Looking for a fun and adventurous outdoors-y destination for your next family vacation? Colorado offers a range of options for everyone, making it a great place to build your perfect family adventure.
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I have a couple of very adventurous kids, and they’ve done some pretty cool things—from horseback riding in a Costa Rican cloud forest to hiking in the Amazon Rainforest. We just returned from a camping road trip to Colorado and had some truly incredible experiences.
Here are five family-friendly adventures to enjoy outdoors in Colorado.
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Camp and Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful park in north-central Colorado that straddles the Continental Divide. It’s a great place to camp and hike. We chose to camp at Glacier Basin Campground, thanks to its proximity to the popular Bear Lake area, which has a ton of trailheads.
If you camp at Glacier Basin, you automatically get entry to the park (including the Bear Lake area) on the days you’re staying there, so there’s no need to make additional reservations. If you do NOT camp in the park, make sure you get timed-entry reservations in advance of your visit.
There are enough hikes in the Bear Lake area alone to spend several days here. Our favorite trek was the Emerald Lake Trail, a 3.3-mile out-and-back hike that takes you to three lakes—Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. It’s uphill most of the way to Emerald Lake, so prepare accordingly. We found patches of snow along the way, which made the hike even more fun for the kids.
For families who want to enjoy scenery without the elevation gain, there’s a paved loop trail around Bear Lake itself. You can also check out Sprague Lake at dawn or dusk to try to spot wildlife. We walked to Sprague Lake from the campsite to watch the sunset.
Before you leave Rocky Mountain National Park, grab some food in Estes Park. We loved Bird & Jim!
Go Rock Climbing in the Garden of the Gods
The Garden of the Gods is a public park in Colorado Springs that’s popular with rock climbers. It’s a stunning place with towering “fins” made of red sandstone . . . that you can climb! The best way to go about doing this with a family is to book a private rock-climbing tour with Front Range Climbing Company. That way, you get an experience tailored to your specific group—just you and an experienced guide.
We absolutely loved our two-hour intro climb with Front Range Climbing. Our guide, Justin, set up two routes for us on a slab about 50-60 feet tall. (For reference, we have two kids under nine.) Our eldest climbed all the way up to the top both times. Justin coached her through the crux of each route, and she walked away feeling amazing. Our youngest went as far up as he felt like going, and Justin was an excellent judge of when to push and when to not push.
My husband and I went up both routes, as well, and it was an all-around fun and rewarding experience. Front Range offered a great opportunity to take the skills we’ve been practicing in a climbing gym and bring them outdoors. Going with a guide gives you the local knowledge about where to go, the gear you may not own, and the support you need to have an unforgettable experience.
After our climb, we explored the Central Garden. We had picked up $2 Junior Ranger booklets at the visitor’s center to complete as we walked through this area. (Proceeds benefit the park, which is completely free.)
There’s no scrambling above 10 feet allowed in the Garden of the Gods, but there are many areas reserved for climbers with equipment. Climbers (even those who go with a guide) must obtain a free permit in advance.
Stay and Play at The Ranch at Emerald Valley
A stay at The Ranch at Emerald Valley is a truly exceptional experience for families looking to spend quality time together outdoors. The Ranch (owned by The Broadmoor) is near Colorado Springs, but it feels a world away from society.
When you arrive at this exclusive property, you’re greeted with smiles all around and gorgeous scenery everywhere you look. The Ranch caters to families and small groups; it’s an all-inclusive experience with plenty of onsite activities, excellent food, and cozy accommodations.
At The Ranch, we enjoyed a private lakeside cabin with a fireplace—a welcome break from camping at this point in our trip. In addition to three incredible meals each day, we enjoyed horseback riding, mountain biking on the trails surrounding the property, archery, and lots of lawn games. At night, we all soaked in the hot tub. There are two on property.
The Ranch at Emerald Valley also offers guided hikes, fly-fishing instruction, and offsite excursions to places like Seven Falls. Before you arrive, staff will coordinate an itinerary for you based on your group’s interests.
Perhaps what we will remember most about The Ranch is the people. From the moment we arrived, staff welcomed us with open arms, and every person we encountered was warm and friendly. From helping us figure out where to park our camping trailer at The Broadmoor to putting together a cookie-decorating spread when a hail storm blew through and forced us inside, staff members were there for us every step of the way.
Ride the Cog Railway to the Summit of Pikes Peak
Unless you fancy heading 13 miles up the Barr Trail and gaining 7,400 vertical feet in elevation to reach the top of Pikes Peak, you can do what we did: Take the Cog Railway up to the top of America’s Mountain. The Cog Railway leaves from Manitou Springs and takes passengers up to the summit of Pikes Peak, one of Colorado’s most famous 14ers, in about an hour. Once at the top, you have some time to explore before the train takes you back down. It’s a fun experience, particularly for families with kids.
Pikes Peak is known as American’s Mountain because Katharine Lee Bates wrote the opening lines of the song “America the Beautiful” atop this very peak back in 1893. It’s easy to see why Bates felt so inspired. Once we went above the treeline at about 10,000 feet, we also realized we were above the clouds, and the views were quite stunning.
My favorite part of the experience was seeing yellow-bellied marmots out on the rocks above the treeline. They were even hanging around the visitor’s center at the summit. Apparently, these critters cause some mischief, though. Our train conductor told us the marmots will sometimes pile rocks up on top of the train tracks. Staff will stop the train to clear the rocks on the way up, and then the rocks will be back by the time they reach the same spot on the way down.
If you plan to go, note that it is freezing cold up at the summit of Pikes Peak (yes, even in June). Wear pants and sweaters at the very least, and winter gear would not be an extreme decision. While at the visitor’s center, try the donuts!
Explore Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is a unique park and World Heritage Site in southwest Colorado, just outside of Cortez. Within Mesa Verde, you’ll find cliff dwellings built by Ancestral Pueblo people hundreds of years ago. For families, this is a fun stop to learn about the history of the land and the people who lived there. Plus, if you do it right, there’s some adventure involved, too.
We camped at Morefield Campground inside the park, which is managed by Aramark. Aramark also offers the 700 Years Tour, which takes you on a journey through time, following the Ancestral Puebloans as they lived and farmed the land that today makes up Mesa Verde.
The 700 Years Tour includes a guide and a motorcoach ride through the park. The bus stops many times, allowing guests to see different types of ruins and learn about the Ancestral Pueblo people at various times during their occupation of the area. The tour culminates at the Cliff Palace, the park’s crown jewel, where tour guests join up with the NPS-led tour of the dwelling.
I recommend doing the 700 Years Tour if your family likes history. If your kids are young, get them Junior Ranger booklets to fill out on the bus and during the guide’s talks, if their attention wanes. The Cliff Palace is well worth a visit, and you need to be with a ranger to go into the dwelling. Either snag a ticket for the 700 Years Tour through Aramark, or book a ranger-led tour of the Cliff Palace through Recreation.gov.
The Cliff Palace tour requires climbing four ladders, which is a fun challenge for kids. If you want even more of an adventure, though, book a ranger-led tour of Balcony House. The Balcony House tour requires climbing a 32-foot ladder, crawling through narrow tunnel, and more. (Who says history is boring, anyway?)
Have you visited Colorado with kids? What adventures would you add to this list?
I want to do all of the above! What a great adventure!