Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2008 - (Page 27) Monuments Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Within forested hills you’ll find the fossils of sequoia trees, ferns, birds, mammals and insects as well as the homestead of the Hornbeks, just one of many pioneer families who settled in the area. Not to be missed: Take the one-mile Petrified Forest Trail to see some of the largest petrified sequoias in the world. Info: Near Florissant, 719-748-3253, www.nps.gov/flfo Dinosaur National Monument The Green and Yampa rivers converge spectacularly within this monument, as do outdoor activities and eons-old history (including Dinosaur fossils). Not to be missed: A multiday wilderness rafting trip down the remote, gold-rock canyons of the Yampa River. Info: Near Dinosaur, 970-374-3000, www.nps.gov/dino Canyons of the Ancients National Monument & Hovenweep National Monument These two areas hold the heady distinction of having the highest density of archaeological sites in the country. The majority of the area is undeveloped, raw nature. Not to be missed: The Anasazi Heritage Center, found near the town of Dolores, is the official welcome center to the monument. Info: Near Cortez, 970-882-5600, blm.gov/co/st/en/nm/canm.html Colorado National Monument (shown below) The sandstone formations of this desert national monument near Grand Junction have often been likened to Canyonlands and Arches National Park. Not to be missed: Take the paved, 23-mile Rim Rock Drive through the monument for the best views of the geologically intriguing sandstone Coke Ovens and Independence Monument. Info: Near Grand Junction, 970-858-3617, www.nps.gov/colm National Rocky Mountain National Park Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Colorado’s newest national park (it was a national monument for 72 years) is little known and utterly spectacular. Here, you can sink your toes deep into the highest mountains of sand in North America. Nestled in a spot where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains buckle inward, the Great Sand Dunes have been building and shifting for eons, the result of tireless winds in the San Luis Valley. Pick your own path up the dunes, particularly at dusk when golden light gives them an unbelievably rich color beneath the snow-capped Sangre de Cristos. Wildlife abounds in a landscape that is seemingly barren. It’s the only place where seven species of insects can be found, and where birds of prey circle high overhead in search of their next meal. Miles of trails: 14.5; 30 square miles of open dunes for trailless hiking. Home to: Pronghorn, gray and red fox, snowshoe hare, tiger salamander, tiger beetle, circus beetle, Werner’s ant-like flower beetle, giant sand treader camel cricket, sandhill crane, American avocet Number of campsites: 88 ©Joe McDaniel/istockphoto.com ©Eric Wunrow Preserved for its outstanding combination of high-altitude wilderness and abundant wildlife, Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the nation’s quintessential parks. Drive along the highest paved throughroad in North America — Trail Ridge Road — where the sturdy conifers, delicate tundra and quaking aspen complement abundant wildlife encounters. Miles of trails: 355 Home to: Elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose, otters, yellow-bellied marmots, pikas Number of campsites: 573 Directions: From Denver, take U.S. Hwy. 36 through Estes Park to the eastern entrance. From the west take U.S. Hwy. 40, then U.S. Hwy. 34 through Grand Lake to the western entrance. Contact: 970-586-1206, www.nps.gov/romo Directions: From Denver, Colorado Springs or Pueblo, travel south on I-25 to Walsenburg, then west on U.S. Hwy. 160 and north on CO Hwy. 150. Contact: 719-378-6399, www.nps.gov/grsa 1-800-Colorado | www.colorado.com 27 http://www.nps.gov/flfo http://www.nps.gov/dino http://blm.gov/co/st/en/nm/canm.html http://www.nps.gov/colm http://www.nps.gov/romo http://www.nps.gov/grsa http://www.colorado.com
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