One-Tank Trips from Denver: Strike Gold in Colorado!
From Denver, you can drive less than two hours in almost any direction and strike gold! This state is so full of vast wonders that you cannot go wrong. Denver has one of the world's most stunning backyards: the majestic Rockies and everything else that Colorado has to offer. The Mile High City is the gateway to amazing locations, just waiting for you to explore. Here are some suggestions for one-tank trips starting in Denver.
Dinosaur Ridge
Located only 23 miles from Denver, Dinosaur Ridge is a famous natural landmark, located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, near Morrison, Colorado. It features famous Jurassic dinosaur bones, such as Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus, discovered in 1877, and Cretaceous dinosaur footprints. A guidebook is available for use on self-guided tours and guided tours can be arranged through the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge.
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
Only about 25 miles from Denver, this park is a picture-perfect setting with flawless natural acoustics that has taken 70 million years to develop. The Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre is a true Colorado original. Open year-round, the Red Rocks Performers Hall of Fame and the Trading Post Loop Hiking Trail includes a 1.4-mile adventure through spectacular rock formations, valleys and a natural meadow.
Wild Animal Sanctuary
Located 30 miles from Denver, you’ll find Lions, Tigers and Bears. (Oh My!) Visit this 320-acre rescue and educational facility, located just 30 miles outside of Denver, where more than 300 large carnivores roam free. The Wild Animal Sanctuary is one of the only places in America where you can see prides of lions and groups of other carnivores living in their natural habitats.
Georgetown Loop Railroad
Only 54 miles from Denver is the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a reconstruction of one of Colorado's most famous railroads originally built in 1877. Steam-powered locomotives make the climb up the valley and across Devil's Gate Bridge, giving riders panoramic views and a glimpse into Colorado's railroad-centric past. From the open-air viewing cars, it is possible to see bighorn sheep and other wildlife. Well worth the ride and only an hour away from the city center.
In addition to these amazing places, there are fabulous national parks and historic sites near Denver to visit. These draw many visitors to Colorado each year.
One of the U.S. National Park System's crown jewels, Rocky Mountain National Park is only 71 miles from Denver and features 415 square miles of scenic beauty, including Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the world, crossing the Continental Divide at more than two miles above sea level. Within the park's 265,807 acres you’ll find a spectacular range of mountain environments. Along the way explore over 300 miles of hiking trails and incredible wildlife viewing. With hundreds of miles of hiking trails, tranquil lakes, waterfalls, wildlife and horseback riding, visiting the Park is truly an unforgettable experience. Estes Park is a resort town on the edge of the park full of restaurants and shops.
There are there other fantastic National parks in Colorado in addition to Rocky Mountain; Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Mesa Verde has existed for more than 700 years. Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 tribes and offers visitors a remarkable window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison is big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this spectacular vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve has the tallest dunes in North America as the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Stay on a moonless night to experience this International Dark Sky Park's starry skies!
What better way to see the stars than from the comfort of your RV?
Also, very close to Denver are several Colorado State Parks. Managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, many of these are worth exploring when you visit Colorado.
Just west of Castle Rock, about 45 minutes southeast of downtown Denver, sits Castlewood Canyon State Park. It’s a somewhat out-of-place sanctuary of pristine forests and sixty-foot canyon walls surrounded by what can only be described as a fairly nondescript landscape outside of the park. The park features a network of fairly manageable trails, which showcase the natural scenery created by Cherry Creek flowing through the canyon.
Try taking your motorhome to visit other state parks near Denver such as:
There are so many recreational activities to do in these parks that you won't want to leave. The many lakes and rivers in Colorado also provide hours of entertainment for people of all ages and Shadow Mountain Lake, Steamboat Lake, Lake Granby, the Rio Grande River and Lake Louise are also good choices to visit in an RV.
Want to find gold? Denver has many historical sites to visit including Leadville’s National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum, Goldens History Museum, and Frontier Town & Railway which are all well-worth visiting.
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has much to offer visitors. Most children love visiting animals in a zoo so stop in and see the Denver Zoo and Downtown Aquarium. If you travel to Pueblo, CO take them to the Pueblo Zoo for a day and then relax in your RV.
Amusement and theme Parks
Spending the day at a theme park with the family can be an adventure in itself. Some of the local parks to visit in Denver are the Elitch Gardens Theme Park, Lakeside Amusement Park and Water World. For all your road trip adventures you’re likely to find the best way to see the sights and enjoy your experience is by traveling and staying in your El Monte RV motorhome. Click on this link to find the Denver El Monte RV rental location.