Wildlife Experience: Intriguing Museum on Denver’s Prairie

Set in the rolling prairie on the south edge of Denver, the Wildlife Experience is a unique, diverse facility with a single-minded purpose: To promote the understanding and appreciation of the natural world. The museum in Parker accomplishes this goal in a fun, interactive way, with a variety of exhibits, programs and events for visitors … Read more

Kitty, Kitty!: A Wild Kingdom on the Plains

Kitty, Kitty!: A Wild Kingdom on the Plains 4

The unpaved highway rises and dips like a lazy rollercoaster as we roll along on the plains east of Colorado Springs toward Calhan. At the last crest, the animal refuge appears at the bottom of the hill, a glinting compound of chain-link fences where the big cats of Serenity Springs live — more than 120 … Read more

Mount Evans Wilderness: High Altitude, High Adventure

At 14,264 feet, Mount Evans is one of Colorado’s most well-known peaks and is part of the vast Mount Evans Wilderness, whose boundaries start about 35 miles west of Denver. With 74,400 acres stretching from Echo Lake to Grant, the wilderness is a great place to forget about the city and enjoy some high-altitude trails. … Read more

Alpine Loop Scenic Byway: Colorado at its Loftiest

Beyond the sleepy hamlet of Lake City, pavement ends and the forest road I follow turns to dirt. Mountains define our state and provide its identity. Within Colorado’s rectangular borders, the Rockies thrust their highest summits. Peaks form backdrops for our cities, provide venues for our recreation, control our weather, capture our water and furnish … Read more

Colorado Guest Ranches: In Touch With Your Inner Cowgirl

Purple lupine, pink wild roses and yellow arnica color the green hillside directly outside my cabin. Any moment, I expect to see a deer wander through the thick forest of aspen, pine and spruce trees. It’s this gentler side of my inner cowgirl I seek to cultivate on this Colorado ranch outing. While I yearn … Read more

Head for the Hills: Denver Mountain Parks

Everyone knows that in our frantic world of cell phones, e-mail and the Internet, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to get away from it all. And, even without such high-tech items, who has the time to escape? It might be hard to believe, but 100 years ago conservationists were thinking about you, your stress and … Read more

Stuck in the Mud: Spring Trail Running in Vail

Stuck in the Mud: Spring Trail Running in Vail 12

As in many of Colorado’s resort towns, Vail’s summer season technically kicks off on Memorial Day weekend. The Beaver Creek Rodeo is in full-swing and the Teva Mountain Games once again drew a sexy flock of world-class paddlers, climbers and cyclists. The pictures, of course, show happy people running in shorts and sports bras. What … Read more

Grand Lake, Colorado: Water, Wilderness and Western Charm

Grand Lake, Colorado: Water, Wilderness and Western Charm 14

The sky blushes as the first rays of dawn creep over the Colorado mountains. Grand Lake appears glassy smooth, forest and rocks reflecting in its mirrored surface. One peak dominates. “That’s our signature mountain,” says resident Polly Lawler. “It’s called Mount Craig, but we affectionately know it as Baldy.” Covering 600 acres, Grand Lake is … Read more

Wily Wildlife: How Daniel Boone Got His First Coonskin Cap

Somehow it’s become entrenched in American cultural mythology that if life deals you a savage blow, you simply have to move to the mountains and your girlfriend comes back and your dog gets more handsome. The fact of the matter is that life above 9,000 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains isn’t always that elegant. Take … Read more

On Mountain Time: Slowing Down in the Fraser River Valley

On Mountain Time: Slowing Down in the Fraser River Valley 17

I’ve driven this road a hundred times, but it doesn’t matter. I still strain my neck trying to take in the scenic view as my car climbs the foothills out of Denver and heads into the heart of the Rockies. I rise above the city, now just a tiny speck in my rearview mirror, and … Read more