actually real.
In the first of three road diaries exploring Colorado’s singular charm, we’ll act as your guide, starting in iconic Denver and then venturing out to discover must-see natural wonders and unmissable attractions, finally reaching Colorado Springs and the iconic Pike’s Peak. Let’s go!
If you’re already sold on discovering the wonders of Colorado, make sure to visit Intrepid via the link below to book your next holiday.
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Denver: A Major American City Like No Other
Denver is the perfect launch point for our exhilarating foray into the Rocky Mountains. The Mile High City, nicknamed for its elevation above sea level, offers all the comforts and culture you would expect from a state capital, but with the added benefit of having a dramatic mountain backdrop setting and being surrounded by some of Mother Nature’s finest work.
This vibrant outdoor city pairs the charming sophistication of thriving arts and culinary scenes with a citizenry boasting such an uplifting and optimistic mindset that it just makes you want to get amongst it. Locals wear hiking shoes to dinner here, it’s that sort of town: everyone hikes and everyone skis, and (depending on the season) they have goggle or sunglasses tans to prove it.
While our plan is to fly into Denver and then road trip into the Rocky Mountains, we must first take in at least some of this great city’s offerings. Landing at Denver International Airport, it’s only a short ride on the airport train to Denver Union Station, right in the middle of downtown. Though this 112-year-old station is far more than ‘just’ a train station – it’s one of the hippest places to hang out in Denver: an essential hub for eating, drinking and shopping. Dropping our bags off at the stylish Crawford Hotel, which is housed within Union Station, there’s no feeling of jetlag, just an eagerness to immerse ourselves in the heart of things.
Our first stop is the Denver Graffiti Tour, which showcases some of the city’s best street art. Of the guided two-hour walking tours on offer, we select the Happy Hour, which takes the same route as the Original Tour and adds a very welcome 30-minute bar stop. We meet our tour group at the corner of 27th and Walnut St (about a 10-minute Uber from the Art Museum), and from there, we’re led on a stroll through Denver’s RiNo Art District as our guide explains the stories behind Denver’s best pieces of street art and those who created them.
The works are like walking through a big outdoor gallery in the sunshine with enormous murals of such grand ambition that it can be hard to comprehend how they were imagined, let alone created, in the first place. This part of Denver was once one of the least desired parts of the city, but now it’s where the hip crowds like to hang out, as indie-cool as any art district in any major city across the US.
At the tour’s end, we find ourselves at Improper City, a buzzing hub of restaurants, bars, and galleries, where we take the opportunity to unwind with a few more evening drinks and tacos from a nearby food truck (some of the best we’ve had on this trip). There are so many food trucks around Denver that you could never eat at a traditional restaurant and still feel you’ve gone totally gourmet. Denver is a genuine foodie city with districts boasting different cuisines all over town, and it’s never hard to find them (just follow your nose). Excited for what else Denver has in store, we return to the Crawford Hotel to ensure we’re well rested for what follows.
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Rocky Mountain National Park: A World of Natural Wonders
The following morning, we collect our hire car (a very capable 4×4 in preparation for realising our mountain-tackling ambitions) before bidding a fond farewell to Denver, vowing we’ll return someday to explore this great city further. For one thing, we didn’t have the chance to check out Denver’s other famed sporting franchises: the Denver Broncos NFL team, the Denver Nuggets basketball team, and the Colorado Avalanche ice hockey team, all of whose stadiums are extremely iconic and located close to the CBD.
But for now, our sights are set on Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Just under two hours’ drive from Denver, we’re promised there’s a wide selection of activities on offer. These include camping in the expansive backcountry, hiking to waterfalls and alpine lakes, and spotting iconic wildlife. There’s also the option to summit the 4,346 m Longs Peak, which is quite an undertaking: it’s a full-day experience that requires a permit and is only for those in excellent condition with a wealth of hiking experience.
Our ambitions are not quite that lofty, although we’re determined to make the most of our time. It’s worth noting that unless you’re arriving prior to 8 am, the park has a timed entry permit system, meaning you need to make a reservation in advance. Once you get in, don’t be surprised if you find the scale of the park a little overwhelming in the best way (even for we Aussies, whose homeland isn’t exactly lacking when it comes to size). As we familiarise ourselves with the park, we decide to explore some of its over 560 km of hiking trails.
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Fort Collins: A Craft Beer Hotspot
Arriving in Fort Collins, a craft beer hotspot, we’re going to have our work cut out for us in a city boasting over 20 breweries. But first, we need to work up a thirst. Fortunately, Fort Collins has over 450 km of paved and unpaved walking and biking trails.
After acquainting ourselves with our charming rooms at The Elizabeth Hotel, each of which boasts a record player accompanied by a vinyl library to choose from, we head out for a scenic ride along part of the Cache la Poudre River. Taking the Young Gulch Trail, it’s an easy-to-moderate ride boasting some Insta-worthy scenic views. Taking us a little over four hours to complete the 16 km route, it’s a satisfying ride that leaves us feeling like we’ve put in some work without wrecking ourselves. More importantly, we now feel like we’ve earned our first beer.
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Steamboat Springs: A Fairytale Town
With a river that runs right through town and a greater share of picturesque spots than is entirely fair to the rest of the charming small towns in the USA, Steamboat Springs looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Even the name sounds like the place belongs in a movie.
Upon arrival, there’s just one thing on our mind, which is an overwhelming urge to make the most of that enticing Yampa River water. Sadly, it’s getting late, so that will have to wait until tomorrow.
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Breckenridge: A Charming Destination
Arriving after dark, it’s easy to miss what an out-and-out charmer the penultimate destination on our final, glorious trek through Colorado really is. Having checked into our accommodation at The Lodge, we sleep blissfully unaware of what a lovely spot Breckenridge will turn out to be.
When we arise, we quickly make our way to the historic main street for breakfast. Attractively lined with trees and boasting a wealth of architecture that looks like it has been around for a century or two (the town was established back in 1859), it’s exactly what you want from a small Colorado town. We pop in to see the local coffee roasters at The Crown – there’s no flat whites on the menu, but the lattes are Australia-good and the Cubano latte with cinnamon and sugar is best of all. We also pick up some avocado toast while we’re at it, which is something we Aussies brought to America. They even call it “avo toast” all across the US!
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Colorado Springs: America’s Mountain
So, the first leg of our incredible journey through Colorado has come to this. We arrive in Colorado Springs on a clear summer day and check into The Mining Exchange, with its stately facade and blend of modern amenities and early-20th-century style. Once settled, we’re eager to head out to discover the grand behemoth that has come to be known as “America’s Mountain”.
Pikes Peak rises to 4302 m tall and is an extraordinary geographical marvel. An American icon that has inspired generations, even for those who’ve never seen it in the flesh, thanks to Katharine Lee Bates’ “America the Beautiful” (which is America’s unofficial second anthem, and was written by Bates after visiting the peak).
Reaching the summit was once an arduous task, but fortunately, it’s now easier to do so than ever before, and there are numerous ways to go about it: you can hike (a mammoth undertaking, and much respect to those that do so, it’s a 43 km round trip and it’s steep), cycle, catch a shuttle, ride the Cog Railway, or (our choice) drive the 30 km paved road that was constructed in 1915.
Offering an unforgettable scenic drive, we ascend the mountain and catch world-class views of lakes, mountains, wildlife, wildflowers, and—more often than not—a stunning combination of all four along the way. Reaching the summit, Pike’s Peak offers an uninterrupted and almost indescribable outlook to Colorado Springs and its surrounding landscape. Mouths agape, it’s an experience that leaves us speechless. It’s almost religious or hypnotic in nature, and a state that stays with us. We stand at the top of the mountain, drinking in the wonder of all that we can see for at least 90 minutes, but time doesn’t seem to matter up here. “America the Beautiful”, indeed.
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Farewell to Colorado’s Majestic Mountains
This sense of awe is one that Colorado has frequently gifted to us throughout the first leg of Man of Many’s Colorado adventure. As we come to its end, it’s impossible not to consider the incredible landscapes, thrilling outdoor adventures, remarkable history, fantastic food, and wonderful people we’ve encountered throughout this journey so far. We can confidently say there’s nowhere quite like it in the world.
Keep an eye out for our next instalment, where we’ll make our way through central Colorado and discover the big thrills and big ideas on offer in this extraordinary place.
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Book With Intrepid
If you’d like your own Denver-to-Colorado-Springs adventure, Intrepid has you covered. Simply visit the link below, and you and your mates can soon find yourselves taking in all the wonders of the Rocky Mountains and beyond as you embark on a getaway you’ll never forget.
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Giveaway
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WIN! $1,500 Worth of Osprey Gear for Your Next Colorado Boys’ Trip
