Colorado touristy towns

[clutter]

Since you mention Banff, you will want to go to Telluride. Pricey, but most of the best towns are going to be because they are resorts. But T-ride is the most gorgeous that I've seen in Colorado. (I've heard Durango as well, but I haven't been there.) Think about Aspen, I think it has what you might be looking for as well. Crested Butte is also a cute town, but smaller than Aspen.

Now, my memories are from skiing twenty years ago, so I hope they still hold true.

 

[Hrhpd]

I don't recall saying anywhere in my post that it was scary, or they are going to "suffer greatly" as you put it, so no need to get so defensive. All I said was that they will not acclimate in one day...because that's true. They won't.

As you said, for someone not from altitude, there really is a difference. You should drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol. You also will get winded faster doing physical activity than normal if your body is used to sea level. Doesn't mean you can't ski, hike, run, be fully active. As I said, it's a beautiful, gorgeous area. You should absolutely partake in all the outdoor activities the area has to offer. I know I did. However, you can't expect yourself to be fully acclimated to the elevation in just a few days, it's not going to happen. That's all. Nothing to fear, just something to be aware of.

OP, you'll love the Denver area. I can't comment on Breckenridge, as I never went out there.

95% of people won't even really feel the effects as most tourists get off the plane, head up to Breck, Copper, Vail, etc. immediately and start their ski vacation heading to the slopes that day or the next. No need to put "you will NOT get over the effects in a day" in caps.

And the tourist industry is strong and people are not dropping like flies on their ski vacations. They are able to ski just fine for their week here.

If you want an over abundance of caution, then the recommended thing is to acclimate in Denver for a day or two, but most tourists don't do that and are fine.

Not defensive, just amused that a flatlander not familiar with the state is giving dire and not accurate advice to potential visitors.

Heck, we moved a couple of years ago, so am only in this beautiful state about 50% of my time. And even now being acclimated to a lower elevation, I have yet to experience any effects of altitude much less get altitude sickness.

Is it a thing? yes. Is it something to be aware about and be smart? Absolutely. But the dire warnings that you will be affected and won't get over them "in a few days" is laughable. We just push water on friends and family and still have never known anyone with more than a mild headache the first day.

 

[Klayfish]

95% of people won't even really feel the effects as most tourists get off the plane, head up to Breck, Copper, Vail, etc. immediately and start their ski vacation heading to the slopes that day or the next. No need to put "you will NOT get over the effects in a day" in caps.

And the tourist industry is strong and people are not dropping like flies on their ski vacations. They are able to ski just fine for their week here.

If you want an over abundance of caution, then the recommended thing is to acclimate in Denver for a day or two, but most tourists don't do that and are fine.

Not defensive, just amused that a flatlander not familiar with the state is giving dire and not accurate advice to potential visitors.

Heck, we moved a couple of years ago, so am only in this beautiful state about 50% of my time. And even now being acclimated to a lower elevation, I have yet to experience any effects of altitude much less get altitude sickness.

Is it a thing? yes. Is it something to be aware about and be smart? Absolutely. But the dire warnings that you will be affected and won't get over them "in a few days" is laughable. We just push water on friends and family and still have never known anyone with more than a mild headache the first day.

OK, whatever. Dire warnings, dropping like flies....none of which I said or implied...nor did I say "You will NOT get over the effects"...in fact I was clear in saying that's not the case. But you're not defensive, so...carry on.

Back to the discussions about the beautiful Colorado area.

 

[holden]

We did a Denver/Colorado Springs stay a few years ago. Sights we hit:

Red Rocks
Dinosaur Ridge
Garden of the Gods
Hidee Gold Mine
White water rafting on Arkansas River
Pikes Peak
National Figure Skating Museum
Horseback riding in the mountains

In Denver we stayed at a basic Hilton. In CS we stayed at Thr Broadmoor. The Broadmoor was the nicest resort we have ever visited.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

We are heading to Colorado for the first time in June. Flying into Denver and staying the first night there and then heading to Breckinridge. We are going to rent a condo from VRBO right in town. I thought the prices were very reasonable.... probably because of the time of year.

 

[AndreaDM]

I second Estes Park, always good for elk sightings!

My niece lives in Fort Collins, not too far from the Wyoming border. It's a really cool town too, very artsy and lots of good bars and restaurants. We like going to the Colorado State University there to look at all the beautiful gardens their horticulture program maintains.

 

[waltonmkb]

In my opinion, the Telluride area is the most beautiful part of the state, followed by Crested Butte, then the Aspen/Snowmass area. Driving over Independence Pass on the way to Aspen is pretty spectacular as well.

 

[Searc]

We stayed in Grand Lake, at the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's small and quiet, but we enjoyed the repertory theatre, Main Street, mini golf, lake tour, Adams Falls, and our lovely hotel (Gateway), along with hikes in the Park. We also drove Trail Ridge Road from there to Estes Park and did a downhill bike tour from a point on TRR back into Estes Park.

We have stayed in Grand Lake, too and thought it was gorgeous. Our condo was right on the shore of Grand Lake. I did have altitude sickness for a couple days, with nausea and shortness of breath. I felt like I had something sitting on my chest the entire time we were there. Don't forget how dry it is in Colorado. My skin and lips were so dry, I had to purchase some lip balm and heavy lotion a couple days after we arrived.

RMNP was unbelievably beautiful. We hope to visit in the Summer some time and drive Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake.

 

[FINFAN]

I’m partial to Estes Park, but agree Telluride & Ouray great choices

 

[ahutton]

We had a great visit there last summer; I can't wait to go back! We drove from Texas so we crossed through Denver and went right to Breckenridge. The Doubletree there was reasonable and once we parked the car at the hotel we never took it out again. Public transit and walked met our needs. If I were going to visit Denver's area attractions I would probably stay in Estes Park - not right by Denver, but close enough to visit Boulder, Red Rocks and eat BeauJos pizza.

From Breckenridge we crossed Hoosier Pass (beautiful top of the world moment) and then down to Durango. Rented a GREAT VRBO - https://www.vrbo.com/312061 - the owners are wonderful and own another place right by there. I will stay with them again. Perfect for our family. Longer walk into town but so much to do once there, we didn't mind. We drove sometimes, and walked others. From that location you can white water raft about 10 minutes away, see the train, and Mesa Verde and Four Corners were easy day trips. We spent almost a week at that house and never ran out of things to do. The house has an amazing deck that wraps around most of the house - short walks to two trail areas. The kids could walk to Sonic for drinks in the afternoon too.

 

[GreatLakes]

I was just in the area last year and my two favorite places were Estes Park and Fort Collins. The former is up in the mountains and a bit more small mountain town while the latter is more of a city at a lower elevation and has a lot of very walkable restaurants and shops. Fort Collins is reported to be one of the inspirations for Disneyland's Main Street.

As for the altitude, it really wasn't that bad at all. You definitely want to hydrate more than you normally would but I landed on Thursday, ran a 5K on Friday and a half marathon on Saturday, both at 7,000+ feet. I wasn't fast but I never felt out of breath or anything like that. Besides the need to drink more water and feeling like I was running way faster than I was (pace vs. perceived effort) it wasn't all that bad.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I second Estes Park, always good for elk sightings!

My niece lives in Fort Collins, not too far from the Wyoming border. It's a really cool town too, very artsy and lots of good bars and restaurants. We like going to the Colorado State University there to look at all the beautiful gardens their horticulture program maintains.

I love Ft. Collins. I love the canyons west of there too.

 

[cedricandsophie]

My favorite Colorado walkable towns.

Durango is a great town with good restaurants. The Durango silverton railroad is fabulous. And purgatory resort outside of town has lots of summer mountain activities.

Aspen while expensive is fun.

Vail is great with lots of activities on mountain as is beaver creek.

Steamboat is great little town with Mountain View’s and lots of activities.

Colorado Springs has some great hikes but not very fun town, at least my opinion.

Estes park and grand lake are at both ends of Rockies national park. It’s an incredible drive through park. Both towns have lots to do and fun restaurants.

 

[jsmith]

You will NOT get used to the elevation in just one night. In fact, you won't get used to it in 7 days, it takes much longer. Just be smart. Drink plenty of water and don't over do it.

this is correct. The military installations in Colorado Springs allow incoming personnel 30 days before they are expected to do a full physical training work out. Common sense-ie stop if you feed winded, drink plenty of water and hike or climb at a reasonable pace and you will be just fine.

 

[monsterkitty]

Trying to avoid alcohol and drinking plenty of water or Gatorade to stay hydrated will help those coming for vacations. Alcohol will affect you a lot faster here than at lower altitudes. On the other hand, we can drink a lot more at lower altitudes before we feel the affects - well except the affects of the wallet spent on the booze.

Also wear more sunscreen here because you're closer to the sun (not really, but you will burn faster than lower altitudes).

I was just in the area last year and my two favorite places were Estes Park and Fort Collins. The former is up in the mountains and a bit more small mountain town while the latter is more of a city at a lower elevation and has a lot of very walkable restaurants and shops. Fort Collins is reported to be one of the inspirations for Disneyland's Main Street.

As for the altitude, it really wasn't that bad at all. You definitely want to hydrate more than you normally would but I landed on Thursday, ran a 5K on Friday and a half marathon on Saturday, both at 7,000+ feet. I wasn't fast but I never felt out of breath or anything like that. Besides the need to drink more water and feeling like I was running way faster than I was (pace vs. perceived effort) it wasn't all that bad.

New research is saying that those coming from lower altitudes for athletic events do better when completing the activity within 2-3 days from arriving at the new altitude. Many who do Ironman Boulder or Boulder 70.3 may come and ride the courses several months before the race, but will not arrive for the actual race until 2 days before.

 

[ambula603]

Bumping this up -
We are planning a weeklong trip in June 2021 to Colorado, landing in Denver. Anyone want to add anything new or second any of these recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

After spending some time in Banff and Jasper this past summer, we are looking to vacation in Colorado this summer.

We're up for moving 2 or 3 times during our week long stay. We don't mind driving hours to get to fabulous destinations.

I'm am looking for the most walkable towns. I want mountain views, shopping, restaurants, etc. Nightlife is not essential.

Any tips?

I'd love to hear any other suggestions. We will be flying in and out of Denver.

We used to hang out in Grand Lake. Beautiful area (at least when we lived there...left CO in 1998). Loved the mini golf place there, and there was a candy shop that had the best salt water taffy. We even tried Rocky Mtn Oysters there at a restaurant, for the first time. LOL

 

[Frwinkley]

I am the OP and I'm so glad you asked this question!

We took this trip in June 2019 and saw so much of beautiful Colorado, and yet I feel like we barely scratched the surface. I will have to say though, we moved hotels a lot (5 times in 8 days). We also drove over 1500 miles. That's just our personal style of vacation.

We flew into Denver and spent one night right outside of Boulder. We visited Estes. We than moved onto the Colorado Springs area and spent 2 nights there. We saw a concert at Red Rocks. Went to Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak. From there we moved onto Durango. We spent 1 night there and did the Durango/Silverton train (train up and bus back to Durango). Left Durango and spent 3 nights in Telluride. Loved it!!! We than drove back to Denver from Telluride (about 8 hours) and stayed in an airport hotel for an early morning flight the next morning.

Without question, our favorite spots were Durango and Telluride.

 

[monsterkitty]

I am the OP and I'm so glad you asked this question!

We took this trip in June 2019 and saw so much of beautiful Colorado, and yet I feel like we barely scratched the surface. I will have to say though, we moved hotels a lot (5 times in 8 days). We also drove over 1500 miles. That's just our personal style of vacation.

We flew into Denver and spent one night right outside of Boulder. We visited Estes. We than moved onto the Colorado Springs area and spent 2 nights there. We saw a concert at Red Rocks. Went to Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak. From there we moved onto Durango. We spent 1 night there and did the Durango/Silverton train (train up and bus back to Durango). Left Durango and spent 3 nights in Telluride. Loved it!!! We than drove back to Denver from Telluride (about 8 hours) and stayed in an airport hotel for an early morning flight the next morning.

Without question, our favorite spots were Durango and Telluride.

I love Durango, Telluride, and Silverton.

Bumping this up -
We are planning a weeklong trip in June 2021 to Colorado, landing in Denver. Anyone want to add anything new or second any of these recommendations?

Thanks!

If you do Durango, I would highly suggest Mesa Verde National Park. Driving there from Denver I would hit the Great Sand Dunes outside of Alamosa. Returning from the Durango area I would go to Gunnison for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

 

[Frwinkley]

Black Canyon of the Gunnison was fabulous. Voted one of the nation's most underrated national parks.