Nate Cavalieri - Colorado

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Prepare to lose yourself in spectacular vistas, countless powdery ski runs, extreme terrain parks, steaming hot springs and Old West echoes. Colorado is mysterious, adventurous and all natural.

The best-known of the Rocky Mountain states, Colorado owes its much-deserved public adoration to that mountainous backbone that rises and rolls from Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs in the east to Durango and Grand Junction in the west. In between, the Rockies soar to majestic heights and create hiking, biking and climbing terrain unrivaled anywhere in the US West.

This wealth of alpine scenery means that even during the peak summer season, when millions of tourists flood the state, visitors still can find solitude at a remote mountain lake or meadow, or atop a craggy summit. Even Rocky Mountain National Park, the states premier attraction, offers dozens of backcountry hikes and campgrounds that see few visitors (unless you count that moose, or the fox family that wandered by).

Yet given all that summer sunshine grace, many would argue that summer isnt even the states best time of year. Its winter when these mountains teem from end to end, from slope to magnificent slope with the best downhill skiing (and some remarkable cross-country and backcountry terrain) on earth. Ski bunnies and hotshot snowboarders arrive in droves to places such as Aspen, Vail and Telluride, and the parties kick into extreme gear. Yes, the long Colorado winters are the stuff of legend. Here you can ski and ride from before Halloween until the beginning of June.

Dont be fooled: mountains arent the only attraction. Western Colorado has beautiful desert canyons and mesas, and areas like the sprawling San Luis Valley that open up to reveal a lyrical patchwork of working farms and ranchlands. Rivers, including all-stars the Arkansas, Colorado, and Rio Grande, snake throughout the state, offering outstanding rafting, kayaking and canoeing. Aspen is known almost as much for its summer music festival and think-tank intellect as its adventure opportunities. East of the Rockies the prairie stretches far beyond the horizon and deep into Americas expansionist history.

Colorados urbanity deserves praise, too. Long derided as a glorified cow town, Denver has developed into a lively city with solid entertainment venues, farm-to-table dining and a lively young hipster scene. Nearby, the university town of Boulder draws visitors with its stunning natural setting and progressive intellectual vibe. Fort Collins, which remains under the radar for now, offers a similar vibe.

Diversity is an issue, but south of the Arkansas River, Colorado was once Mexico, and there remain pockets of Hispanic culture here, while some Native Americans still live in the Ute Mountain and Southern Ute Indian reservations in southwest Colorado, near the fascinating ruins of Mesa Verde National Park: just one of Colorados iconic sights that will leave you wanting more.

Denver

At last Denver () adventurous, cosmopolitan and uniquely Western has found its place among the USAs top cities. With a young population and near-constant blue skies, residents love to show off their neighborhood nightspots, galleries and eateries. Its a dynamic renaissance. Of course, the old Denver that of thick steaks, mountain sports and plucky frontier spirit is still alive and well, making this city in the shadow of the Rockies a well-rounded destination for travelers.

JIM HAVEY/ALAMY

Boulder

Tucked up against its signature Flatirons, Boulder () has a sweet location and a progressive soul, which has attracted a groovy bag of entrepreneurs, hippies and hardbodies. Packs of cyclists ride the Boulder Creek Bike Path, which links to all abundance of city and county parks purchased through a popular Open Space tax. The pedestrian-only Pearl St Mall is lively, especially at night, when students from the University of Colorado and Naropa University mingle and flirt. In many ways Boulder, not Denver, is the regions tourist hub.

Cycling on Boulder Creek
DANITA DELIMONT/ALAMY

Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

From behind the row of RVs growling along Trail Ridge Rd, Rocky Mountain National Park () can look a bit overexposed. But with hiking boots strapped on, the parks majestic, untamed splendor comes into view. From absolutely epic outings on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail to family-friendly romps in the Bear Lake area, theres something here for people of every ability and ambition. With a modicum of effort, youll feel like you have the place all to yourself.

Glass Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
JOHN ELK III

Microbreweries

Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than any other US state, and craft brewing has been elevated to a high boutique art throughout. Each September Denver hosts the Great American Beer Festival () is the peak body, and a font of information.

New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE/GETTY IMAGES

Aspen

Heres a town (), unlike any other place in the US West. A cocktail of cowboy grit, Euro panache, Hollywood glam, Ivy League brains, fresh powder, live music and old money, where you can drop into an extreme vertical double diamond run or stomp to the crest of a Continental Divide pass. There are ice walls to climb, superpipes to ride and profound music to absorb. Oh, and did we mention the fit ski bums, cute ski bunnies, $10 million estates, frothing hot tubs and well-read barflies?

HOLGER LEUE

Mesa Verde National Park

More than 700 years after the Ancestral Puebloan inhabitants mysteriously abandoned Mesa Verde (), it remains unclear why they left and what befell them. Ancestral Puebloan sites are found throughout the parks canyons and mesas. Check out the Chapin Mesa Museum, walk through the Spruce Tree House, take the ranger-led tours of Cliff Palace and Balcony House, and explore quiet Wetherill Mesa.