Somerset, Colorado

The Black Canyon of Gunnison is know for 2000 foot cliffs and a beautiful raging river below. The south side of the canyon is the most popular and the easiest to get to. The visitor center is also on the south side making it convenient for information and getting souvenirs. The scenic drive also ...

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of Colorado's four national parks. Though not as well known as Rocky Mountain or Mesa Verde, Black Canyon has no lack of views, hiking opportunities, and other must-experience natural features. The Canyon's expanse is far too large to explore in a day, but the...

Winter is a great time to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Covered in snow, the canyon seems even more dramatic and sheer. The park road is plowed up until the visitor center, and there is no entrance fee in the winter. The rest of the park road is groomed for cross country skiin...

Back in the late 1800s, Ashcroft, Aspen, and Independence were booming mining town. While Aspen is still thriving today, Ashcroft and Independence are ghost towns. Independence Ghost Town is on Independence Pass, 16 miles east of Aspen on Highway 82. The Farwell Mill sits right along the highwa...

To access the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, take US 50 and CO 347 to the south entrance, 15 miles east of Montrose. There is no bridge between the north and south rims of the canyon - make sure you enter from the Montrose side.After passing through the entrance stat...

Want an easier way to get to the bottom of the canyon without the rugged hiking trails? Drive to the bottom via the East Portal Road. Open once the harsh winter breaks, this road switchbacks its way to the bottom at the meeting place of Curecanti National Recreation area and Black Canyon of the G...

This 8.8 mile "loop" is not a true loop and the trail ends 4 miles apart along Independence Pass, so a car shuttle is recommended. I would recommend starting at the west trailhead (closer to Aspen) but will describe both trailheads so you can set up another car or shuttle at the other one.1) West...

From downtown Basalt, drive up the Fryingpan River Road 28 miles and turn right on CR #504, also known as Elliot Way, just before Norrie Colony. Drive across the river and up the switchbacks for approximately 3 miles. Take the left fork, continue 1 mile and take the right fork approximately 1/2 m...

RIfle Falls is located up Rifle Canyon just outside of the town of Rifle on I-70 in Southern Colorado. After driving by the sign for this gem many times on my drives from Utah to Colorado I made a short detour to check out the falls and have some lunch.The state park is small with a some short tr...

Rifle Falls State Park is situated just 14 miles north east of major Colorado highway I-70. The park offers a wide variety of activities including hiking, fishing, biking, photography, camping, and spelunking (for the especially adventurous).There are several trails at Rifle Falls, the most popul...

Twining Peak is a ranked 13er located 2 miles north of Independence Pass. The hike involves around 1700 feet of elevation and is mostly off-trail with some class 2 scrambling (class 3 can be had if you look hard enough). Independence Pass is a prominent and popular pass on Highway 82 between Twin...

COLORADO'S YOUNGEST VOLCANO The Dotsero crater is Colorado's youngest volcano, erupting a mere 4,200 years ago. While the crater may not be as dramatic as Mt. St Helens, Mt. Baker, or other volcanos in the U.S., it's quite an unusual terrain feature to come across in Colorado, and offers some gre...

The trailhead is to the Independence Pass viewing deck is located at the Summit parking area, which is about 20 miles from Aspen and 24 miles west of Highway 24 on the Leadville side. At the parking area you will notice a paved walkway that takes you to the viewdeck, which is a easy five minute w...

Park at the pull out just west of independence pass. From there, begin on the Linkin's Lake Trail. The trail is generally easy to follow (although it can be muddy as it is a wet area) and climbs 900 feet in the 1.8 miles to independence lake. From Independence lake it is about 0.5 miles and 400 f...

Start in the town of either Aspen or Twin Lakes and continue on Interstate 82 to the top of Independence Pass. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for the Ghost Town of Independence, fields of wildflowers and the occasional moose, elk or deer. Continue on to the top of the pass where you will fi...

From Aspen CO, drive up highway 82 towards Twin Lakes and stop at the top of the pass.Once you reach the continental divide there will be a sign that says Independence Pass with an elevation of 12,095 feet. Here you can park the car for free and use the bathroom area.To photograph the milky way y...