Summer is just around the corner and you don’t need to look far to have a world-class vacation with your family. From a new zip line tour to free events galore, we have the inside scoop on All Things Colorado.
Aspen/Snowmass
It may be summertime but Snowmass has returned to the Ice Age with the new Snowmass Ice Age Discovery Center that features the most significant Ice Age ecosystem find in Colorado history (and it’s free). Visit the Snowmass Rodeo on Wednesday nights and sign up your kids for the Calf Scramble. Hike or take bikes up the Snowmass Mountain chairlift or if you really want to try something new, learn how to Stand Up Paddle at the Aspen Kayak Academy. Get inspired at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a stellar place for kids of all ages to take workshops that include sculpture, photography, painting, beading, and mask-making.
Breckenridge
The big news in Breckenridge this summer is the new Gold Runner Coaster located at the base of Peak 8. A 2,500 foot elevated track loops through the forest giving you the best views at super speed. Each car can accommodate 1-2 people and single rides start at $7 for children age 3-7 to $24 for an unlimited day pass for children. Other Breckenridge fan favorites include fishing or biking the trail along the Blue River, a scenic drive over Boreas Pass road, accessing 1,000 miles of mountain biking across Summit County or hiking Breckenridge’s countless miles of trails or climbing a nearby “14er.” Photo: Carl Scofield
Crested Butte
Hands down, Crested Butte is my favorite summer destination in Colorado. In addition to world-famous mountain biking and hiking (the views from Snodgrass Mountain are second-to-none), don’t miss the Crested Butte Music Festival in July (with free Saturday kid concerts) and the Wildflower Festival (July 11-17) where you’ll swear you climbed onto a Monet canvas of mad, extravagant colors. Crested Butted Mountain Resort’s Zip Line Tour debuts in June 2011 and includes five zip lines and a series of features such as an “Indiana Jones Bridge,” a “Burma Bridge” and a net climb. This is the only guided zip line tour at a Colorado ski resort and will operate during the winter and summer months. Weight requirements are 70 to 250 pounds.
Colorado Springs
We love Colorado Springs staples like the Garden of the Gods Park, The Pikes Peak Cog Railway and Manitou Cliff Dwellings. A fun (and thrilling) new addition is the Cave of the Winds’ new Wind Walker Challenge Ropes Course that is located on the rim of a 600-foot drop into Williams Canyon. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the top-ranked zoos in the country and just welcomed their first ever red river hoglets. If you need further motivation to head south, Colorado Springs has launched Tank Full of Summer Savings, offering reduced prices on anything from a steak dinner to lodging to an authentic dude ranch experience.
Durango
Durango Mountain Resort is another resort hopping on the very welcome zipline bandwagon and they are debuting the “Purgatory Plunge,” which soars for 420 feet at speeds of up to 35 mph. Cost is $25/person and can be purchased à la carte or at a discount when combined with the summer Total Adventure Ticket. This includes killer activities like the Alpine Slide, scenic chairlift, mountain bike uplift, miniature golf, climbing wall, bungee trampoline and mechanical bull. Durango Mountain Resort also features horseback riding, a Fridbee Disc Golf Course, naturalist tours or gold panning in the Plaza with the Durango Mining Company. Packages start at $97 per person and includes four nights lodging for the price of three, plus four Total Adventure Tickets.
Estes Park
Most Coloradoans know about hiking and camping in glorious Rocky Mountain National Park, biking around Lake Estes, checking out the darling shops on Elkhorn Avenue and tearing around the go-cart tracks. But most don’t know about the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, which offers a variety of half-day courses for kids and grown-ups alike such as geo-caching, animal tracking, stargazing and art sketching as a travel souvenir. Classes are four hours and many only cost between $10 and $15 for children. Festivals abound in Estes Park during the summer–the Fishing Derby (June 4) and Wool Market (June 11-12) are fun for kids and parents.
Glenwood Springs
Take the world’s largest outdoor mineral hot springs pool (Glenwood Hot Springs), add an adventure park built on top of a mountain (Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park), sprinkle in the Roaring Fork Valley’s crimson rocks and emerald forests and you have a memorable family vacation just a few hours from Denver. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park launched a bungee jumping station this spring–the first in Colorado–as well as a zipline. The attraction joins the newly-opened giant canyon swing, which launches riders 1,300 feet above the Colorado River. The faint-of-heart need not apply.
Grand Junction
There is no lack of entertainment on the Western Slope! If you have dinosaur lovers, get up close and personal at the Museum of Western Colorado’s Dinosaur Journey with dinosaur skeletons or take a single-day or multi-day dinosaur expedition. Bike a portion of the relatively flat 18-mile Colorado Riverfront Trail that winds through picnic grounds, botanical garden, protected wetlands and fishing pier. The area is the heart of Colorado’s agricultural region and fruit stands and orchard tours are in abundance (don’t miss the mouth-watering 44th Annual Palisade Peach Festival Aug. 18-21). For indoor fun, the Bananas Fun Park offers a miniature golf course, arcade, go carts, laser tag and bumper boats, an indoor playland and more.
Keystone
It’s all about the kids with Keystone’s Kidtopia Kids Fest June 25, July 16, 30 and Aug 13. Enjoy gold panning, petting zoo, train rides, caricatures, face painter, balloon artist, midway games, spin art, kids’ show, bounce houses and much, much more! Keystone Kidtopia Music Festival is June 25 & 26, 2011 and features family-friendly live music, an international marketplace and tasty food. Deal: Stay in Keystone for three nights and get the fourth night free at all Keystone lodging operations.
Vail
Just when you thought it wasn’t possible to do Vail on the cheap, think again. Vail Valley is full of free events that are perfect for families in the summertime. Don’t miss the gondola rides for kids, Hot Summer Nights Tuesday Concert Series, guided nature hikes of Vail Mountain, volleyball, bocce and horseshoes at Adventure Ridge, kayak demos and more. Head over to Beaver Creek for the Chef Demonstration series in June, July, August and September in the Bon Appétit tent where you can sample some of the finest local culinary delights…all for free!
What are your favorite Colorado destinations in the summer?
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Some other ideas for fun in Colorado:
The trek with teens
The way-cool whitewater odyssey for families
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 