Westcliffe, Colorado
Top Spots in and near Westcliffe
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Westcliffe, Colorado
Backpack to Sand Creek Lakes
5.04 mi / 1700 ft gainStart at the Music Pass trail head south of Westcliffe, Colorado off County Road 119. You will need a 4x4 with high clearance to get to the actual trailhead as the last 2.5 miles are rough. Otherwise, park at the Crape Creek TH and walk the 2.5 miles up to Music Pass Trailhead.Once on the trail...Read more -
Westcliffe, Colorado
Venable-Comanche Trail
5.012.08 mi / 4085 ft gainVenable-Comanche Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Westcliffe, Colorado.Read more -
Westcliffe, Colorado
Hike to Willow Lake, CO
5.09 mi / 2800 ft gainNestled in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, Willow Lake offers a stunning destination to a rigorous hike. The hike is approximately 9 miles out and back with 2800 feet of elevation gain. The trail is well marked and maintained. However, the hike rarely levels off. Be prepared for a steady incline...Read more -
Westcliffe, Colorado
Summit Kit Carson Peak
12.4 mi / 6323 ft gainThere are a couple different trailheads that lead to Kit Carson Peak, but the one from Willow Creek Trailhead will give you the opportunity to peak another fourteener, Challenger Point, and let you pass through and/or camp at Willow Lake, which is a beautiful destination by itself. If approaching...Read more -
Cañon City, Colorado
Hike Temple Canyon
5.01 mi / 400 ft gainTake 1st Ave heading south out of Canon City and you'll come to Temple Canyon Road. You'll take 7 miles of dirt road to Temple Canyon Park. It is free to enter and there is a decent campground there where you can camp for free for up to 14 days. The trail begins at Temple Ridge Campground. The tr...Read more -
10746-11764 Greenhorn Highway, Colorado
Explore Bishop Castle
4.00.25 mi / 26 ft gainThis adventure is a unique experience, perfect for the off seasons. Park along the highway on CO-165 in Rye, Colorado, cross the street and walk into the largest one man project in the USA. You’ll enter under the grand front gate and follow the path that leads to the castle. There you’ll find mul...Read more -
Cañon City, Colorado
Hike Tunnel Drive
3.8 mi / 521 ft gainThis 3.8 mile out and back trail is a very easy hike but can have moderate to high foot traffic depending on the season and time of day. I recommend doing this hike early in the morning to not only beat the heat, but to beat the other hikers. What I love about this hike is the chance to see the t...Read more -
Cañon City, Colorado
Royal Gorge Bridge
3.53.3 miThe Royal Gorge Bridge and Park is located in Canon City which is about an hour outside Colorado Springs. Once you get there, it's a $26 entrance fee per person. The park is dog and family friendly. You can walk across the bridge, take the gondola, or zip line across. Taking the gondola and of c...Read more -
Moffat, Colorado
Unwind at the Joyful Journey Hot Springs
5.0Joyful Journey hot springs offers the full hotel and spa treatment, but in a valley where most people live off the grid, we chose the more rugged experience.The yurts gather together like penguins huddling not far from the springs. The wooden slates offer welcome relief from the frigid valley wea...Read more -
Cañon City, Colorado
Drive Skyline Drive
5.0Skyline drive is a one way scenic roadway mainly going north to south. The 3 mile drive takes you about 800 feet above Cañon City. It starts on the west side of 50, and ends in a residential neighborhood southwest of where it begins. There are multiple pull offs on the right and left side of the...Read more -
Mosca, Colorado
Hike to Star Dune
5.08 mi / 750 ft gainThere is no established trail or route to summit Star Dune which is the beauty of the ever changing and serene nature in the Great Sand Dune National Park. Star Dune is the tallest sand dune in North America, at 750' tall and reaching a summit of 8617'. However, High Dune to its north is at a hig...Read more -
Alamosa County, Colorado
Backpack the Great Sand Dunes
4.8Few places can match the epic scale of this bizarre wilderness in southern Colorado. Great Sand Dunes National Park contains 750 foot tall sand dunes (the tallest in North America) resting at the foot of 13,000 foot peaks (the Sangre de Cristo range). However, to really experience the park in its...Read more -
Alamosa County, Colorado
Sandboard in Great Sand Dunes National Park
4.8Outside of the national park there are two different companies that can rent sand boards and sleds for your day use at around $20 per board per day. However, If it is raining a lot and the dunes are too wet, or if the dunes are frosted over both companies will not rent out their boards in order t...Read more -
Mosca, Colorado
Sand Dunes Loop Trail
5.03 mi / 650 ft gainSand Dunes Loop Trail is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Mosca, Colorado.Read more -
Mosca, Colorado
Hike High Dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park
4.82.5 mi / 700 ft gainThe Great Sand Dunes are one the most unique landscapes in Colorado. These massive dunes are the tallest sand dunes in North America. Hiking these dunes can be very difficult, but well worth the amazing views of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. If you plan on visiting in the summer, be sure t...Read more -
Alamosa County, Colorado
Mosca Pass Trail, Great Sand Dunes NP
5.06.49 mi / 1549 ft gainThe Mosca Pass trail is an (approx) 6.5 mile out and back hike that takes you through beautiful ponderosa and aspen forests to summit 1500 above the start. The trailhead parking is the first left after the Great Sand Dunes visitor center. It is a moderate hike, but allow for several hours, as the...Read more
Top Activities
Camping and Lodging in Westcliffe
Westcliffe, Colorado
Alvarado Campground
Overview
Alvarado Campground, located at an elevation of 9,000 ft., is a prime location for accessing easy to challenging hikes in the Sa...
Custer County, Colorado
Davenport Campground
Overview
Davenport Campground was one of the first Forest Service campgrounds, and is near the now-abandoned Squirrel Creek Campground, t...
County Road 374
Spruce Group Lake Isabel
Overview
Spruce Group Campground, located in the Lake Isabel Recreation Area, is a great place to bring groups for picnicking and camping...
County Road 374
Ponderosa Group Lake Isabel
Overview
Ponderosa Group Campground, located near the sparkling 40-acre Lake Isabel, beckons large groups for picnicking and camping in t...
County Road 374
St Charles Campground Lake Isabel
Overview
Nestled among aspen and tall Douglas fir trees, St. Charles Campground is in a quiet part of the Lake Isabel Recreation Area. Lo...
Rye, Colorado
La Vista Campground Lake Isabel
Overview
La Vista Campground is situated in a meadow overlooking the west side of the 40-acre Lake Isabel. It is set along the Frontier P...