Colorado
Parks
-
National Historic Site
Amache
Amache, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, near Granada, Colorado was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to unjustly incarcerate Japanese Americans. Over 10,000 people, most American citizens, were incarcerated at Amache from 1942 to 1945.
-
National Historic Site
Bent's Old Fort
La Junta, CO
In the 1840s the Arkansas River was the border between territory claimed by the United States and Mexico. Located along the river, Bent's Fort was an adobe trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, where traders, trappers, travelers, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes came together in peaceful terms for trade. Today, a reconstructed fort allows visitors to explore the front line of Westward Expansion.
-
National Park
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison
Montrose, CO
Big enough to be overwhelming, yet still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time. Come see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. Forces of nature and the Gunnison River sculpted this canyon over two million years. The result is a vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.
-
National Historic Trail
California
Various States CA,CO,ID,KS,MO,NE,NV,OR,UT,WY
Follow in the footsteps of over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history. The California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long and covers portions of 10 states. Step into history along more than 1,000 miles of ruts and traces from travelers and their overland wagons.
-
National Monument
Colorado
Fruita, CO
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. You can experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Rim Rock Drive, where you may spy bighorn sheep and soaring eagles.
-
National Recreation Area
Curecanti
Gunnison, CO
Three reservoirs and surrounding lands make up this recreation area in western Colorado. It is a landscape of tradeoffs; natural and human made features exist together. Geologic wonders are abundant from the sagebrush scrublands to forests. Visitors can experience the park year-round on both land and water.
-
National Monument
Dinosaur
Vernal, Utah & Dinosaur, Colorado, CO,UT
150 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed here. Their fossils are still embedded in the rocks. Today, mountains, desert, and rivers flowing in canyons support a variety of life. Petroglyphs reveal the lives and connections of Indigenous people to this land. Homesteaders and outlaws found refuge here. Whether your passion is science, adventure, history, or scenery, Dinosaur offers much to explore.
-
National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds
Florissant, CO
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado.
-
National Park & Preserve
Great Sand Dunes
Mosca, CO
Open 24/7 year round! There are no timed entries or reservations to visit. The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Stay on a moonless night to experience countless stars in this International Dark Sky Park!
-
National Monument
Hovenweep
Blanding, Utah & Cortez, Colorado, CO,UT
Once home to over 2,500 people, Hovenweep includes six prehistoric villages built between A.D. 1200 and 1300. Explore a variety of structures, including multistory towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders. The construction and attention to detail will leave you marveling at the skill and motivation of the builders.
-
National Park
Mesa Verde
Cortez and Mancos, CO
For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 27 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth.
-
National Historic Trail
Old Spanish
AZ,CA,CO,NV,NM,UT
Follow the routes of mule pack trains across the Southwest on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. New Mexican traders moved locally produced merchandise across what are now six states to exchange for mules and horses.
-
National Historic Trail
Pony Express
Various States CA,CO,KS,MO,NE,NV,UT,WY
It is hard to believe that young men once rode horses to carry mail from Missouri to California in the unprecedented time of only 10 days. This relay system along the Pony Express National Historic Trail in eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph.
-
National Park
Rocky Mountain
Estes Park and Grand Lake, CO
Rocky Mountain National Park's 415 square miles (265,807 acres) encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments. From meadows found in the montane life zone to glistening alpine lakes and up to the towering mountain peaks, there is something for everyone to discover. Along the way explore over 300 miles of hiking trails and incredible wildlife viewing.
-
National Historic Site
Sand Creek Massacre
Kiowa County, CO
On November 29th, 1864, Chiefs Black Kettle, White Antelope, Left Hand and others were encamped with around 750 Arapaho and Cheyenne people in a valley by the Big Sandy Creek. A hope for peace, brought forth by Black Kettle was in the balance. It was a tragic day where the blood of the Cheyenne and Arapaho was shed, and a painful memory for generations of Native Americans was made.
-
National Historic Trail
Santa Fe
CO,KS,MO,NM,OK
You can almost hear the whoops and cries of "All's set!" as trail hands hitched their oxen to freight wagons carrying cargo between western Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Follow the Santa Fe National Historic Trail through five states and you'll find adventure and evidence of past travelers who made this remarkable trip before you!
-
National Monument
Yucca House
Cortez, CO
Yucca House National Monument preserves a large unexcavated pueblo with a stunning setting in Montezuma Valley, nestled between Mesa Verde and Ute Mountain. Since Yucca House was protected as a national monument in 1919, it has remained largely untouched, offering intrepid visitors a sense of discovery and preserving the pueblo's beauty and integrity for future generations.
By The Numbers
- 13 National Parks
- 7,395,163 Visitors to National Parks
- $1,279,100,000 Economic Benefit from National Park Tourism »
- $76,302,704 of Land & Water Conservation Fund Appropriated for Projects (since 1965) »
- 67 Certified Local Governments »
- 115 Community Conservation & Recreation Projects (since 1987) »
- 3 National Heritage Areas »
- 1 Wild & Scenic Rivers Managed by NPS »
- 4 National Trails Administered by NPS »
- 1,620 National Register of Historic Places Listings »
- 25 National Historic Landmarks »
- 16 National Natural Landmarks »
- 1 World Heritage Site »
- 934 Places Recorded by Heritage Documentation Programs »
- 6,744,028 Objects in National Park Museum Collections »
- 7,522 Archeological Sites in National Parks »
- 4 Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans »
- 9 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries »
- Print the summary »
These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2020.