Southern Front Range

Park

This gorgeous vein of red sandstone (about 290 million years old) appears elsewhere along Colorado's Front Range, but the exquisitely thin cathedral spires and mountain backdrop of the Garden of the Gods are particularly striking. Explore the network of paved and unpaved trails, enjoy a picnic and watch climbers test their nerve on the sometimes flaky rock.

Mountain

Pikes Peak (14,110ft) may not be the tallest of Colorado's 54 fourteeners, but it's certainly the most famous. The Ute originally called it the Mountain of the Sun, an apt description for this majestic peak, which crowns the southern Front Range. Rising 7400ft straight up from the plains, more than half a million visitors climb it every year.

Zoo

High up on Cheyenne Mountain, the largest private zoo in the country was launched with holdovers from the private animal collection of Spencer Penrose (1865–1939), a prominent local businessman and philanthropist. Serious about conversation, the zoo is proud of its giraffe breeding program, and its animal habitats feature educational elements. There are also some nice play areas for kids.

Archaeological Site

In 1873 Dr AC Peale, as part of the USGS Hayden expedition, was on his way to survey and map the South Park area, when he reputedly discovered these ancient lake deposits, which were buried by the dust and ash from a series of volcanic eruptions. Located 17 miles north of Cripple Creek, the site has since been recognized as one of the greatest collections of Eocene fossils (34 million years old) on the planet, though unfortunately most of it lies beneath your feet.

Museum

This expansive museum and 400-seat theater originally opened in 1936. The museum’s collection is surprisingly sophisticated, with some terrific Latin American art and photography, and great rotating exhibits that draw from the 20,000 pieces in its permanent collection. There is a strong focus on Native American, Hispanic and Spanish Colonial art. Check the calendar for live performances in the theater space.

Museum

This fun dinosaur center is located in Woodland Park, 14 miles west of Manitou Springs. The kids won’t want to miss this private museum owned by working paleontologists, where you can watch lab techs assemble casts and clean fossils from digs across the western states, from Montana to Texas.

Park

A former quarry and part of the sandstone vein that runs through the Garden of the Gods, this 787-acre park was nearly developed into a golf course and townhouses. Thanks to committed residents who fought the good fight, however, it's now a fabulous local park, where you can hike, mountain bike and rock climb, without all the tourist hoopla.

Bridge

In 1929 this 1260ft-long suspension bridge was built across the 950ft-deep Royal Gorge, which stretches for 10 miles west of Cañon City. The bridge and surrounding area became a popular tourist attraction until a wildfire in 2013 ravaged the Royal Gorge landscape and destroyed the vast majority of park attractions, miraculously sparing the bridge. The park has since been rebuilt and features aerial gondolas, rides and a theater. For daredevils, additional zipline and skycoaster packages are available (from $89).

Museum

This museum is set in the old Teller County Jail, which rather remarkably operated from 1901 all the way until 1992 when the ACLU filed the lawsuit that made them upgrade. You'll be able to explore the tiny 6.5ft-by-9ft cells that held six men each. The men slept on hammocks, practically on top of one another. There's even a solitary confinement cell where one of the Wild Bunch was held briefly.