Colorado

Colorado has a lot to offer: magnificent snow-capped mountains (many that reach above 14,000 feet), lush green forests, scenic rivers and many other spectacular sights.  Colorado is famous for the wildflowers that grace its mountain meadows in spring and summer and the snows that bring skiers and others to this beautiful state in winter. The slide show at the right begins in summer and ends in winter, revealing the very different faces of Colorado as the seasons change.

Colorado has an average elevation of 6,800 feet above sea level, the highest of all 50 states. While Colorado is justly famous for its beautiful mountain ranges, more than one third of the state (from Denver east) is made up of broad, flat treeless plains that today are heavily irrigated and provide rich farm and grazing lands. But it is the mountains that most visitors come to see. The mighty Rocky Mountains run north-south through the state and are divided into several named ranges, including the San Juan Mountains in the southwest, the Sawatch Range in the central area, the Sangre de Christo Mountains in the southeast and the Front Range just west of Denver. The Rockies in Colorado contain 53 peaks that reach higher than 14,000 feet above sea level. Many mountaineers strive to climb all 53 "fourteeners."