Spring is just around the corner, and so we decided to compile a small list of a few places in Colorado for a perfect day out with family, particularly the little ones. Even some lifelong Colorado residents may not have heard of some of these. Look for a continuation of great spots to check out in our marvelous state on this site. Colorado has many great spots and we’ll do our best to include them on ColoradoGrandparent.com. You might want to consider making it an overnight trip if you are coming from the Denver metro area. Before you start out, it’s always a good thing to check the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website for road conditions, etc. : codot.gov/travel.
Hog Trough, Taylor River
Just below the Taylor Park Dam, there is a section of the Taylor River so rich in big trout that it’s popularly called Hog Trough. There are rainbows weighing as much as 15 lbs. wriggling under the blue waters.
The fishing site is just 4 and a half hours drive from Denver.
More info: http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Taylor+Park+Dam
Steamboat Springs
Colorado is beautiful but there is one slight problem: it’s only too big to be enjoyed in a day. However, the hot-air ballooners in Steamboat Springs come quite close to doing it (the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo is in the summer). While floating above the town, you get to see the vast green meadows, Yampa River snaking through them and solemn peaks in the distance, hugged by the mist. While you are in Steamboat, you might also want to check out Vista Verdes, a beautiful ranch located northeast of it, near the Wyoming border; a perfect place to create memories with your grandchildren!
Steamboat Springs is approximately 3 hours drive from Denver.
More info: http://www.steamboatsprings.com
Colorado National Monument
There can be no two opinions on the fact that Colorado National Monument preserves one of the greatest landscapes of America. The flat-top mountains in the canyons appear to be like towering monoliths. The 23 mile Rim Rock Drive, twisting and turning through the canyon panorama, is a heartwarming place to be with your grandchildren. While you are there, you can also check out the Saddlehorn Campground, the only established campsite in the Colorado National Monument.
The monument is 4 hours drive from Denver.
More info: http://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm
Guanella Pass
The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway is a 22-mile byway from Georgetown to Grant. The road crests well above timberline, where every spring the grasses and flowers stubbornly renew, and the fragile tundra thaws and blossoms. This old logging road has extraordinary views of Mount Bierstadt and Mount Evans to the east and Argentine Peak and Mount Wilcox to the west.
More info: https://www.codot.gov/travel/scenic-byways/north-central/guanella-pass
