This is a list of protected areas of the U.S. state of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. __TOC__

Federal lands

The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

federal government owns 36.23% of Colorado's total land area.

National Park System

The National Park System includes 23 areas in Colorado. The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

manages 18 of these 23 areas plus five National Wildernesses.

National Parks

The four

National Parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

within Colorado are: * Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose *

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an American national park that conserves an area of large sand dunes up to tall on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and an adjacent national preserve in the Sangre de Cristo Range, in south- ...

near Mosca * Mesa Verde National Park and

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

near Cortez *

Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and ...

near

Estes Park Estes Park is a statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States Census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corr ...

and Grand Lake

National Monuments

The nine

National Monuments National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

in Colorado are: *

Browns Canyon National Monument Browns Canyon National Monument is a national monument in Chaffee County, Colorado, that was designated as such by President Barack Obama under the Antiquities Act on February 19, 2015. The site will be centered along the Arkansas River between B ...

near Nathrop (February 19, 2015,

Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

) * Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River valley (October 12, 2022, Biden) * Canyons of the Ancients National Monument near Cortez (June 9, 2000,

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...

) * Chimney Rock National Monument near

Pagosa Springs The Town of Pagosa Springs (Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Archuleta County, Colorado, ...

(September 21, 2012,

) *

Colorado National Monument Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. This is an area of desert land high on the Colorado ...

near Grand Junction and

Fruita The City of Fruita is a home rule municipality located in western Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 13,395 at the 2020 United States Census. Fruita is a part of the Grand Junction, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area a ...

(May 24, 1911, Taft) *

Dinosaur National Monument Dinosaur National Monument is an American national monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers. Although most of the monument area is in ...

near

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

(80 acres October 4, 1915,

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People * Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...

, additional 200,000 acres July 14, 1938, Roosevelt) *

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument The Florissant Formation is a sedimentary geologic formation outcropping around Florissant, Teller County, Colorado. The formation is noted for the abundant and exceptionally preserved insect and plant fossils that are found in the mudstones and ...

near Florissant (1969, Nixon) *

Hovenweep National Monument Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. Shallow tributaries run through the wide and deep canyons into t ...

near Cortez (March 2, 1923,

Harding Harding may refer to: People *Harding (surname) *Maureen Harding Clark (born 1946), Irish jurist Places Australia * Harding River Iran * Harding, Iran, a village in South Khorasan Province South Africa * Harding, KwaZulu-Natal United Sta ...

) * Yucca House National Monument near Cortez (1919,

) Two former National Monuments were reclassified due to their remoteness: *

Holy Cross Wilderness The Holy Cross Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel and White River national forests near Leadville, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Vail, Colorado. The wilderness with of trails was established in 1980. The wildern ...

near Minturn * Wheeler Geologic Area near Creede

National Historic Sites

The three National Historic Sites within Colorado are: * Amache National Historic Site near

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

* Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site near

La Junta La Junta is a home rule municipality in , the county seat of, and the most populous municipality of Otero County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,322 at the 2020 United States Census. La Junta is located on the Arkansas Ri ...

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Kiowa County, Colorado, commemorating the Sand Creek Massacre that occurred here on November 29, 1864. The site is considered sacred after the unprovoked assault on an e ...

near Chivington proposed:

National Recreation Areas

The two

National Recreation Areas A national recreation area (NRA) is a protected area in the United States established by an Act of Congress to preserve enhanced recreational opportunities in places with significant natural and scenic resources. There are 40 NRAs, which emphas ...

within Colorado are:: *

Arapaho National Recreation Area The Arapaho National Recreation Area (ANRA) is a United States national recreation area located near the headwaters of the Colorado River in north central Colorado adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. ANRA is under the jurisdiction of the Ara ...

near Granby * Curecanti National Recreation Area near Gunnison

National Historic Trails

The four National Historic Trails that pass through Colorado are: * California National Historic Trail through Sedgwick County *

Old Spanish National Historic Trail Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

through southwestern Colorado *

Pony Express National Historic Trail The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...

through Sedgwick County *

Santa Fe National Historic Trail Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

through southeastern Colorado

National Scenic Trail

Continental Divide Trail, Torreys to Grays

The National Scenic Trail that passes through Colorado is: *

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail (CDT)) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico a ...

along the Continental Divide of the Americas

National Forests

The

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

manages the 11

National Forests A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state, sovereign or federated state, or territory (country subdivision), territory. Background The precise application of the terms va ...

within Colorado. * Arapaho National Forest * Grand Mesa National Forest *

Gunnison National Forest The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres (2,612.71 sq mi, or 6,766.89 km²) Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and E ...

* Rio Grande National Forest *

Roosevelt National Forest The Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest and the Routt National Forest. The forest is administered jointly with ...

Routt National Forest Routt may refer to: ;Places In the United States: * Routt, Louisville, Kentucky *Routt County, Colorado ;People *Joe Routt *John Long Routt *Stanford Routt Stanford Bermond Routt (born July 26, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. Aft ...

San Isabel National Forest San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 53 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado. It is one of eleven national forests in the state of Color ...

* San Juan National Forest *

Uncompahgre National Forest Uncompahgre National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 955,229 acres (1,492.55 sq mi, or 3,865.68 km2) in (in descending order of land area) parts of Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, Hinsdale, San Juan, and Delta ...

White River National Forest White River National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River (Green River), White River that passes through its northern section. It is the most visited National Forest ...

National Grasslands

The

manages the two National Grasslands within Colorado. * Comanche National Grassland – southeastern Colorado *

Pawnee National Grassland Pawnee National Grassland is a United States National Grassland located in northeastern Colorado on the Colorado Eastern Plains. The grassland is located in the South Platte River basin in remote northern and extreme northeastern Weld County be ...

– northeastern Colorado

National Wildernesses

There are 44 National Wildernesses within Colorado. The

manages 34, the

manages four, the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

manages three, the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management jointly manage two, and the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service jointly manage one National Wilderness. *

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is an American national park located in western Colorado and managed by the National Park Service. There are two primary entrances to the park: the south rim entrance is located east of Montrose, whil ...

* Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness *

Buffalo Peaks Wilderness The Buffalo Peaks Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel and Pike National Forests in central Colorado. The wilderness was named after two highly eroded volcanic mountains, East Buffalo Peak and West Buffalo Peak, in the Mo ...

Byers Peak Wilderness The Byers Peak Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in Arapaho National Forest in north central Colorado. The wilderness was established in 1993 and named after its highest point, Byers Peak. Byers Peak was named after William N. Byers, ...

Cache La Poudre Wilderness The Cache la Poudre Wilderness is federally- protected area administered by the U.S. Forest Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District on the Roosevelt National Forest in Colora ...

* Collegiate Peaks Wilderness *

Comanche Peak Wilderness The Comanche Peak Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Roosevelt National Forest on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District in Colorado along the northern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park. The wilderness named for its most promi ...

Dominguez Canyon Wilderness The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located southeast of Grand Junction in western Colorado. The wilderness area established in 2009, the largest BLM roadless area in the state of Colorado, includes two major canyon syst ...

Eagles Nest Wilderness The Eagles Nest Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Gore Range near Vail, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Heeney, in Summit and Eagle Counties, Colorado. Eagles Nest Wilderness falls within the jurisdiction of Dillo ...

Flat Tops Wilderness Flat Tops Wilderness Area is the second largest U.S. Wilderness Area in Colorado. It is , with in Routt National Forest and in White River National Forest. It was designated a wilderness area in 1975. Trappers Lake, located in the north of the ...

* Fossil Ridge Wilderness *

Great Sand Dunes Wilderness Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an American national park that conserves an area of large sand dunes up to tall on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and an adjacent national preserve in the Sangre de Cristo Range, in south- ...

Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness The Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located northwest of Walsenburg, Colorado in the San Isabel National Forest, San Isabel and Pike National Forest, Pike U.S. National Forest, National Forests. The wilderness area include ...

Gunnison Gorge Wilderness The Gunnison Gorge Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located immediately northwest of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The wilderness area established in 1999 includes of the Gunnison River inside the Gunnison Gorge National C ...

Hermosa Creek Wilderness The Hermosa Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in La Plata County, Colorado. It s located in the San Juan National Forest north of Durango. It was established by the Hermosa Creek Protection Act of 2014, which also created the adjacen ...

* Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness *

Indian Peaks Wilderness The Indian Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area in north central Colorado managed jointly by the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and small parts of the southern sectio ...

* James Peak Wilderness *

La Garita Wilderness The La Garita Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the La Garita Mountains of southern Colorado. The wilderness established in 1964 in Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests includes segments of the Colorado Trail and the Contine ...

Lizard Head Wilderness The Lizard Head Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado. It contains and is jointly managed by the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests. It is southwest of the town of Telluride and is named for a prominent rock formation t ...

Lost Creek Wilderness The Lost Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located in central Colorado in Jefferson and Park counties, south of the town of Bailey. The area is situated entirely within the boundaries of the Pike National Forest. The Lost Creek Scenic Ar ...

* Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness * Mesa Verde Wilderness * Mount Evans Wilderness *

Mount Massive Wilderness The Mount Massive Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sawatch Range, located in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is operated jointly by the United States Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the San Is ...

Mount Sneffels Wilderness The Mount Sneffels Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado managed by the Uncompahgre National Forest. It is about west of the town of Ouray. The area is named for Mt. Sneffels, which at is a prominent fourteener in the San Jua ...

* Mount Zirkel Wilderness *

Neota Wilderness The Neota Wilderness is administered by the USDA Forest Service. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado. This wilderness area encompasses and is bordered on the south by Rocky Mountain ...

Never Summer Wilderness The Never Summer Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located immediately west of Rocky Mountain National Park in the Never Summer Mountains of Arapaho National Forest in northern Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mou ...

Platte River Wilderness The Platte River Wilderness is primarily located in south central Wyoming, with a small section extending into Colorado in the United States. Located entirely within Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest, the wilderness was created in 1984 to protec ...

Powderhorn Wilderness The Powderhorn Wilderness is a wilderness area in Hinsdale and Gunnison counties, Colorado, United States, located northeast of Lake City. Description Most of the northern part of the wilderness area, , about 77.5%, is located on Bureau of ...

* Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness *

Raggeds Wilderness The Raggeds Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Elk Mountains northwest of Crested Butte, Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of ...

Rawah Wilderness The Rawah Wilderness is administered by the USDA Forest Service. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado, near the Wyoming border, and also in the Routt National Forest to its south. It enc ...

* Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness *

Sangre de Cristo Wilderness The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is a long and narrow wilderness area covering of the Sangre de Cristo Range centered about Saguache and Custer counties, Colorado. Smaller areas are located in Fremont, Alamosa, and Huerfano counties. The wilde ...

Sarvis Creek Wilderness The Sarvis Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of ...

* South San Juan Wilderness *

Spanish Peaks Wilderness The Spanish Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area in Huerfano County and Las Animas County, Colorado, United States, located southwest of Walsenburg. All of the wilderness area is located within San Isabel National Forest, which is managed by ...

Uncompahgre Wilderness The Uncompahgre Wilderness (formerly called the Big Blue Wilderness) is a U.S. Wilderness Area in southwest Colorado comprising . Elevation in the Wilderness ranges from to , at the summit of Uncompahgre Peak. Managed by the Uncompahgre Natio ...

* Vasquez Peak Wilderness * Weminuche Wilderness *

West Elk Wilderness The West Elk Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located northwest of Gunnison, Colorado in the West Elk Mountains. History The wilderness was established in 1964 and now protects within the Gunnison National Forest. Geography Elevatio ...

National Conservation Areas

The

manages the three National Conservation Areas within Colorado. * Dominguez–Escalante National Conservation Area * Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area * McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area

National Wildlife Refuges

The

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

manages the eight

National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...

s within Colorado. *

Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge The Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is an United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The site is located in the San Luis Valley along the east side of the Rio Grande approximately southeast of Alamosa primarily in sout ...

Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge The Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in north-central Colorado. It is one of over 560 national wildlife refuges which manages and protects natural resources for future generations. The refuge is ...

Baca National Wildlife Refuge The Baca National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. It is within the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. Fauna Many bird species such as the kestrel, great horned owl, northern flicker ...

Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge located in northwestern Colorado. It is located in Moffat County in the extreme northwestern corner of the state, in an isolated mountain valley of Browns Park on both side ...

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley south of the town of Monte Vista, Colorado in southeastern Rio Grande County, Colorado, in ...

* Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge *

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located adjacent to Denver and Commerce City, Colorado, in the United States. It is approximately northeast of downtown Denver. The refuge is on the grounds of t ...

Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge is the smallest urban unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The refuge is located in the City of Arvada, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The refuge consists of of land, including of upland ...

Federally designated areas

The following areas are designated by the

, but reside on a variety of federal, state, county, city, town, and private lands.

National Heritage Areas

The three

National Heritage Area In the United States, a National Heritage Area (NHA) is a site designated by Act of Congress, intended to encourage historic preservation of the area and an appreciation of the history and heritage of the site. There are currently 62 NHAs, some ...

s in Colorado are: * Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area * Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area * South Park National Heritage Area

National Historic Landmarks

Colorado Chautauqua Auditorium Boulder CO

The 26

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

s in Colorado are: * Bent's Old Fort * Burlingon Carousel * Central City/Black Hawk Historic District *

Colorado Chautauqua The Colorado Chautauqua, located in Boulder, Colorado, United States, and started in 1898, is the only Chautauqua west of the Mississippi River still continuing in unbroken operation since the heyday of the Chautauqua Movement in the 1920s. It i ...

Colorado Fuel and Iron Company Administrative Complex The Minnequa Steel Works Office Building and Dispensary are historic buildings in Pueblo, Colorado. The main office building served as headquarters of Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. The medical dispensary building served as a medical clinic fo ...

Cripple Creek Historic District Cripple Creek Historic District is a historic district including Cripple Creek, Colorado, United States and is significant for its gold mining era history. It developed as a gold mining center beginning in 1890, with a number of buildings from ...

* Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad *

Denver Civic Center The Denver Civic Center is a civic center area that includes two parks surrounded by government and cultural buildings and spaces. Civic Center is located in central Denver, Colorado, on the south side of Downtown Denver. Much of the area is a his ...

* Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad * Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District *

Granada War Relocation Center The Amache National Historic Site, formally the Granada War Relocation Center but known to the internees as Camp Amache, was a concentration camp for Japanese Americans in Prowers County, Colorado. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor o ...

* Leadville Historic District * Lindenmeier site *

Lowry Ruin The Lowry Pueblo is an Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site located in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument near Pleasant View, Colorado, United States. The pueblo was constructed around 1060 AD atop abandoned pithouses from an earlier ...

* Ludlow Tent Colony Site *

Mesa Verde Administrative District Mesa Verde Administrative District is a set of six National Park Service buildings within Mesa Verde National Park, constructed between 1921 and 1927 in the Pueblo Revival style. Located on Chapin Mesa, these were the structures built by the Pa ...

* Pikes Peak *

Pike's Stockade Pike's Stockade is a historic exploration campsite located near Sanford, Colorado. Set on the north bank of the Conejos River, it is where explorer Zebulon Pike raised the American flag on Spanish soil in 1807. The site, now managed by Historic ...

* Raton Pass *

Red Rocks Park Red Rocks Park is a mountain park in Jefferson County, Colorado, owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formations wi ...

* Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building * Shenandoah-Dives (Mayflower) Mill * Silverton Historic District *

Telluride Historic District The Telluride Historic District encompasses a significant portion of the developed area of the former mining boom town of Telluride, Colorado. Telluride was founded in 1878, and was a major metals mining center until 1913. The historic distric ...

* Trujillo Homesteads *

United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area The United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area is a portion of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. modern architecture stands in contrast with the very traditional designs of West Point and the United States Naval ...

National Natural Landmarks

The 16 National Natural Landmarks in Colorado are: * Big Spring Creek * Garden of the Gods *

Garden Park Fossil Area Garden Park is a paleontological site in Fremont County, Colorado, known for its Jurassic dinosaurs and the role the specimens played in the infamous Bone Wars of the late 19th century. Located north of Cañon City, the name originates from the are ...

Hanging Lake Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging in ...

Indian Springs Trace Fossil Site Indian Springs Trace Fossil Natural Area is a 40-acre privately owned site in Fremont County, Colorado. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980. Overview There are 25 types of trace fossils of horseshoe crab, brachiopods, trilobit ...

* Lost Creek Scenic Area * Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas *

Raton Mesa Raton Mesa is the collective name of several mesas on the eastern side of Raton Pass in New Mexico and Colorado. The name Raton Mesa or Mesas has sometimes been applied to all the mesas that extend east for along the Colorado-New Mexico border f ...

Roxborough State Park Roxborough State Park is a state park of Colorado, United States, known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of Denver, Colorado, the park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a National Na ...

* Russell Lakes * Sand Creek *

Slumgullion Earthflow The Slumgullion Earthflow in the San Juan Mountains in Hinsdale County, Colorado has been a National Natural Landmark since 1983. It is also a Colorado Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The earthflow, a slow-moving land ...

Spanish Peaks The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano County, Colorado. The Comanche people, Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( ) or Wa-to-yah meaning "double mountain". The two peak ...

* Sulphur Cave and Spring * Summit Lake * West Bijou Site

National Recreation Trails

The 28 federally designated

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

s in Colorado are: *

Apex National Recreation Trail The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

near

Golden Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

* Barr National Recreation Trail between Manitou Springs and Pikes Peak *

Bear Creek National Recreation Trail Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the North ...

near Ouray *

Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television sh ...

through

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

Calico National Recreation Trail Calico National Recreation Trail, also known as the Upper Calico Trail, is located in the Dolores Ranger District of San Juan National Forest, the 5.5 mile Upper Calico Trail is rated moderate/difficult and has a starting elevation of 10,150' and ...

near

Dolores Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name) Dolores may also refer to: Film * ''Dolores'' (2017 film), an American documentary by Peter Bratt * ' ...

Crag Crest National Recreation Trail Crag may refer to: * Crag (climbing), a cliff or group of cliffs, in any location, which is or may be suitable for climbing * Crag (dice game), a dice game played with three dice * Crag, Arizona, US * Crag, West Virginia, US * Crag and tail, a g ...

near

Cedaredge The Town of Cedaredge is a home rule municipality located in Delta County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,279 at the 2020 United States Census. Cedaredge sits in the Surface Creek Valley beneath the southern slopes of the Gr ...

Devils Head National Recreation Trail A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. Devil or Devils may also refer to: * Satan * Devil in Christianity * Demon * Folk devil Art, entertainment, and media Film an ...

near Sedalia *

Fish Creek Falls National Recreation Trail Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

near Steamboat Springs *

Grays Peak National Recreation Trail Grays or Greys may refer to: Places * Grays Bay, Nunavut, Canada * Grays, Essex, a town in Essex, England ** Grays railway station ** Grays School * Grays, Kent, a hamlet in Kent, England * Rotherfield Greys or Greys, a village in Oxfordshire, En ...

near

Silver Plume Silver Plume is a Statutory Town located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Silver Plume is a former silver mining camp along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The federally designated Georgetown-Silver Plum ...

Greyrock Mountain National Recreation Trail Greyrock Mountain National Recreation Trail is a hiking trail in Roosevelt National Forest west of Laporte, Colorado. The trail was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary governm ...

near Laporte *

Highline Canal National Recreation Trail The High Line Canal (HLC) is a man-made waterway, used for irrigation and recreation, that serves the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. It begins at a diversion dam on the South Platte River, some above the mouth of Waterton Canyon. From its headga ...

through metropolitan Denver *

Highline Loop National Recreation Trail Highline, High line, or Hi-Line may also refer to: Places * High Line, a park along a former elevated freight rail spur in Manhattan, New York City * The Highline, a segment of the Western Pacific Railroad in Northern California, linking Portola ...

near

Lake Fork National Recreation Trail A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

near South Fork *

Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail The Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail is an 11.6 mile all-season biking/walking trail that loops around Leadville, Colorado and through its historic mining district. The trail's setting is quintessentially Colorado Rocky Mountain landscape. ...

near Leadville *

Mount Evans National Recreation Trail Mount Evans is the highest peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 14,271-foot (4,350 m) fourteener is located southwest by south ( bearing 214°) of Idaho Springs in Clear ...

near

Idaho Springs The City of Idaho Springs is the Statutory City that is the most populous municipality in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Idaho Springs is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 ...

Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail is a hiking trail in the Cache La Poudre Wilderness of Roosevelt National Forest west of Fort Collins, Colorado. The trail leading from Fort Collins Mountain Park to the summit of Mount McConnel was const ...

near Laporte *

Petroglyph Point National Recreation Trail A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

in Mesa Verde National Park *

Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail Platte may refer to: Geography United States * Platte, Minnesota, an unincorporated community * Platte, South Dakota, a city * Platte Canyon, Colorado * Platte City, Missouri * Platte Lake (disambiguation), also Lake Platte * Platte River (di ...

through metropolitan Denver * Poudre River National Recreation Trail between Greeley and Windsor * Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Recreation Trails near

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Round Mountain National Recreation Trail Round Mountain National Recreation Trail is a hiking trail in Roosevelt National Forest west of Loveland, Colorado, Loveland, Colorado. The trail was designated a National Recreation Trail in 1981. References

{{Coord, 40, 25, 12.7, N, 10 ...

near Loveland *

Swamp Park National Recreation Trail A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

near Steamboat Springs * Two Elk National Recreation Trail near

Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numero ...

Two Ponds National Recreation Trail Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge is the smallest urban unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The refuge is located in the City of Arvada, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The refuge consists of of land, including of upland ...

in Arvada *

Vail Pass National Recreation Trail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...

between Copper Mountain and

West Lost Trail Creek National Recreation Trail West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

near Creede * Wheeler Ten Mile National Recreation Trail between Frisco and Copper Mountain *

White House Ranch National Recreation Trail White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

in Colorado Springs

National Register of Historic Places

There are more than 1,500 Colorado sites on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Wild and Scenic River

The

Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

in Colorado is: *

Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River The Cache la Poudre River ( ), also known as the Poudre River, is a river in the state of Colorado in the United States. Name The name of the river () is a corruption of the original Cache à la Poudre, or "cache of powder". It refers to an ...

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

Blanca Wetlands Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Colorado (15476264730)

The

has designated 88 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in western Colorado.

State lands

Colorado State Parks

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the state parks system and the wildlife of the U.S. state of Colorado. , the division managed the 42 state parks and 307 wildlife areas of Colorado. , the Colorado Natural Areas Program had 93 designated si ...

manages the 43

Colorado State Parks The system of state parks in Colorado integrates outdoor recreation with tourism. There are currently forty-two parks open to the public, and there is one in development. Colorado State Parks host over eleven million visitors each year. Colorado ...

. *

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) is one of the United States' most popular locations for whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River. There is a total of 150 miles of water that extends from Leadville, Colorado to Pueblo, C ...

Barr Lake State Park Barr Lake State Park is a Colorado state park established in 1977 in Adams County near Brighton, Colorado, USA. The park has of trails, including an trail that circles Barr Lake. Fishing and boating are allowed in the northern half of the par ...

Boyd Lake State Park Boyd Lake State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, a ...

Castlewood Canyon State Park Castlewood Canyon State Park is a Colorado state park near Franktown, Colorado. The park retains a unique part of Colorado's history, the remains of Castlewood Canyon Dam. Visitors can still see the remnants and damage from that dam which burst i ...

Chatfield State Park Chatfield State Park is a state park located in Douglas and Jefferson counties of Colorado, United States. The park centers on Chatfield Reservoir, a 1,423 acre surface area lake fed by the South Platte River and two other creeks, including Plu ...

Cherry Creek State Park Cherry Creek State Park is a state park in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The park consists of a natural prairie and wetland environment with an reservoir at its center which is shared by powerboats, sailboats, and paddle craft. Th ...

Cheyenne Mountain State Park Cheyenne Mountain State Park is a Colorado state park that was acquired in June 2000 through a partnership between the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado State Parks, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Lottery, El Paso County, and other ...

* Crawford State Park (Colorado) * Eldorado Canyon State Park * Eleven Mile State Park *

Elkhead State Park Elkhead Reservoir State Park is a Colorado state park located in Moffat and Routt counties in northwest Colorado, near Craig. The park surrounds and includes the 900 surface acre Elkhead Reservoir. It is referred to as Elkhead State Park. Elkh ...

Fishers Peak State Park Fishers Peak State Park is a Colorado State Parks, Colorado state park in Las Animas County, Colorado, just south of Trinidad, Colorado, Trinidad. Trinidad Lake State Park is nearby. The park opened on October 30, 2020, and is still being develop ...

Golden Gate Canyon State Park Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Gilpin and Jefferson counties northwest of Golden, Colorado. The Front Range park established in 1960 has of hiking trails. Horse and bicycle travel is allowed on . Facilit ...

* Harvey Gap State Park *

Highline Lake State Park Highline Lake State Park is a Colorado state park. It is home to two lakes, Highline Lake, elevation and Mack Mesa Lake, elevation . It is well known for its birdwatching opportunities and has two wildlife migratory waterfowl overlook kiosks wh ...

* Jackson Lake State Park (Colorado) *

James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park The James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park is a Colorado State Park along the Colorado River in Mesa County near Grand Junction, Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the ...

John Martin Reservoir State Park John Martin Reservoir State Park is a state park in Colorado. It contains John Martin Reservoir, which is the second largest body of water in Colorado by capacity. It is also known for being a prime birdwatching location. Bent County, Colorado h ...

Lake Pueblo State Park Lake Pueblo State Park is a state park located in Pueblo County, Colorado. It includes of shoreline and of land. Activities it offers include two full-service marinas, recreational fishing, hiking, camping and swimming at a special swim beac ...

Lathrop State Park Lathrop State Park is a Colorado state park located west of Walsenburg. The state purchased the property in 1962 and opened Colorado's first state park here later that same year. It is named after Harold Lathrop, the first director of state park ...

* Lone Mesa State Park *

Lory State Park Lory State Park, is a state park located west of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado and is west of Horsetooth Reservoir and north of Horsetooth Mountain Park. Some of the park's more popular attractions include mountain biking, hiking, horseback ...

* Mancos State Park *

Mueller State Park Mueller State Park is a Colorado state park encompassing of land outside Divide, Colorado, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The park offers many outdoor activities. There are of trails, biking, camping year-round, hunting, hiking, and ho ...

Navajo State Park Navajo State Park is a state park of Colorado, USA, on the north shore of Navajo Lake. Touted as Colorado's answer to Lake Powell, this reservoir on the San Juan River begins in Colorado's San Juan Mountains and extends into New Mexico. Its a ...

* North Sterling State Park * Paonia State Park *

Pearl Lake State Park Pearl Lake State Park, at the base of Hahn's Peak, is in Routt County, Colorado near the town of Hahn's Peak, Colorado and is north of Steamboat Springs. Pearl Lake is named for M. Pearl Hartt, the wife of pioneer sheep rancher, John Kelly Har ...

Ridgway State Park Ridgway State Park is a state park located in Ouray County, Colorado. The park is 21 miles southeast of Montrose, 14 miles northeast of Ouray, it is also 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway and 312 miles southwest of Denver. The current wild ...

Rifle Falls State Park Rifle Falls State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Garfield County northeast of Rifle, Colorado. The central feature of the park is a triple waterfall flowing over a travertine dam on East Rifle Creek. Commonly seen wildlife include ...

Rifle Gap State Park Rifle Gap State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Garfield County near Rifle, Colorado. The park established in 1966 includes a reservoir. Plant communities are pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush shrubland with deciduous riparian for ...

Spinney Mountain State Park Spinney Mountain State Park is a Colorado state park located in South Park in Park County, Colorado, United States. The park centers on the Spinney Mountain Reservoir, which is popular with anglers. The reservoir and surrounding land is owned ...

St. Vrain State Park St. Vrain State Park, formerly known as Barbour Ponds, is a Colorado state park. The park hosts year-round camping. It is a popular birding destination, hosting the states largest rookery of Blue Heron, it is home to several other bird species as ...

Stagecoach State Park Stagecoach State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Routt County south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The park established in 1989 includes a reservoir on the Yampa River formed by Stagecoach Dam. Facilities include a marina, boat ra ...

State Forest State Park State Forest State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Jackson and Larimer counties east of Walden, Colorado, United States. The park was established in 1970 in the Medicine Bow Range of the Rocky Mountains. Facilities include a visitors' ...

Staunton State Park Staunton State Park is a Colorado state park in Park and Jefferson counties, located west of Conifer, Colorado. The park, which opened on May 18, 2013, includes dramatic rock outcroppings, several streams and a waterfall. On December 4, 201 ...

Steamboat Lake State Park Steamboat Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Routt County north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and near the community of Hahns Peak Village. The park, established west of Hahns Peak in 1967, includes a reservoir. Park facilit ...

* Sweitzer Lake State Park * Sweetwater Lake State Park *

Sylvan Lake State Park Sylvan Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Eagle County, south of Eagle, Colorado. The park established in 1987 and surrounded by the White River National Forest includes a lake and of trails. Facilities include a visito ...

* Trinidad Lake State Park *

Vega State Park Vega State Park is a Colorado state park in Mesa County, Colorado in the United States. Vega Reservoir is a fishing destination and is located at an elevation of . Year-round recreational activities at Vega State Park include boating, hiking, ...

Yampa River State Park Yampa River State Park is a Colorado state park located along the Yampa River in Routt and Moffat Counties in northwestern Colorado in the United States. Features Yampa River State Park provides 13 access points for boaters along of the Yampa ...

Colorado Wildlife Areas

manages the 307 Colorado State Wildlife Areas.

State designated areas

Colorado Natural Areas

The

Colorado Department of Natural Resources The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for the development, protection, and enhancement Colorado natural resources for the use and enjoyment of the state's present and ...

has designated 95 Colorado Natural Areas. *

Aiken Canyon Natural Area Aiken Canyon Preserve is a Nature Conservancy-managed state property in Colorado. It was first observed and named after Charles Aiken, a 19th-century U.S. surveyor, pioneer, and ornithologist who first surveyed the region in the 1870s and iden ...

* Antero-Salt Creek Natural Area *

Arikaree River Natural Area The Arikaree River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. It lies mostly in the American state of Colorado, draining land between the North and South Forks of the Republican River, and it flows into the North Fork in Nebrask ...

Badger Wash Natural Area Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by the ...

* Blacks Gulch Natural Area *

Blue Mountain Natural Area Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obse ...

Bonny Prairie Natural Area Bonny Lake State Park is a former state park located in Yuma County, Colorado near Hale. Created in 1966 and closed in 2011, Bonny Lake was the easternmost state park in Colorado. History In September and October 2011, Bonny Reservoir was dr ...

* Boulder Mountain Park Natural Area in Boulder Mountain Park * Brush Creek Fen Natural Area *

California Park Natural Area California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

* Castlewood Canyon Natural Area in

Chalk Bluffs Natural Area The Chalk Bluffs is a barren chalk escarpment in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Colorado, stretching from the Wyoming border east of I-25 to near the South Platte River in Logan County and Weld County. Geology The Chalk Bluffs expos ...

Colorado Tallgrass Prairie Natural Area Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of th ...

* Comanche Grassland Lesser Prairie Chicken Natural Area in Comanche National Grassland * Copeland Willow Carr Natural Area * Corral Bluffs Natural Area * Cross Mountain Canyon Natural Area * Dakota Hogback Natural Area commonly known as

Dinosaur Ridge Dinosaur Ridge is a segment of the Dakota Hogback in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark located in Jefferson County, Colorado, near the town of Morrison and just west of Denver. The Dinosaur Ridge area is one of the world's most ...

in Matthews/Winters Park * Deer Gulch Natural Area *

Dome Rock Natural Area A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

Dome Rock State Wildlife Area A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

Droney Gulch Natural Area Droney is an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic ''Ó Dróna'', and originating from county Clare. Outside of Ireland, it's also prevalent in the U.S. An alternative theory says it is derived from the Middle English word ''drane'', meaning ''dron ...

* Duck Creek Natural Area * Dudley Bluffs Natural Area * East Lost Park Natural Area in

Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and E ...

East Sand Dunes Natural Area State Forest State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Jackson and Larimer counties east of Walden, Colorado, United States. The park was established in 1970 in the Medicine Bow Range of the Rocky Mountains. Facilities include a visitors' ...

Elephant Rocks Natural Area Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...

* Escalante Canyon Natural Area *

Fairview Natural Area Fairview may refer to: Places Canada * Fairview, Alberta (disambiguation) * Fairview, British Columbia * Fairview, Nova Scotia * Fairview, Kenyon Township, North Glengarry, Ontario * Fairview, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Fairview, B ...

Fourmile Creek Natural Area Fourmile or Four Mile may refer to: People * Henrietta Marrie, an Australian human rights activist, ''née'' Henrietta Fourmile Canyons and bodies of water * Fourmile Canyon and Fourmile Creek, west of Boulder, Colorado, the site of a major wild ...

Fruita Paleontological Locality The City of Fruita is a home rule municipality located in western Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 13,395 at the 2020 United States Census. Fruita is a part of the Grand Junction, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area a ...

* Garden Park Fossil Locality *

Gateway Palisade Natural Area Gateway often refers to: *A gate or portal Gateway or The Gateway may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Gateway'' (film), a 1938 drama * ''The Gateway'' (2015 film), a horror film * ''The Gateway'' (2017 film), a science-fictio ...

Geneva Basin Iron Fens Natural Area , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ...

Gothic Research Natural Area Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

Gunnison National Forest The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres (2,612.71 sq mi, or 6,766.89 km²) Gunnison Gravels Research Natural Area Gunnison may refer to: * Foster Gunnison Jr. (1925–1994), American LGBT rights activist and independent archivist * John W. Gunnison (1812–1853), American explorer whose name is used in several places in the Western states * The Gunnison River i ...

Haviland Lake Natural Area Haviland can refer to: People * Aslaug Haviland (1913–2003), deaf and blind Norwegian woman and motivational speaker * Chris Haviland (born 1952), Australian politician * David B. Haviland (born 1961), Swedish-American physicist * Edna Havilan ...

Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area Haviland can refer to: People * Aslaug Haviland (1913–2003), deaf and blind Norwegian woman and motivational speaker * Chris Haviland (born 1952), Australian politician * David B. Haviland (born 1961), Swedish-American physicist * Edna Havilan ...

* High Creek Fen Natural Area *

High Mesa Grassland Natural Area High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...

Hoosier Ridge Research Natural Area Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem ...

on the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

and

* Hurricane Canyon Natural Area in

* Indian Spring Natural Area *

Indian Springs Trace Fossil Locality Indian Springs Trace Fossil Natural Area is a 40-acre privately owned site in Fremont County, Colorado. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980. Overview There are 25 types of trace fossils of horseshoe crab, brachiopods, trilobit ...

Irish Canyon Natural Area Irish Canyon is a valley in Moffat County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Colorado, at 6,099 feet in elevation according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Bureau of Land Management states the elevation in the valley ...

Jimmy Creek Natural Area Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

* Ken-Caryl Ranch Natural Area *

Kremmling Cretaceous Ammonite Locality The Town of Kremmling is a Statutory Town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1444 at the 2010 United States Census. The town sits along the upper Colorado River in the lower arid section of Middle Park between B ...

Limestone Ridge Natural Area Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms when th ...

* Logan Wash Mine Natural Area *

Lookout Mountain Natural Area A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance. ...

* Lower Greasewood Creek Natural Area *

McElmo Natural Area McElmo Phase refers to a period in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, when drastic changes in ceramics and masonry techniques in Chaco Canyon appeared. During this period the Ancestral Puebloans living in the canyon started using painted blac ...

Mexican Cut Natural Area Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

* Mini-Wheeler Natural Area * Miramonte Reservoir Natural Area in

Dan Noble State Wildlife Area Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

* Mishak Lakes Natural Area *

Mount Callahan Natural Area Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

Mount Callahan Saddle Natural Area Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

Mount Emmons Iron Fen Natural Area Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

Gunnison National Forest The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres (2,612.71 sq mi, or 6,766.89 km²) Mount Goliath Natural Area Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

in Arapaho National Forest * Narraguinnep Natural Area in San Juan National Forest * Needle Rock Natural Area * North Park Phacelia Natural Area *

Orient Mine Natural Area The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

* Owl Canyon Pinyon Grove Natural Area *

Pagosa Skyrocket Natural Area The Town of Pagosa Springs (Ute dialect, Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community ...

* Paradise Park Natural Area in

Park Creek Hogback Natural Area A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

* Pyramid Rock Natural Area * Rabbit Valley Natural Area * Rajadero Canyon Natural Area *

Raven Ridge Natural Area Raven Ridge is a starkly visible sedimentary rock exposure located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado and Uintah County, Utah, USA. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The ridge contains a diverse selection of rare plants unique to the ...

Redcloud Peak Natural Area Redcloud Peak is a mountain peak of over fourteen thousand feet in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the San Juan Mountains in Hinsdale County approximately 7 miles (11 km) south west of Lake City. Historical names *Red Moun ...

* Rough Canyon Natural Area * Roxborough Natural Area in and near

* Ryan Gulch Natural Area * Saddle Mountain Natural Area in

* San Miguel River at Tabeguache Creek Natural Area * Sand Creek Natural Area * Shell Duck Creek Natural Area * Shell Rock Natural Area *

Slumgullion Earthflow Natural Area The Slumgullion Earthflow in the San Juan Mountains in Hinsdale County, Colorado, Hinsdale County, Colorado has been a National Natural Landmark since 1983. It is also a Colorado Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The ear ...

in San Juan National Forest * South Beaver Creek Natural Area *

South Boulder Creek Natural Area South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

South Cathedral Bluffs Natural Area South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

Specimen Mountain Research Natural Area Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...

Staunton Natural Area Staunton State Park is a Colorado state park in Park and Jefferson counties, located west of Conifer, Colorado. The park, which opened on May 18, 2013, includes dramatic rock outcroppings, several streams and a waterfall. On December 4, 201 ...

* Tamarack Ranch Natural Area in

Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area ''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland (island) ...

* Treasurevault Mountain Natural Area *

Trinidad K-T Boundary Natural Area Trinidad Lake State Park is a state park west of Trinidad, Colorado, United States. The park protects Trinidad Lake, a dammed reservoir. There are hiking trails, and camping and boating opportunities. The park features historical attractions su ...

in Trinidad Lake State Park *

Two Buttes Natural Area 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many culture ...

* Unaweep Seep Research Natural Area *

Wacker Ranch Natural Area Wacker may refer to: People *Wacker von Wackenfels * The Whacker, poker player Garry Bush's nickname * Wacker (surname) * ''Wacker'', a colloquial term for an inhabitant of Liverpool, England; a partial synonym for "scouser" Places * Wacker (He ...

West Creek Natural Area West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

Wheeler Geologic Natural Area The Wheeler Geologic Area is a highly eroded outcropping of layers of volcanic ash, in the La Garita Mountains of Mineral County, in southern Colorado in the western United States about 10 miles east north-east of Creede. The ash is the res ...

in the

of Rio Grande National Forest *

White Rocks Natural Area White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

* Yanks Gulch/Upper Greasewood Creek Natural Area *

Zapata Falls Natural Area Zapata Falls is a waterfall located in the San Luis Valley near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on Bureau of Land Management land adjacent to Rio Grande National Forest and south of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Alamosa ...

Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways

The Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission has designated 26

Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways are highway and backroad routes in the U.S. state of Colorado designated by the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission for their scenic and historic values. These byways follow existing roads or highwa ...

: *

Alpine Loop Back Country Byway The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway is a rugged Back Country Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in the high San Juan Mountains of Hindale, Ouray, and San Juan counties, Colorado, USA. The byway connects the mountain town ...

Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway The Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Jackson and Larimer counties, Colorado, US. See also *History Colorado *List of scenic byways in Colorado *Scenic b ...

* Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway * Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway *

Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutiona ...

Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway The Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Routt, Garfield, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado, US. Route Gallery File:Ripple Creek Overlook-5.JPG, The Flat Tops Wilde ...

Frontier Pathways National Scenic Byway The Frontier Pathways is a National Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Custer and Pueblo counties, Colorado, US. Route Gallery File:Greenhorn Mountain.JPG, Greenhorn Mountain File:Hardscrabble Pass.JPG, Hardscra ...

* Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway * Grand Mesa National Scenic Byway *

Guanella Pass Scenic Byway The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Clear Creek and Park counties, Colorado, USA. The byway traverses Guanella Pass at elevation in Arapaho and Pike national forest ...

* Highway of Legends National Scenic Byway *

Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway The Lariat Loop National Scenic and Historic Byway is a National Scenic Byway and a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Jefferson County, Colorado, USA. The byway is a loop in the Front Range foothills west of Denver through Golden, Lo ...

* Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway *

Mount Evans Scenic Byway The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Clear Creek and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. The byway ascends to of elevation near the summit of Mount Evans, ma ...

Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic Byway The Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic and Historic Byway is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Logan, Morgan, and Weld counties, Colorado, USA. The byway explores the Pawnee Buttes region and Pawnee National Grassland of northeaster ...

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway The Peak to Peak Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Gilpin, Boulder, Larimer counties, Colorado, USA. The Peak to Peak Highway was originally built in 1918 and provides views of the ...

* San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway *

Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway The Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway is a National Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Prowers, Bent, Otero, and Las Animas counties, Colorado, USA. The byway follows the Santa Fe National Historic Trai ...

* Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway *

South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway The South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Sedgwick County, Colorado, USA. The byway follows the historic trails used during westward expansion. The route, which includes County Ro ...

* Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway *

Tracks Across Borders Scenic and Historic Byway The Tracks Across Borders Scenic and Historic Byway is an Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in La Plata and Archuleta counties, Colorado, USA. From Durango, Colorado, the southern terminal of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge R ...

Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. T ...

Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway The Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway is a All-American Road and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Rocky Mountain National Park in Larimer and Grand counties, Colorado, USA. The byway consists of the Trail Ridg ...

Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway The Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties, Colorado, USA. The byway explores the Colorado Plateau canyon country of far western Colorado. The Unaweep T ...

West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway The West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Delta County, Colorado, Delta, Garfield County, Colorado, Garfield, Gunnison County, Colorado, Gunnison, Montrose Coun ...

Regional trails

McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (9323589206)

The following transcontinental hiking trail was established by the American Discovery Trail Society. * American Discovery Trail The following hiking trail across the

Southern Rocky Mountains The Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and ex ...

is maintained by the Colorado Trail Foundation. *

Colorado Trail The Colorado Trail is a long-distance trail running for from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. Its highest point is above sea level, and most of the trail is above . Despite its high elevat ...

The following three single-track

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

trails are maintained by the

Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association The Kokopelli's Trail (also known as the Kokopelli Trail) is a multi-use trail (but primarily used by mountain bikes) in Grand County, Utah and Mesa County, Colorado in the western United States. The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse ...

and the

. *

Kokopelli Trail The Kokopelli's Trail (also known as the Kokopelli Trail) is a multi-use trail (but primarily used by mountain bikes) in Grand County, Utah and Mesa County, Colorado in the western United States. The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse, ...

Paradox Trail The Paradox Trail is located in western Montrose County, Colorado and traverses a route of over through various terrain. The trail was rerouted 17 miles due to a trespass issue near the Tabeguache area north of Nucla in 2017. The trail links with ...

* Tabeguache Trail

Bicycle routes

The following four bicycle touring routes through Colorado are regularly scouted by the Adventure Cycling Association. *

Great Divide Mountain Bike Route The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a , off-road bicycle touring route between Jasper, Alberta, Canada and Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA. Completed in 1997, the GDMBR was developed by Adventure Cycling Association, who continue to ma ...

Great Parks Bicycle Route The Great Parks Bicycle Route is a two-part bicycle touring route developed and mapped by Adventure Cycling Association. Great Parks North runs 751.5 miles (1209.4 km) from Jasper, Alberta, Canada, to Missoula, Montana, U.S. Great Parks South extend ...

* TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route *

Western Express Bicycle Route List of cycleways — for all types of cycleways, bike path, bike route, or bikeway's transportation infrastructure and/or designated route, listed by continents and their countries. Greenways and/or rail trails can include a cycleway−bike p ...

Notes

References

External links

Colorado state government website

Colorado Department of Natural Resources website
*
Colorado Parks & Wildlife websiteColorado tourism websiteHistory Colorado websiteUnited States federal government website

United States Department of the Interior website
*
Bureau of Land Management website
*
National Park Service website
*
United States Fish and Wildlife Service website

United States Department of Agriculture website
*
United States Forest Service website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protected areas of Colorado, List of Colorado geography-related lists Colorado history-related lists Tourism in Colorado Tourist attractions in Colorado Colorado, List of protected areas of