Colorado: a vertiginous journey

The Centennial State has a tourist vocation that originated with steam trains and saloons. It is a very popular destination for Americans and for those coming from old Europe it is a privileged access to discover lesser-known America.

Nature

America the Beautiful, a famous patriotic hymn, was written in 1893 by writer and teacher Katharine Lee Bates who, during a train journey from Massachusetts to Colorado Springs, was inspired by the monumental beauty of the landscapes observed from the window. It was only after enjoying the sight of 'the purple shadows' of Pikes Peak, the most famous mountain in Colorado and in America, that Bates began to write those famous verses.

The energy of Colorado's mountains and parks continues to captivate travellers at first glance, bewitching winter sports enthusiasts and inviting them to grind miles and miles on perfect roads that climb up to 3,000 metres and lead from one wonderful place to another.

This year, US National Park rangers are ready to blow out candles, cut cakes and celebrate a century of the National Park Service with visitors. Colorado is home to four national parks, as well as eight national monuments and no fewer than 54 fourteeners, peaks that exceed 14,000 feet (about 4,200 metres) and couldn't be more different.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Arriving in late spring in this park means facing snow-capped peaks, the water of the thaw bringing life to the Medano Creek and then sand dunes up to 200 metres high. It is not a mirage, but a high-altitude desert, with the incredible hues of a sand formed by sediments transported over millions of years, against the backdrop of which, somewhat heedless of this African scenery, the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountains rise. It is a truly amazing place, the result of a natural phenomenon that, thanks to the winds and the mountains themselves, has allowed the dunes to remain where they are for millennia.

The most fun thing to do is to slide on the sand with a sandboard. It is an activity within the reach of all those who feel like climbing up the slopes while carrying the board on their shoulders with which they can then launch themselves downhill. Walking on the sand can be very tiring, but the experience is worth all the energy you put into it. In summer, the temperature of the sand becomes prohibitive and walking in open shoes is not recommended. On very windy days, you will have to add to your fatigue the discomfort created by the gusts of sand that run over you relentlessly.

If you have any doubts, contact the visitor centre and enquire about conditions before you reach the park. If you can, make sure you get there on full moon nights and ask permission to sleep in a tent on the dunes.

Subscribe to our newsletter! For you weekly travel tips, special offers, stories from the world and 30% discount on your first order.

Mesa Verde National Park

The evocative beauty of this plateau is made all the more intense by the story it tells. It was here that the Ancestral Pueblo people settled and lived until around 1300 when, in a way that many would describe as mysterious, they disappeared, leaving behind traces, today again visible and preserved, of their civilisation. It is precisely this aspect of the park that makes it unique, and the 500,000 visitors who each year decide to explore the protected UNESCO World Heritage site are well aware of this.

You can organise your visit yourself or rely on guided tours organised by the Rangers. It is only under their guidance that you can walk along the paths that lead down the walls above the valley, beginning a route that will take you up ladders as high as a house a couple of storeys high, into tunnels and narrow corridors, retracing the steps of those who lived in the rock-hewn houses.

When you find yourself in front of a kiva, the typical Pueblo dwelling, listen to the silence of nature and breathe deeply the air that still seems to hold the smells of wood burnt for centuries. Suddenly, you seem to hear the evocative music of a handcrafted flute. Nothing strange: you may have been guided by Ranger Dave, who likes to reveal his Native American ancestry in this way.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

The Gunnison River roars through the rocks of this narrow canyon. It flows almost eight hundred metres down, the height of two Empire State Buildings, but the sound vibrates inside you as if you were attached to the speakers of a rock concert. It is certainly not the decibels that make the river so loud and present, but the context in which you find yourself: overlooking a breathtaking chasm, observing that dark fissure known as Black Canyon, the narrowest canyon with the most sheer walls and the most vertiginous depth in America.

It seems unbelievable to look at it from one of the vantage points that dot the canyon's busiest side, but the Gunnison is not just a waterway for rafting enthusiasts: it is also, and more importantly, one of the best fishing destinations in all of Colorado. All activities are regulated and require a permit. One, in particular, is perhaps the most impressive: stargazing in the company of specialised guides. Rangers ensure that on nights in May and June, the Milky Way is so vivid that it shines on the river and dark rocks. For those who want to organise and check for themselves, here is the park's.

Rocky Mountain National Park

It is the most visited park in Colorado and more than 4,000,000 visitors a year are the most effective calling card for the typical alpine landscapes, meadows dotted with wildflowers and placid lakes over whose waters the snow-capped mountains soar. It is true that it will be difficult to feel lonely in this park, but on the less-travelled paths of the more than 450 km of marked trails, you may come close if you exclude possible encounters with wapiti, marmots or perhaps some black bears.

The number of activities and trails this park offers makes it really suitable for everyone, even those who prefer museums (there is one inside the park) and the quiet camping life. On the other hand, the northern Colorado region, straddling the Continental Divide and surrounded by granite giants, offers endless blue skies, beautiful alpine scenery and rivers perfect for fishing.

Not only parks

We've said it, the roads of Colorado are a constant invitation to get behind the wheel and see what other cards the Centennial State has in store to impress its visitors. Remember: the bank always wins, even when you deviate from the National Parks.

DURANGO

The train whistle is the sound of the city. As the convoy makes its entrance, coal-black-faced train drivers and stokers begin to move swiftly along the station tracks as the locomotive rattles and placidly puffs. No, it's not a western movie: it's what happens every day in Durango when the steam train that connects the city with Silverton arrives. A three and a half hour journey back in time, aboard original carriages, restored and maintained by the ingenuity of those who have all the modern means and almost no 19th century spare parts.

If your arrival in Durango was not vintage, it may take just a few more moments to get into the atmosphere of this delightful town, where the railroad before you brought silver prospectors, adventurers and fortune seekers. Don't miss the chance to enter the Saloon at the Starter Hotel, Durango's most atmospheric and 'western' hotel.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS

You've driven, climbed walls, mountain-biked trails, followed rangers over rough tracks; now your eyes are full of beautiful scenery and maybe a little tired. A stop at the spa is just what you need. You can choose from the world's largest hot springs pool, the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, or the multi-temperature pools at Iron Mountain Hot Springs, not to mention the steamy caves of the Yampah Spa.

Glenwood Springs is the right place to rejuvenate and recharge your batteries. When you get tired of soaking, take the tram, the trolley that takes you right up Iron Mountain where Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park awaits. If the height doesn't scare you, try giant swing that sways over the valley.

For a more than breathtaking view, climb Iron Mountain and visit Glenwood Adventure Park

- Lonely Planet Italy (@lonelyplanet_en)

If you're still able to stand on your own two feet, it's time to hit the road again. Denver is waiting for you!

Tanja travelled to Colorado as a guest of the Colorado Tourism Office (colorado.com). Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive reviews.