Gay Travel Colorado, LGBTQ Getaways

Colorado

Colorado provides adventures with options from paragliding, hang gliding, skydiving, ziplining and ATV trails.

Colorado’s lakes and rivers invite extreme water adventurers to try jet skiing, whitewater rafting, tubing, waterskiing and kayaking. The Colorado River, Arkansas River and Cache la Poudre lead through canyons, gorges and miles of whitewater rafting and kayaking thrills, while massive bodies of water like Grand Lake, Lake Dillon and Blue Mesa Reservoir, and several lakes in the Colorado State Parks system, cater to those wanting to pick up speed.

When snow starts falling, Colorado adventure-sports and winter-vacation planners turns to skiing and snowboarding at the state’s 26 world-class ski resorts, snowmobiling on the same trails they hiked on last summer and trying their hand the increasingly popular ice climbing.

Mesa Verde National Park

For over 700 years, the 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 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular 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.

For thousands of years, people have traveled across this landscape of sloping mesas, expansive vistas, and rugged canyons. Today, you can follow in their footsteps by exploring nearly 30 miles of park trails.

Vail

Vail, Colorado, is a small town at the base of Vail Mountain, home of the massive Vail Ski Resort. Set within White River National Forest, the town is a gateway for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. It’s also a summertime destination for golfing, hiking and cultural festivals. Gore Creek, popular for fly fishing, runs directly through the town center.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy the 1,100 acres of open space accounting for 50% of Vail’s town-owned land; 350,000 surrounding acres of national forest, crowned by 5,289 skiable acres on one of the largest and best ski mountains in the world; 17 miles of recreation paths; countless special events, the highest botanical gardens in the world and an outdoor amphitheater named for Vail’s most famous resident, President Gerald R. Ford.

World renowned skiing, diverse shops and restaurants, luxurious accommodations, friendly neighborhoods and breath-taking mountain views all in Vail.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles (265,807 acres) encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments. From meadows found in the montane life zone to the glistening lakes in the subalpine zone and to the mountain peaks located in the alpine zone, there is something for everyone to discover. Along the way explore over 300 miles of hiking trails and incredible wildlife viewing.

Glacial geology in Rocky Mountain National Park can be seen from the tops of the peaks to the bottom of the valleys. Ice is a powerful sculptor of this natural environment and large masses of moving ice are the most powerful tools. While the glaciation periods are largely in the past, Rocky still has several small glaciers. Other telltale marks of giant glaciers can be seen all throughout the park.

Rocky Mountain National Park is recognized internationally as one of the world’s most outstanding natural treasures. As a national park and wilderness, everything associated with the meadows, forests, alpine peaks and tundra must be protected in perpetuity.

Denver Botanic Gardens

The Denver Botanic Gardens is a public botanical garden located in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The 23-acre park contains a conservatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken amphitheater, which hosts various concerts in the summer.

One of the top five botanic gardens in the nation, Denver Botanic Gardens is an oasis in the city, offering year-round events, Mordecai Children’s Garden, lifelong learning opportunities and research to preserve Colorado’s precious natural resources.

Durando Train Tours

From the Durango Depot, take an unforgettable trip takes you up into the Rocky Mountains with views of the San Juan National Forest as you travel alongside the beautiful Animas River on your way to the historic mining town of Silverton.

Incredible Journey Through the San Juan Mountains
A truly unforgettable step back in time, enjoy a leisurely trip to yesteryear riding 3 1/2 hours each way on this train plus spend 2 hours in the historic mining town of Silverton to enjoy the sights, shopping, food, and libations that Silverton offers. We’ve been in continuous operation running train excursions on this 45-mile spur of the Denver & Rio Grande rail line since 1882. Much of the scenery remains unchanged since then. There’s no cell service or Wi-Fi through much of the terrain so you’ll be unplugged from the modern world. Soak in the views, listen as the steam whistle echoes through the canyon, hear the vintage locomotive work to pull the train up the grades. If you long to unwind and enjoy Colorado nature at its finest, this is the trip for you.

Add an adventure experience to your historic steam train ride. Whether its a morning 4-wheel drive tour in the Colorado backcountry, an afternoon raft trip on the Animas River, or the adrenaline rush of a day spent gliding between trees high up in an old growth Ponderosa canopy, there bound to be an adventure package perfect for you and your family.