Planning Your Upcoming Colorado Vacation

It’s not summer yet? But it is time to plan that vacation to Colorado! Take your Jeep out and explore this wonderful state.

Campsites Fill Up Quick

Every Colorado vacation should be outdoors as much as possible, and camping is a perfect way to experience our great mountains, plains, or deserts. Camping in Colorado has exploded in popularity and campsites are now fully booked for holiday weekends months in advance and even “normal” weekends are booked weeks in advance. So start looking and booking now before it is too late!

One great alternative to developed campsites is dispersed camping on Forest Service or BLM lands. You won’t find picnic tables or toilets, but you also probably won’t have neighbors keeping you up at night. Dispersed camping is only available on certain designated roads, so make sure to check the MVUM during your planning stages and know the local regulations. If you want to hit multiple destinations in a single vacation here are some tips.

Don’t Come Too Early

Many people don’t realize that the snow sticks around a long time after winter here. Popular 4×4 routes, such as Black Bear Pass sometimes don’t open until July! May and June can be wonderful, but don’t plan on those high alpine passes being open. If your vacation is planned for the early months, instead go lower in elevation and visit spots like the desert around Fruita and Grand Junction.

Still Cold at Night

High up in the mountains is ALWAYS cold at night. With temps in the 70s, 80s, or even 90s you can fooled into thinking that night will be nice and warm – it won’t be. Bring good sleeping setups and warm clothes for the evening and early mornings. Put chemical hand warmers in the bottom of your sleeping bags at night to keep you warm and dry.

Fire Bans

Fire Bans are becoming more a part of life than many had hoped. The effect:

• Shooting
• Campfires
• Smoking

Local counties initiate fire bans. Check the local county website for status.

Family Adventures

Colorado has a lot to offer in the summer – rafting, zip lining, mountain coasters, and a bunch of hot springs. Here’s some things to do or see that maybe you haven’t heard of before:

• Arapahoe Basin Via Ferrata – A via ferrata (“iron way”) is a climbing route that follows iron rungs (or handholds) that have been fixed permanently to the rock. Arapahoe Basin is home to North America’s highest-elevation via ferrata on the East Wall, one of the area’s most striking, prominent geographical features.

• Palisade wine country – Enjoy the day while you are driven around fruit & wine country in style. Peddle Bike tours, horse drawn carriage rides, limousine service, safari adventures or segway tours are available for travelers who want to spice up their adventure. 

• Glenwood Fairy Caves – For those seeking an authentic caving adventure, sign up for the Wild Tour! See Glenwood Caverns much like spelunkers did when they explored the caverns for the first time—squeezing through tight spots and emerging into hidden rooms all by the narrow beam of a headlamp. Gear up for this 2-hour guided tour (individually priced) that takes you deep into Iron Mountain to rarely visited areas and chambers for an exhilarating, on-your-belly and crawling experience you’ll never forget.