We walked down the main drag of Telluride, which is what most people will do. The shops, the…read morerestaurants, and all the touristy fun mountain town things. It was fun--though during COVID, much trickier and less shopper/diner accommodating than it surely must be otherwise--and we were nearing the end. As we saw the last block of buildings appear, I felt a great desire to suddenly be in a park. I felt it so strongly that I said out loud, "Oh, you know what would be great here? If there was a big ol' park at the end of town." Well, like some kind of parks prophet, we walked past the last buildings and saw a river, and then what appeared to be groomed grass way on the other side. A minute more of walking and we saw the sign: Town Park. Giddy, we popped over the river and to the parking lot, and found exactly what we wanted: a HUGE city park, complete with picnic tables, sports courts, a stage/amphitheatre, BBQ grills, a fishing pond, restrooms, and lots and lots of trees for shade. But the greatest thing it has is fresh mountain air and those views. THOSE VIEWS! We hadn't planned on finding the park, so we had to go all the way back and get the car on the other end of town, but we rolled the dice and drove right to the parking lot, and two cars were leaving as we pulled in. We parked at the heart of the park, got out, found a grove of trees, and did what anyone should do on vacation: hammocking. We hung our hammocks, laid in them, read, talked, laughed, napped, and let the afternoon air wash over us. We left the heat below us, and at 8K+ feet, it was perfect weather. The soundtrack of people laughing, playing frisbee, and a couple of dudes "rescuing" fish out of the now-drained fishing pond and releasing them into the main river; that was our music in the background. We came to discover this park has so much more, including a campground that looks to be pretty nice, if not a little crowded and packed in. There are playgrounds, a pool (though I'm not sure if it's open to the public or just locals, and certainly not sure about that during COVID), pickleball, tennis, volleyball, basketball, skate park, and during the winter, sledding and ice skating. Look, Telluride can be a spendy town. And it's a fun town. A destination. But for us, there was some real magic in discovering this incredible park, setting up a hammock, and just being in the mountains on a lazy afternoon.

I want to start by saying this is the only park in the town and it offers tons of amenities. Pool,…read moremultiple jungle gym/playgrounds, soccer field, river to fish, baseball fields and tons of areas to hang out and relax while enjoying the beautiful scenery. The reason for our visit was a baseball tournament and sadly we were quite disappointed by the fields. For being such an expensive and historic town, the fields were amongst the poorest we have seen. There is no actual fence to specify the outfield (on one field), no dugout for the players (it's a park bench) with no covering, infield is all dirt and the backstop is maybe 5 feet from home plate. The park itself is beautiful and has plenty to do and offer other than baseball fields.

I had an awesome time visiting box canyon waterfall while in Ouray! I came with my husband and…read moretoddler children. They absolutely loved it! Great for all ages. The waterfall was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It was super loud inside of the canon which made it all the more exciting. Check out both the lower and upper box canon falls trails. The lower falls trail gets very close to the waterfall, we were getting wet from the spray we were so close. The upper trail has a great view of Ouray and a fun bridge to cross that leads into a tunnel. It is $7 for each adult, but super seniors, military, and children under 4 are free! No dogs allowed in the park. I don't think the dogs would want to come anyway with the metal bridges and aggressively loud waterfall. If you are in Ouray in the summertime this needs to be on your itinerary!

Truly magnificent. The lower trail is easy for all levels, it has stable footing and minimal…read moreelevation changes, yet still offers beautiful views of the creek, and waterfalls along steel walkways and short trail. There are also stairs to near bottom of the waterfall. The high bridge trail is much more challenging, although one can opt to only climb the stair portion for a better view of Ouray and a little cardio. At the top of the stairs there is a small shelter, if you're feeling the altitude at this point it's a good idea not to continue further, as the trail continues to climb and there are no stairs/structure. There is a cable above the trail in sections for stability, and cables below some sections for safety. I'd guess the top of the stairs is a little less than half way to the high bridge. The bridge is a very sturdy structure, over a steep narrow gorge, the views of Box Cañon, the creek, waterfall, and town below are breathtaking. There is a hallway-like tunnel on the far side of the bridge, which is part of the perimeter trail. It's low in some spots but walkable, and offers some shade and cooling after the climb. The trail was drub when we went, it would be significantly more challenging/difficult with any moisture or icy conditions.

It's probably one of the nicest dog part of ever been to. Their dog bags waste cans seating picnic…read morebenches in a separate area for small and large dogs. I also really appreciated there are two gates with very good structural closings for animal control. Seems like a pretty new facility and very well-maintained. Ate my breakfast burrito on a bench watching a bunch of local dogs have a great time.

What a fantastic dog park! We came into town and had our two dogs, which are great Pyrenees. It was…read moreso nice to find a nice big dog park filled with so many friendly dogs of all shapes and sizes. One of my dogs is not so dog Park friendly so my husband walked him on the outside of the dog park along a riverbank. What a great resource for this community.

This was a terrific day. But you really have to plan…read more *tickets on line. *be early *It's a hour in from the highway just to the museum. Then you drive farther. We did the palace tour. Excellent , so much to learn in a hour. BUT, you have to be able to navigate irregular stone steps, nothing in your hands and climb 5 wide wood ladders to get back to parking. So the children have to climb independently . There were 3 today under 8. And a baby or toddler has to go on your back in a carrier. Serious so no canes or walk sticks or water bottles. And we are at 9000 ft. So air is thinner. People walked away from the safety talk, no refunds . About 30 in our group. But what you see was lived in 700 years ago. You can look but not touch. But to see this kind of skill close up is priceless.

One of the most underrated national parks! Rich in history, this park offers an incredible glimpse…read moreinto the past. Seeing the ancient cliff dwellings in person is an unforgettable experience they're remarkably well preserved and stand as a testament to the people who lived here centuries ago. We visited over Memorial Day weekend, and the weather couldn't have been better. The drive to the park is beautiful, with stunning scenic views along the way that make the journey just as enjoyable as the destination. If you want to tour the cliff dwellings, be sure to make a reservation in advance, as they can fill up quickly. The visitor center is modern, informative, and very well maintained. We also hiked the Petroglyph Point Trail, and the surrounding rock formations and views made it a memorable experience. Overall, this is a fascinating national park that's often overlooked but absolutely worth visiting. We'd love to come back again someday it's definitely a must-visit!

Hard to find but just look for small parking lot right after you turn towards Hesperus :) makes my…read moreday to come here with some scenic views

On a visit to Durango, our pup enjoyed an afternoon of bliss in what I estimate to be one of the…read morebest off-leash dog parks in the west. This park runs along both the river and a mountainside, offering views and extreme fun for any adventure pup. It was snowy, so we avoided what I assume is sometimes mud. We encountered playful pups everywhere. There were water bowls and a well-stocked poop bag dispenser as well as a trashcan. The dog park is a bit funky to access by car, you have to walk along the highway to enter, if you park your car in the "lot" that is in front of someone's home. I like that the park has two very separate gates, so dogs will stay in the park until they're on-leash. I wish we could take our dog to this park daily!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is absolutely worth visiting. The canyon is stunning,…read moreand there are numerous overlooks that provide incredible views without requiring a hike. If you do enjoy hiking, there are several trails to choose from as well. One thing we really appreciated was that the park is pet-friendly. Dogs are allowed on all overlooks and on select trails, which are clearly marked, making it easy to plan your visit if you're traveling with a pet. The park has a visitor center, restrooms, and drinking water fountains, but they do not sell bottled water, so be sure to bring plenty with you--especially during the summer. Many of the trails are fairly short, but there is very little shade, so you'll be in direct sunlight for much of your visit. We visited shortly after a wildfire, so there were some burned trees and shrubs throughout the park. Even so, the scenery was still incredibly beautiful and well worth the trip. If you don't have an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass, admission is $30 per vehicle. Overall, this is a fantastic park with breathtaking views, whether you're stopping at the overlooks or spending the day hiking.

Where to start? I love a National Park and this is no exception. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a…read morefairly understated park, as in many folks don't know about it. It's further out west in Colorado so it takes a bit of effort to find yourself here but you will be rewarded if you venture out west. First of all this part of Colorado is gorgeous and a bit less traveled so you'll have more space to yourself which is lovely. The canyon itself is incredible. It reminded me a lot of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone if you've ever seen that. We did several smaller hikes around the rim as we had little kids in tow. Be sure to hold onto those small hands as I was pretty nervous about them falling in since it's just a big ol' drop around the edges. All that being said, this is a great park and I'd love to return sometimes without kids or when the kids are older to do one of the bigger hikes.

We stayed for 8 nights and loved this place! This was probably the cleanest CG we stayed at in our…read more8 weeks of travel. The hosts do a fabulous job and are super friendly and helpful. The lake is very pretty and peaceful with nice hiking and MTB trails and lots of nice little picnic areas. There is a group shelter near the entrance and a volleyball net. Equipment for badminton, volleyball, horseshoes and bocci ball can be rented. This park was enjoyed by all ages in our family and will definitely be back.

$10 day pass fee for paddle boarding. Not a lot of amenities on the weekend. Cleaner than expected…read more Will be back!

Walking distance from the heart of Ouray, the ice park is truly an incredible amenity. A great…read moreplace to start your ice climbing journey. There's a wide variety of difficulties available and lots of stable places to anchor from. It's not for the faint of heart. If you're not rappelling into the park, the only option is to down climb one of a few "canyon access" trails. There are guide ropes to help with stability, but these access trails are steep and in my opinion scarier than the climbs! Helmets and crampons are required starting at the canyon access trails. There's also great viewing opportunities from one of the many bridges in the park for those who don't climb. It's a fun place to grab some pictures and comment about how cold all the climbers look. Overall I highly recommend this breathtaking place in the winter!

Climb hard, party hard, sleep hard, repeat. A day in Ouray:…read more Wake up at 7-8ish. Walk into town. Drink lots of coffee. Eat some bacon and eggs. Walk back to your hotel. "Right yourself" from all that coffee. Get your harness on. Walk out to the ice park. Climb until the sprinklers come on. Walk back to hotel. Get in hot tub. Trade climbing stories, drink adult beverages, take embarrassing seflies. Get dressed in non-climbing clothes. Walk into town. Eat dinner. Walk back to the hotel. Crash, hard. Repeat. This is pretty much life in Ouray. It's a really good cadence. I really miss it. Kudos to the town of Ouray for building and maintaining such a wonderful ice park! It's probably the best place in the world to learn how to ice climb. If you're ice-curious, you definitely need to go to here.

August 8-14, 2026 - Ridgway, CO…read more This is an awesome campground! Actually, this state park has three separate campgrounds. We stayed at the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground. The views were from our campsite were amazing, and there was so much to enjoy right at the park. It has a river, fishing ponds, a lake, numerous hiking trails, and excellent camper amenities, including a laundry room and full hookups. We had such a great time here and loved having so many things to do without having to travel far. The campground is also conveniently located near Ridgway, Ouray, Telluride, and many other great destinations. We would definitely recommend this campground and would stay here again.

We randomly stopped into this state park and it was such an amazing experience and just so…read morebeautiful! If you park in the visitor parking lot for more than 15 minutes, the park fee is $10. Visitor center has really informative and friendly rangers and definitely stop in to pick up a gift from Colorado! Ranger also let me know a few trails had interpretative education so follow the numbers and he gave me a guide for what each number means. Cool learning experience. State parks in Colorado are self sufficient, so taxes don't support the parks and the state parks reliant on fees they charge. I'd gladly support any state park any day. The views here are mind-blowing and we got to stroll around a bit and our dog also enjoyed the park and trails. We will definitely be stopping in here again when passing through, well worth the stop!