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Westcliffe, Colorado

Top Spots in and near Westcliffe

  • Westcliffe, Colorado

    Backpack to Sand Creek Lakes

    5.0
    4 mi / 1700 ft gain
    Start 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...
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  • Westcliffe, Colorado

    Venable-Comanche Trail

    5.0
    12.08 mi / 4085 ft gain
    Venable-Comanche Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Westcliffe, Colorado.
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  • Westcliffe, Colorado

    Hike to Willow Lake, CO

    5.0
    9 mi / 2800 ft gain
    Nestled 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...
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  • Westcliffe, Colorado

    Summit Kit Carson Peak

    12.4 mi / 6323 ft gain
    There 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...
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  • Cañon City, Colorado

    Hike Temple Canyon

    5.0
    1 mi / 400 ft gain
    Take 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...
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  • 10746-11764 Greenhorn Highway, Colorado

    Explore Bishop Castle

    4.0
    0.25 mi / 26 ft gain
    This 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...
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  • Cañon City, Colorado

    Hike Tunnel Drive

    3.8 mi / 521 ft gain
    This 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...
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  • Cañon City, Colorado

    Royal Gorge Bridge

    3.5
    3.3 mi
    The 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...
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  • Moffat, Colorado

    Unwind at the Joyful Journey Hot Springs

    5.0
    Joyful 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...
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  • Cañon City, Colorado

    Drive Skyline Drive

    5.0
    Skyline 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...
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  • Mosca, Colorado

    Hike to Star Dune

    5.0
    8 mi / 750 ft gain
    There 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...
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  • Alamosa County, Colorado

    Backpack the Great Sand Dunes

    4.8
    Few 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...
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  • Alamosa County, Colorado

    Sandboard in Great Sand Dunes National Park

    4.8
    Outside 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...
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  • Mosca, Colorado

    Sand Dunes Loop Trail

    5.03 mi / 650 ft gain
    Sand Dunes Loop Trail is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Mosca, Colorado.
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  • Mosca, Colorado

    Hike High Dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park

    4.8
    2.5 mi / 700 ft gain
    The 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...
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  • Alamosa County, Colorado

    Mosca Pass Trail, Great Sand Dunes NP

    5.0
    6.49 mi / 1549 ft gain
    The 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...
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Camping and Lodging in Westcliffe

Alvarado Campground
Westcliffe, Colorado

Alvarado Campground

Davenport Campground
Custer County, Colorado

Davenport Campground

St Charles Campground   Lake Isabel
County Road 374

St Charles Campground Lake Isabel

Spruce Group   Lake Isabel
County Road 374

Spruce Group Lake Isabel

Ponderosa Group   Lake Isabel
County Road 374

Ponderosa Group Lake Isabel

La Vista Campground   Lake Isabel
Rye, Colorado

La Vista Campground Lake Isabel

Guides, Insights and Stories from Westcliffe

5 Photography Tips for 24 Hours at Great Sand Dunes National Park

5 Photography Tips for 24 Hours at Great Sand Dunes National Park

Michael Osborne

11 Photos of Early Spring Camping in Great Sand Dunes NP

11 Photos of Early Spring Camping in Great Sand Dunes NP

Patrick James

Under a Blanket of Stars: Camping in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Under a Blanket of Stars: Camping in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Sonja Saxe