From cliff dwellings to crashing waterfalls to mountainous sand dunes, Colorado's national parks and monuments offer spectacular experiences. Camping is available at seven of the state's numerous national properties. Almost all are open year-round and offer an array of activities, ranging from summer river rafting to winter cross-country skiing. Reservation policies and fees vary, as do seasonal dates when campgrounds open and close, so check each park's page at the National Park website when planning a vacation.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain is one of America's oldest national parks. Situated northwest of Boulder, it has 359 miles of hiking trails and covers 265,770 acres. Rocky's elevations range from 8,000 feet to the windswept top of Longs Peak at 14,259 feet. There are five drive-in campgrounds, including Aspenglen, Glacier Basin and Moraine Park for which reservations are required. Backpackers need to apply for permits and may choose from more than 200 backcountry campsites.
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings were abandoned by the Anazazis around 1300. Ranger-guided tours are offered for six of the park's 600 ancient apartment houses carved out of rock, including the famous Cliff Palace. These are just a handful of Mesa Verde's 4,700 archaeological sites. Base-camp tents are available for backpackers who want to store equipment before hiking. For car campers, Morefield Campground offers 435 campsites. Reservations are available through Aramark (see References).
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
For kid fun, nothing can beat Great Sand Dunes, a 30-square-mile sandbox located in southern Colorado. Car camping is inexpensive and within walking distance of the dunes. Late spring is one of the best times to visit since Medano Creek flows in front of the dunes creating waves through a phenomenon called "surge flow." The preserve—grasslands, shrublands and wetlands surrounding the dunes—is perfect for quiet wildlife watching. For another wild experience, visit Colorado Gators, a fish farm and reptile preserve not far from the park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
The National Park Service says, "No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths" of Black Canyon. Hikes into the park's Red Rock Canyon, which provides the easiest access to the Gunnison River, are available by reservation lottery. The north and south rims offer car camping.
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Curecanti, a boating heaven, is next to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Backcountry and "boat-in" campsites are offered as well as sites for car campers. Those who don't have boats may enjoy the Morrow Point tour of the upper Black Canyon on a 42-passenger pontoon boat.
Colorado National Monument
The National Park Service refers to Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction as a "vast plateau-and-canyon panorama" and a "little known treasure." Saddlehorn Campground contains 80 sites for car campers. Bicycling the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive is a popular activity as are ranger presentations about lizards, bats and birds of prey.
Dinosaur National Monument
Although Dinosaur National Monument's Quarry Visitor Center with its famous wall of 1,500 dinosaur bones is closed for rehabilitation as of July 2010, there is a temporary visitors center nearby. A shuttle bus takes visitors to the Fossils Discovery Trail "to see unexcavated fossils still embedded in rock," according to the National Park Service. The Monument, which is closed in winter, overlaps state lines and has car camping in Utah and Colorado.
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