Colorado Vacation Spots

Woodland Park is a city in Teller County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,515 at the 2000 census.

On January 20, 2001, the owner of an RV park found out that the Texas 7, a criminal group wanted for robbery and murder, was hiding out in his park. The next day, on January 21, SWAT teams came into the park. They found five of the members, one of whom shot himself. The other four were arrested.

Woodland Park is also the site of the Dinosaur Resource Center, a museum devoted to dinosaurs and fossils.

Winter Park is a town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 662, although tourists and seasonal workers significantly increase the population.

It is home to the Winter Park Resort, a well-known ski resort which is owned by the City and County of Denver and managed by Intrawest. The town and resort are served by the Ski Train of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW).

The area also has abundant cross-country skiing opportunities, including Devil's Thumb Ranch. In the spring and summer, Winter Park is known for mountain biking, concerts, hiking and fishing.

Vail is a town in Eagle County, Colorado, USA. The population was 4,531 at the 2000 census. It is famous for its skiing and other winter sports in addition to being a year round destination for outdoor activities. The ski area is currently maintained by Vail Resorts Inc. With 5,289 acres of terrain, Vail is the largest single ski mountain in North America, featuring seven bowls and intermediate gladed terrain in Blue Sky Basin. Vail sees a yearly average of 346 inches of snowfall and 300 days of sunshine. It first opened in 1962. Vail Village is modeled after a Bavarian Village with pedestrian streets and rugged mountain backdrops.

On October 19, 1998, the Earth Liberation Front set fire to the Two Elk Restaurant on Vail Mountain, causing $12 million in damage.

Telluride is a town in San Miguel County in southwestern Colorado on the San Miguel River on the west side of the San Juan Mountains. The population was 2,221 at the 2000 census.

Originally a mining town, Telluride is now a major ski resort. In the summer, there are festivals almost every weekend, including the Telluride Film Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Mushroom festival, Nothing Day festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It is the county seat of San Miguel County^GR6.

Telluride sits in a box canyon. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it. Spectacular Bridal Veil Falls is at the head of the canyon. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides.

Telluride was the inspiration for Galt's Gulch in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

Steamboat Springs, known as Ski Town USA, is a city in Routt County, Colorado, United States. The population was 9,815 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Routt County^GR6. The town is an internationally known winter resort destination, highlighted by the Steamboat Ski Resort, which is on Mount Werner in the Park Range just east of the town. It also contains the much smaller Howelsen Hill ski area. It is located in the upper valley of the Yampa River, along U.S. Highway 40 just west of the Continental Divide at Rabbit Ears Pass.

Snowmass (sometimes known locally as Old Snowmass) is an unincorporated community in Pitkin County, Colorado. It is located in the valley of the Roaring Fork River, near the mouth of Snowmass Creek along Colorado State Highway 82 between Aspen and Basalt. It consists largely of a post office, several commercial businesses, and surrounding houses and ranches. The community should not be confused with the Snowmass ski area or with the town of Snowmass Village, the location of the ski area.

Pagosa Springs is a town in Archuleta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,591 at the 2000 census. Although it is speculated that, including the entire county, it could have up to 8,000 people. It is hard to tell due to the amount of people that only live here on a seasonal basis and not permanently. It is the county seat of Archuleta County^GR6.

"Downtown Pagosa Springs" was the final destination for a duo of truckers in the 1975 Country song Wolf Creek Pass by C.W. McCall. U.S. Highway 160 from the pass to town goes through a vertical drop of around 5,000 feet, and is described in the song as "hairpin county and switchback city".

Grand Lake is a town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The population was 447 at the 2000 census.

This town is at an elevation of 8437 feet (2572 meters) and was established in 1879. It derives its name from the nearby Grand Lake, the largest natural body of water in the state. The town was originally an outfitting and supply point for the mining settlements of Lulu City, Teller City and Gaskill, but today is more of a tourist town. It was incorporated 23 June 1944 and briefly held the county seat from 1882 to 1888.

Granby, Colorado is a town located in Middle Park in Grand County, Colorado. The town is along U.S. Highway 40 about 85 miles west of Denver, Colorado, southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1525.

The town was founded in 1904 along the route of the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway, and incorporated one year later. It was named after Granby Hillyer, a Denver lawyer who later served as the United States Attorney for that city's district.

Golden, Colorado lies at the mouth of Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range. Founded on June 16, 1859 and named for Thomas L. Golden, it is the county seat of Jefferson County and a suburb of the city of Denver. The Colorado School of Mines and the Coors Brewing Company are in Golden. It is also the birthplace of the Jolly Rancher, a candy bought by Hershey Foods Corporation. Famous western showman William F "Buffalo Bill" Cody is buried nearby on Lookout Mountain. The population was 17,159 at the 2000 census.

Fairplay is a town in Park County, Colorado, United States. At an altitude of 9,953 ft. (3,034 m), it is the fifth-highest incorporated place in the state of Colorado. The population was 610 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Park County^GR6. A historic gold mining settlement, the town was founded in 1859 during the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. It is the largest community in the grassland basin of Colorado known as South Park, sitting at the northwest end of the basin at the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and Colorado State Highway 9. It sits on hillside on the eastern side of the Middle Fork South Platte River, near where Highway 9 ascends the river valley northward to Alma and Hoosier Pass. Although it was founded during the initial placer mining boom, the mines in the area continued to produce gold and silver ore for many decades up through the middle of the 20th century.

The town consists of a modern retail businesses along the highway, as well as a historic town on the bluff above the river along Front Street. The northern extension of Front Street along the river has been preserved and has become the site of relocated historic structures as an open air museum called South Park City, intended to recreate the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. Most of the residences in town are located on the hillside east of Colorado State Highway 9, in the vicinity of the schools and Park County Courthouse. The majority of the streets in town were finally paved in 2005.

Durango (Navajo: Kinłání) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). The population was 13,922 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of La Plata County^GR6.

Durango is located at 37°16′N 107°52′W at an elevation of 1988 meters (6523 feet). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.6 km² (6.8 mi²).

Aspen is the largest city and county seat of Pitkin County, Colorado. Founded as a mining camp in the Colorado Silver Boom and named because of the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city is now a ski resort and cultural center. The city emerged as a skiing mecca following World War II and the foundation of the Aspen Skiing Company by Walter Paepcke, a Chicago industrialist who sought to create a utopian community of the mind and body. Paepcke's legacy of the Aspen/Snowmass resorts, along with such institutions as the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Music Festival and School, have made the city a year-round international destination for recreation, arts, business, and intellectual discourse. In the late 20th century, the city developed as an off-beat haven for misfits, attracting such free spirits as John Denver (who wrote several folk songs about the town, including "Aspenglow", and "Starwood in Aspen") and Hunter S. Thompson, who was glorified by many locals for his embodiment of the "freak power" ethic of the community. The city is the site of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Bailey, Colorado is a small unincorporated community in northern Park County, Colorado. The community is located in the foothills of the Front Range, approximately 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Denver along U.S. Highway 285. It is located on the east side of Kenosha Pass, along the valley of the North Fork South Platte River and is one of the largest communities in the Platte Canyon region. The community consists of a strip of businesses along the highway, as well as nearby houses on the mountainside overlooking the highway.

On March 18, 2006 the Coney Island Hot Dog Stand Relocated from its previous home in Aspen Park, Colorado.

Categories: Colorado geography stubs | Park County, Colorado

Boulder (40°1′N 105°16′W, Mountain Time Zone) is a city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 94,673. It is home to the University of Colorado at Boulder, the largest university in Colorado. Boulder's elevation is 5,430 feet (1,655 meters) and is 35 miles (50 km) northwest of Denver. Boulder has the eighth greatest population among Colorado's cities and is the largest city and county seat of Boulder County^GR6.

Breckenridge is a town in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,408 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summit County^GR6. Breckenridge is also a popular ski resort during the winter months, servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes on the Rocky Mountains. In the summer, the town turns into an outdoor lover's paradise with great hiking trails, beautiful wildflowers to see, fly-fishing in the Blue River, and nearby Lake Dillon for boating.

Buena Vista is a town in Chaffee County, Colorado at an altutude of 7,965ft. The population was 2,195 at the 2000 census.

Note: the name is given the corrupted Anglicized pronunciation, "byoona vista." If you want to appear as a non-native local call it Bueny, pronounced as "Byoo-nee". However, many native Colorado residents with Spanish roots would rather have it pronounced in the original dialect as "Bwenah".

Buena Vista is a popular access point for whitewater rafting on the Arkansas river.

Carbondale is a town in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,196 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the mid valley of the Roaring Fork River, downstream from Aspen and upstream from the mouth of the Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs. The town proper sits on the south bank of the river, at the confluence of the Crystal River. Carbondale's horizon is dominated by the 12,953 ft. tall Mount Sopris several miles to the south of town.