Chimney Rock National Monument, Colorado. All photography is ours.
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Colorado with Kids
If you have a week in Colorado, start with Estes Park and a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ve been in winter and summer, and both are great for different reasons. When there’s snow on the ground and almost nobody else around, the parks is still and quiet. It was one of our favorite park visits. In summer, Trail Ridge Road is open (the highest paved road in the US) and the hiking is incredible. Find a trail with a nice alpine lake at the end and enjoy a picnic.
Colorado is also where our family learned to ski. Carrick learned at Winter Park as a kid, and we took our own kids there over Thanksgiving. Some of our other favorite spots are Durango, Pagosa Springs, trips to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde National Parks and a drive through Colorado National Monument. It’s a state we love coming back to. Don’t forget a stop in Denver for dinner at Casa Bonita.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited June 2025
Best months
June–Sept, plus ski season
National parks
4 + 9 NPS sites
Fly into
DEN · COS · DRO · GJT
How long
5 days, more for a ski week
Book ahead
Rocky Mountain timed entry · Mesa Verde cliff tours · Maroon Bells shuttle
Colorado is a wonderful year-round destination. We’ve done a Thanksgiving ski trip to Winter Park with a snowy day in Rocky Mountain National Park, a spring break trip to Purgatory Resort in Durango, and a warm-weather road trip that strung together Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Colorado National Monument, and Rocky Mountain, with a stop at Hovenweep on the Utah line.
Southern Colorado in summer is also a great road trip where you can sled the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park, ride horses along mountain trails in Pagosa Springs, and raft the river in Durango. The drive is gorgeous and the route gets you away from the high-volume traffic of I-70.
No matter the season, Colorado ranks high on our list and never gets old.
Your Colorado guide
Enjoy exploring Colorado with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three road trips, and where to stay.
Essential Colorado
Why we love Colorado
We think you’ll love it too.
Colorado is where we’d send a family that wants mountains in any season. Some of our favorite things to do are hiking to alpine lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, white water rafting in Durango, dune surfing at Great Sand Dunes National Park, driving through Colorado National Monument at dusk, and enjoying a nearly empty RMNP in winter. The hiking is legendary and the snow skiing isn’t too bad either.
Rocky Mountain National Park Guide
We visited in December and had the Bear Lake trails almost to ourselves. Some of the park closes for winter, but what’s open is spectacular.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison Guide
The Black Canyon is deeper and steeper than anything else in Colorado, and the views from the South Rim overlooks are incredible. We also drove down to the East Portal and skipped rocks in the river.
Winter Park Resort Guide
Carrick learned to ski at Winter Park as a kid, and we went back over Thanksgiving with our own kids. We stayed at the Vintage Hotel and had Thanksgiving dinner at the Lodge at Sunspot.
Purgatory Resort Guide
Purgatory is a fun spot for spring skiing just outside Durango. In the summer there’s white water rafting in town and a mountain coaster at the resort, and Mesa Verde is an easy day trip away.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
Mesa Verde National Park AftT Visit
Kids get to climb ladders into real cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, and it was Carrie’s favorite national park until Olympic took the top spot. We visited as part of our southwest Colorado loop, and you’ll want to book the ranger-led Cliff Palace tour the day tickets open. Are you looking for more national park sites? See our guide to Colorado national parks.
Colorado National Monument Guide
Rim Rock Drive winds along the canyon edge right outside Grand Junction. We only had half a day there, and it turned out to be one of the surprises of the trip.
Hovenweep National Monument Guide
Hovenweep’s ancient stone towers sit right on the Utah line and make an easy add-on from Mesa Verde. The loop trail is two miles and mostly flat, so it’s a good fit for younger hikers.
Great Sand Dunes National Park AftT Visit
Great Sand Dunes has the tallest dunes in North America. Rent a sand sled in Alamosa before you go. The climb is a little work, but the kids loved it. Want more NPS sites nearby? Check out our Colorado national parks guide.
Durango & Silverton Railroad
The Durango & Silverton is a coal-fired steam train that climbs through the Animas River canyon. It’s a long ride for little kids, but the open-air cars make it worth it.
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is free and worth an hour even if you’re just passing through. Pair it with a ride up Pikes Peak on the cog railway.
Denver AftT Visit
Denver has the Museum of Nature & Science, the zoo, Red Rocks, Elitch Gardens amusement park, and a huge REI flagship store, so it’s an easy day at either end of your trip. Our latest trip took us up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill’s grave and museum, and a fun dinner at Casa Bonita is a must!
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Find your next adventure in Colorado
Tell us what you’re planning and we’ll match it up with some great trip ideas.
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AftT #ParkPics: Colorado National Monument
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Winter Park Resort-One of the Best Ski Resorts for Families
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A Winter Adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park
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Routes
Three Colorado road trip itineraries
Colorado offers three very different trips. Pick a winter ski trip, the southwest parks, or Rocky Mountain and the Front Range. See all the best stops on a map.
Home base
Winter Park
We drove from Oklahoma and stayed at the Vintage Hotel. Our Winter Park guide covers rentals, lessons, and the village. The Winter Park Express train from Denver’s Union Station is the way to skip I-70 traffic.
Then head to
Rocky Mountain National Park
The park is ninety minutes east through Grand Lake or Estes Park. In winter the Bear Lake trails are open and the crowds are gone.
Add on
Denver
Spend the last day in the city. The Museum of Nature & Science and the Downtown Aquarium are both good in bad weather. The kids will love Casa Bonita for dinner.
Home base
Durango
Fly into DRO or drive from Albuquerque. Go for Purgatory in winter, or the river trail and the train in summer.
Then head to
Mesa Verde & Hovenweep
Mesa Verde is an hour west. Book the Cliff Palace tour ahead, then drive the Mesa Top Loop for the overlooks. Hovenweep is an easy add from here and really interesting.
Finish
Black Canyon & Colorado National Monument
It’s three hours north via Montrose. Black Canyon is a half day of overlooks, then Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction. It has some of the best sunsets you’ll find anywhere.
Home base
Estes Park
Estes Park is ninety minutes from Denver and right at the park gate. Sort out the timed-entry reservation before you book anything else.
Then head to
Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake
Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in any national park, open roughly Memorial Day to mid-October. Stop at the Alpine Visitor Center and watch for marmots and the elk herds in the open fields.
Add on
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is two hours south of Denver, with Garden of the Gods, the cog railway up Pikes Peak, and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
We’ve done Colorado at Thanksgiving, over spring break, and in the warm months, and each one worked. Winter is skiing and quiet parks. Summer is when Trail Ridge Road opens and the high country is reachable. Spring and fall are unpredictable, so check the forecast and the road status before you commit.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
June – September
Trail Ridge Road opens, the alpine lakes thaw, and every park in the state is reachable. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine in July and August, so hike early.
October – November
Aspens turn gold in late September and early October, then the high roads close. Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon are quiet and pleasant.
December – March
It’s ski season, and that’s our favorite way to see Colorado. Rocky Mountain under snow is beautiful and empty. Book holiday weeks a year ahead.
April – May
It’s mud season. Lifts close, trails are wet, and prices drop. Great Sand Dunes is the exception. Medano Creek runs highest in late May.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your Colorado adventure
Colorado is easier when you don’t try to do it all. Here’s where we’ve stayed and where we’d stay next.
Ski trips
Winter Park & Purgatory
We stayed at the Vintage Hotel in Winter Park, a short shuttle from the lifts. At Purgatory we stayed slope-side, which is worth the premium with young kids. Book holiday weeks as early as you can.
- Winter Park lodging, where we stayed
- Purgatory’s village for slope-side
- Ski-in, ski-out if the budget allows
National park trips
Gateway towns
Colorado has few in-park lodges, so gateway towns do the work. They fill fast on summer weekends.
- Estes Park or Grand Lake for Rocky Mountain
- Durango, Cortez or Mancos for Mesa Verde
- Montrose for Black Canyon
City trips
Denver & Colorado Springs
Both cities are full of chain hotels, which makes them the easiest part of the state to book on points. They’re good on either end of a mountain trip.
- Downtown Denver near Union Station
- Colorado Springs near Garden of the Gods
- Grand Junction for Colorado National Monument
Good to know
Questions families ask us about Colorado
Yes, and it might be our favorite way to see it. We went in December, and the Bear Lake area was open, snowy, and quiet. Trail Ridge Road and most of the high country close for the season. That leaves the east side near Estes Park and the west side near Grand Lake. Wear good boots, go sledding at Hidden Valley, and watch for elk in the meadows at dusk. Our winter guide covers what’s open and what isn’t.
In summer and early fall, yes, and the Bear Lake corridor has its own permit. They’re released on recreation.gov in monthly batches with a small release the night before. Winter doesn’t need one, which is one more reason we like going then.
Winter Park is the one we’d point most families to first. The ski school is excellent, the town is low-key, and the train from Denver means you can skip the I-70 drive. Purgatory outside Durango is smaller, cheaper, and great for spring skiing when the kids are ready for blues. We’ve written up both.
Fly into DEN for almost everything. Durango (DRO) works for Purgatory, Mesa Verde, and the southwest parks, and Grand Junction (GJT) works for Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon. From Oklahoma we drive, and it’s a long, flat day across Kansas.
Take it slow the first day, drink a lot of water, and save the big hike for later. Denver is a mile up, Estes Park is 7,500 feet, and Trail Ridge Road tops 12,000. Headaches and poor sleep the first night are normal for kids and grown-ups alike.
Yes, if you keep it to the South Rim. The overlooks are short paved walks from the car, and the Painted Wall is worth the whole trip. The drive down to East Portal puts you right on the river, where the kids can skip rocks. We spent all our time on the South Rim and never felt like we missed anything. Here’s how we did it.
Map
Essential Colorado, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Utah with Kids
Utah has five national parks in a row, starting just over the western border. It’s an epic road trip.
