This is a list of

protected areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

in the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

State of Colorado Colorado is a state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east ...

. __TOC__

Federal lands

The

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

federal government owns 36.23% of Colorado's total land area.

National Park System

The

National Park System The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all national parks; most national monuments; and other natural, historical, and recreational ...

includes 23 areas in Colorado. The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

manages 18 of these 23 areas plus five National Wildernesses.

National Parks

The four

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

within Colorado are: *

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in western Colorado and managed by the National Park Service. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was establishe ...

near Montrose *

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a national park of the United States that conserves an area of large sand dunes on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and an adjacent national preserve in the Sangre de Cristo Range, in sout ...

near Mosca *

Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde National Park is a national park of the United States and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, and the only World Heritage Site in Colorado. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloa ...

and

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

near Cortez *

Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is s ...

near

Estes Park Estes Park () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town, statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropo ...

and Grand Lake BlackCanyonInner.jpg,

. Dunes at sunset along the southern edge of the dune field in Great Sand Dunes National Park. NPS-Debra Miller (18659276586).jpg,

. Mesa verde cliff palace close.jpg, The

Cliff Palace Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The structure built by the Ancestral Puebloans is located in Mesa Verde National Park in their former homeland region. The cliff dwelling and park are in Montezuma County, in the s ...

. Fall05-LongsPeakCU JPG RSZ md.jpg,

Longs Peak Longs Peak is a mountain in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The fourteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, southwest by south ( bearing 209°) of the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, ...

National Monuments

The nine National Monuments in Colorado are: *

Browns Canyon National Monument Browns Canyon National Monument is a national monument in Chaffee County, Colorado, that was designated as such by President Barack Obama under the Antiquities Act on February 19, 2015. The site will be centered along the Arkansas River between ...

near Nathrop (February 19, 2015,

Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

) *

Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument Camp Hale was a U.S. Army training facility in the western United States, constructed in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division. Located in central Colorado between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River Valley at an elevation o ...

between Red Cliff and

Leadville Leadville ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only List of municipalities in Colorado, incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, Lak ...

in the Eagle River valley (October 12, 2022,

Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

) *

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is a national monument protecting an archaeologically significant landscape located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Colorado. The monument's are managed by the Bureau of Land Management ...

near Dolores (June 9, 2000,

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...

) *

Chimney Rock National Monument Chimney Rock National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado which includes an archaeological site. This area is located in Archuleta County, Colorado, between Durango and Pagosa Springs, an ...

near

Pagosa Springs Pagosa Springs (Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Archuleta County, Colorado, United Stat ...

(September 21, 2012,

) *

Colorado National Monument Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. This is an area of desert land high on the Colorado ...

near Grand Junction and

Fruita Fruita () is a home rule municipality located in western Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 13,395 at the 2020 United States census. Fruita is a part of the Grand Junction, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area and ...

(May 24, 1911, Taft) *

Dinosaur National Monument Dinosaur National Monument is an American national monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green River (Colorado River tributary), Green and Yampa River, Y ...

near

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

(80 acres October 4, 1915, Wilson, additional 200,000 acres July 14, 1938, F. Roosevelt) *

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument The Florissant Formation is a sedimentary geologic formation outcropping around Florissant, Teller County, Colorado. The formation is noted for the abundant and exceptionally preserved insect and plant fossils that are found in the mudstones an ...

near Florissant (August 20, 1969,

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

) *

Hovenweep National Monument Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. Shallow tributaries run through the wide and deep canyons into ...

near Cortez (March 2, 1923, Harding) *

Yucca House National Monument Yucca House National Monument is a United States National Monument located in Montezuma County, Colorado between the towns of Towaoc (headquarters of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe) and Cortez, Colorado. Yucca House is a large, unexcavated Ancest ...

near Cortez (December 19, 1919, Wilson) Two former National Monuments were elevated to

National Park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

: * Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument (March 2, 1933,

Hoover Hoover may refer to: Music * Hoover (band), an American post-hardcore band * Hooverphonic, a Belgian band originally named Hoover * Hoover (singer), Willis Hoover, a country and western performer active in 1960s and '70s * "Hoover" (song), a 201 ...

, to October 21, 1999) * Great Sand Dunes National Monument (March 17, 1932,

, to September 24, 2004) Two former National Monuments were abolished due to their remoteness: *

Holy Cross National Monument Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

near Minturn (May 11, 1929,

, abolished August 3, 1950) *

Wheeler National Monument Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a c ...

near

Creede Creede is a Statutory Town and the county seat of Mineral County, Colorado, United States. It is the most populous community and the only incorporated municipality within the county. The town population was 257 at the 2020 United States census ...

(December 7, 1908, T. Roosevelt, abolished August 3, 1950)

National Historic Sites

The three National Historic Sites within Colorado are: *

Amache National Historic Site Granada War Relocation Center, known to the internees as Camp Amache ( ) and later designated the Amache National Historic Site, was a concentration camp for Japanese Americans in Prowers County, Colorado. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl ...

near

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Bent's Old Fort is a fort located in Otero County in southeastern Colorado, United States. A company owned by Charles Bent and William Bent and Ceran St. Vrain built the fort in 1833 to trade with Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Plains Indians ...

near

La Junta La Junta is a home rule municipality in, the county seat of, and the most populous municipality of Otero County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,322 at the 2020 United States census. La Junta is located on the Arkansas R ...

* Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site near Chivington

National Recreation Areas

The two National Recreation Areas within Colorado are:: *

Arapaho National Recreation Area The Arapaho National Recreation Area (ANRA) is a United States national recreation area located near the headwaters of the Colorado River in north central Colorado adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. ANRA is under the jurisdiction of the A ...

near Granby *

Curecanti National Recreation Area Curecanti National Recreation Area (Pronounced (locally) or .) is a National Park Service unit located on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Established in 1965, Curecanti National recreation area, National Recreation Area is responsible f ...

near Gunnison

National Historic Trails

The four National Historic Trails that pass through Colorado are: *

California National Historic Trail The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail f ...

through Sedgwick County *

Old Spanish National Historic Trail Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

through southwestern Colorado *

Pony Express National Historic Trail The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

through Sedgwick County *

Santa Fe National Historic Trail Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christma ...

through southeastern Colorado

National Scenic Trail

The

National Scenic Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

that passes through Colorado is: *

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail, CDT) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and ...

along the

Continental Divide of the Americas The Continental Divide of the Americas (also known as the Great Divide, the Western Divide or simply the Continental Divide; ) is the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas. The Continental Divide extends from t ...

National Forests

The

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

manages the 11

National Forests National Forest may refer to: * National forest or state forest, a forest administered or protected by a sovereign state ** National forest (Brazil) ** National forest (France) ** National forest (United States) ** State Forests (Poland) ** The N ...

within Colorado. *

Arapaho National Forest Arapaho National Forest is a National Forest located in north-central Colorado, United States. The region is managed jointly with the Roosevelt National Forest and the Pawnee National Grassland from the United States Forest Service office in ...

Grand Mesa National Forest The Grand Mesa National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in Mesa, Delta and Garfield Counties in Western Colorado. It borders the White River National Forest to the north and the Gunnison National Forest to the east. The forest covers most ...

Gunnison National Forest The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres (2,612.71 sq mi, or 6,766.89 km2) Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas an ...

Rio Grande National Forest Rio Grande National Forest is a 1.86 million-acre (7,530 km2) U.S. National Forest located in southwestern Colorado. The forest encompasses the San Luis Valley, which is the world's largest agricultural alpine valley, as well as one of t ...

Roosevelt National Forest The Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest and the Routt National Forest. The forest is administered jointly w ...

Routt National Forest Routt may refer to: ;Places In the United States: * Routt, Louisville, Kentucky *Routt County, Colorado ;People * Joe Routt *John Long Routt John Long Routt (April 25, 1826 – August 13, 1907) was an American politician of the Republican Par ...

San Isabel National Forest San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 53 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado. It is one of eleven national forests in the state of Col ...

San Juan National Forest The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezum ...

Uncompahgre National Forest Uncompahgre National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 955,229 acres (1,492.55 sq mi, or 3,865.68 km2) in (in descending order of land area) parts of Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, Hinsdale, San Juan, and Delta ...

White River National Forest White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through its northern section. It is the most visited National Forest in the United States, primarily from users of the twel ...

National Grasslands

The

manages the two National Grasslands within Colorado. *

Comanche National Grassland Comanche National Grassland is a National Grassland located in southeastern Colorado, United States. It is the sister grassland of Cimarron National Grassland and contains both prairie grasslands and canyons. It is separated into two sections, ...

– southeastern Colorado *

Pawnee National Grassland Pawnee National Grassland is a United States National Grassland located in northeastern Colorado on the Colorado Eastern Plains. The grassland is located in the South Platte River basin in remote northern and extreme northeastern Weld County ...

– northeastern Colorado

National Wildernesses

There are 44 National Wildernesses within Colorado. The

manages 34, the

manages four, the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

manages three, the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management jointly manage two, and the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service jointly manage one National Wilderness. *

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a national park of the United States located in western Colorado and managed by the National Park Service. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was established as a national monument on March 2, 1933. I ...

Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness (BRCW) is located in western Colorado with a small portion extending into eastern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region approximately west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The wilderness lies on the ...

Buffalo Peaks Wilderness The Buffalo Peaks Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel and Pike National Forests in central Colorado. The wilderness was named after two highly eroded volcanic mountains, East Buffalo Peak and West Buffalo Peak, in the ...

* Byers Peak Wilderness *

Cache La Poudre Wilderness The Cache la Poudre Wilderness is federally-protected area administered by the U.S. Forest Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District on the Roosevelt National Forest in Col ...

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness is a area located in central Colorado between Leadville and Buena Vista to the east and Aspen to the west and Crested Butte to the southwest. Most of the area is in the San Isabel and Gunnison National Fores ...

* Comanche Peak Wilderness *

Dominguez Canyon Wilderness The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located southeast of Grand Junction in western Colorado. The wilderness area established in 2009, the largest BLM roadless area in the state of Colorado, includes two major canyon sys ...

Eagles Nest Wilderness The Eagles Nest Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Gore Range near Vail, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Heeney, in Summit and Eagle Counties, Colorado. Eagles Nest Wilderness falls within the jurisdiction of Dil ...

Flat Tops Wilderness Flat Tops Wilderness Area is the third largest U.S. Wilderness Area in Colorado. It is , with in Routt National Forest and in White River National Forest. It was designated a wilderness area in 1975. Trappers Lake, located in the north of ...

Fossil Ridge Wilderness The Fossil Ridge Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located approximately northeast of Gunnison, Colorado in the Gunnison National Forest. The wilderness includes Fossil Ridge, a high, exposed ridge of Paleozoic carbonates that contain ...

* Great Sand Dunes Wilderness * Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness *

Gunnison Gorge Wilderness The Gunnison Gorge Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located immediately northwest of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, in Colorado. The wilderness area established in 1999 includes of the Gunnison River The Gunnison River ...

* Hermosa Creek Wilderness *

Holy Cross Wilderness The Holy Cross Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel and White River national forests near Leadville, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Vail. The wilderness with of trails was established in 1980. The wilderness was ...

* Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness *

Indian Peaks Wilderness The Indian Peaks Wilderness is a 73,931 acre wilderness area in north central Colorado managed jointly by the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and small parts of the s ...

James Peak Wilderness The James Peak Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in north central Colorado in the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests. The wilderness area borders Indian Peaks Wilderness to the north and the James Peak Protection Area to the west. Geo ...

La Garita Wilderness The La Garita Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the La Garita Mountains of southern Colorado. The wilderness established in 1964 in Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests includes segments of the Colorado Trail and the Cont ...

Lizard Head Wilderness The Lizard Head Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado. It contains and is jointly managed by the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests. It is southwest of the town of Telluride and is named for a prominent rock formation ...

Lost Creek Wilderness The Lost Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located in central Colorado in Jefferson and Park counties, south of the town of Bailey. The area is situated entirely within the boundaries of the Pike National Forest. The Lost Creek Scenic Ar ...

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Maroon ( , ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word , meaning chestnut. ''Marron'' is also one of the French translations for "brown". Terms describing interchangeable shades, with overlapping RGB ranges, incl ...

* Mesa Verde Wilderness *

Mount Evans Wilderness The Mount Evans Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest about west of Denver, Colorado. The wilderness area is named after Mount Blue Sky's former name, Mount Evans. History The first efforts to ...

Mount Massive Wilderness The Mount Massive Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sawatch Range, located in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is operated jointly by the United States Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the San I ...

* Mount Sneffels Wilderness *

Mount Zirkel Wilderness The Mount Zirkel Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in Routt National Forest in northwest Colorado. The closest city is Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The wilderness is named after Mount Zirkel, the highest peak in the range at , whic ...

* Neota Wilderness * Never Summer Wilderness *

Platte River Wilderness The Platte River Wilderness is primarily located in south central Wyoming, with a small section extending into Colorado in the United States. Located entirely within Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest, the wilderness was created in 1984 to pro ...

Powderhorn Wilderness The Powderhorn Wilderness is a wilderness area in Hinsdale and Gunnison counties, Colorado, United States, located northeast of Lake City. Description Most of the northern part of the wilderness area, , about 77.5%, is located on Bureau o ...

* Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness *

Raggeds Wilderness The Raggeds Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Elk Mountains northwest of Crested Butte, Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners ...

Rawah Wilderness The Rawah Wilderness is administered by the USDA Forest Service. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado, near the Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mou ...

Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park of the United States located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to t ...

Sangre de Cristo Wilderness The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is a long and narrow wilderness area covering of the Sangre de Cristo Range centered about Saguache and Custer counties, Colorado. Smaller areas are located in Fremont, Alamosa, and Huerfano counties. The w ...

Sarvis Creek Wilderness The Sarvis Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the Routt National Forest. The area is named after the Sarvis Timber Company, which once logged the area. The area contains no alpine tundr ...

South San Juan Wilderness The South San Juan Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the San Juan National Forest, east of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Pagosa Springs, in southern Colorado. The area, which spans 158,790 acres, was designated a Wilderness Area and pu ...

Spanish Peaks Wilderness The Spanish Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area in Huerfano County and Las Animas County, Colorado, United States, located southwest of Walsenburg. All of the wilderness area is located within San Isabel National Forest, which is managed ...

Uncompahgre Wilderness The Uncompahgre Wilderness (formerly called the Big Blue Wilderness) is a U.S. Wilderness Area in southwest Colorado comprising . Elevation in the Wilderness ranges from to , at the summit of Uncompahgre Peak. Managed by the Uncompahgre Na ...

* Vasquez Peak Wilderness *

Weminuche Wilderness The Weminuche Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the San Juan National Forest on the west side of the Continental Divide and the Rio Grande National Forest on the east s ...

West Elk Wilderness The West Elk Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located northwest of Gunnison, Colorado in the West Elk Mountains. History The wilderness was established in 1964 and now protects within the Gunnison National Forest. Geography Elevati ...

National Conservation Areas

The

manages the three National Conservation Areas within Colorado. * Dominguez–Escalante National Conservation Area *

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area The Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area is a National Conservation Area located in west-central Colorado near Montrose. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of the National Landscape Conservation System Nationa ...

McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area The McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (MCNCA) is a National Conservation Area located in Mesa County, west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The MCNCA has rugged sandstone canyons, natural arches, spires, and alcoves carved into the Col ...

National Wildlife Refuges

The

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, ...

manages the eight

National Wildlife Refuge The National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) is a system of protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the United States Department of the Interior, Department of the Interi ...

s within Colorado. *

Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge The Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is an United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The site is located in the San Luis Valley along the east side of the Rio Grande approximately southeast of Alamosa primarily in ...

Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge The Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in north-central Colorado. It is one of over 560 national wildlife refuges which manages and protects natural resources for future generations. The refuge ...

Baca National Wildlife Refuge The Baca National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. It is within the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. Fauna Many bird species such as the kestrel, great horned owl, northern flic ...

Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge located in northwestern Colorado. It is located in Moffat County in the extreme northwestern corner of the state, in an isolated mountain valley of Browns Park on both s ...

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley south of the town of Monte Vista, Colorado in southeastern Rio Grande County, Colorado, ...

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the United States, located approximately northwest of Denver, Colorado. The refuge is situated west of the cities of Broomfield and Westminster and north of the city of ...

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located adjacent to Denver and Commerce City, Colorado, in the United States. It is approximately northeast of downtown Denver. The refuge is on the grounds of ...

* Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge

Federally designated areas

The following areas are designated by the

, but reside on a variety of federal, state, county, city, town, and private lands.

National Heritage Areas

The three

National Heritage Area In the United States, a National Heritage Area (NHA) is a site designated by Act of Congress, intended to encourage historic preservation of the area and an appreciation of the history and heritage of the site. There are currently 62 NHAs, some o ...

s in Colorado are: * Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area *

Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The heritage area includes the San Luis Valley and portions of the Sangre de Cristo Range. The re ...

* South Park National Heritage Area

National Historic Landmarks

Colorado Chautauqua Auditorium Boulder CO

The 26

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

s in Colorado are: * Bent's Old Fort * Burlingon Carousel *

Central City/Black Hawk Historic District The Central City/Black Hawk Historic District (formerly just the Central City Historic District) is a National Historic Landmark District that encompasses the developed areas of Central City and Black Hawk, Colorado, United States. They are ...

Colorado Chautauqua The Colorado Chautauqua, located in Boulder, Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States, and started in 1898, is the only Chautauqua west of the Mississippi River still continuing in unbroken operation since the heyday of the Chautauqua Moveme ...

Colorado Fuel and Iron Company Administrative Complex The Minnequa Steel Works Office Building and Dispensary are historic buildings in Pueblo, Colorado. The main office building served as headquarters of Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. The medical dispensary building served as a medical clinic fo ...

Cripple Creek Historic District Cripple Creek Historic District is a historic district including Cripple Creek, Colorado, United States and is significant for its gold mining era history. It developed as a gold mining center beginning in 1890, with a number of buildings fr ...

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, often abbreviated as the C&TSRR, is a Narrow-gauge railway, narrow-gauge Heritage railway, heritage railroad that operates on of track between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama, New Mexico, in the United Sta ...

Denver Civic Center The Denver Civic Center is a civic center area that includes two parks surrounded by government and cultural buildings and spaces. Civic Center is located in central Denver, Colorado, on the south side of Downtown Denver. Much of the area is a ...

* Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad * Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District *

Granada War Relocation Center Granada War Relocation Center, known to the internees as Camp Amache ( ) and later designated the Amache National Historic Site, was a concentration camp for Japanese Americans in Prowers County, Colorado. Following the Japanese attack on Pear ...

Leadville Historic District The Leadville Historic District is in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado. The National Historic Landmark District includes 67 mines in the mining district east of the city up to the 12,000 foot (3658 m) level, and a defined portion of the ...

* Lindenmeier site * Lowry Ruin * Ludlow Tent Colony Site * Mesa Verde Administrative District *

Pikes Peak Pikes Peak is the List of mountain ranges of Colorado#Mountain ranges, highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The Ultra-prominent peak, ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, ...

Pike's Stockade Pike's Stockade is a historic exploration campsite located near Sanford, Colorado. Set on the north bank of the Conejos River, it is where explorer Zebulon Pike raised the American flag on Spanish soil in 1807. The site, now managed by Histori ...

Raton Pass Ratón Pass is a 7,834 ft (2,388 m) elevation mountain pass on the Colorado–New Mexico border in the western United States. It is located on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, N ...

Red Rocks Park Red Rocks Park is a mountain park in Jefferson County, Colorado, owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formation ...

* Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building * Shenandoah-Dives (Mayflower) Mill * Silverton Historic District *

Telluride Historic District The Telluride Historic District encompasses a significant portion of the developed area of the former mining boom town of Telluride, Colorado. Telluride was founded in 1878, and was a major metals mining center until 1913. The historic distri ...

* Trujillo Homesteads * United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area

National Natural Landmarks

The 16

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best e ...

s in Colorado are: * Big Spring Creek *

Garden of the Gods Garden of the Gods (Arapaho: ''Ho3o’uu Niitko’usi’i'') is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. of the park was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. Name The area now known as Garden of the ...

* Garden Park Fossil Area *

Hanging Lake Hanging Lake is a lake in the U.S. State of Colorado. It is located in Glenwood Canyon, about east of Glenwood Springs, Colorado and is a popular tourist destination. When open, the lake is reached via a trailhead located along the Glenwood Ca ...

* Indian Springs Trace Fossil Site * Lost Creek Scenic Area * Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas * Raton Mesa *

Roxborough State Park Roxborough State Park is a state park of Colorado, United States, known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of Denver, Colorado, the park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a National N ...

*Russell Lakes * Sand Creek *

Slumgullion Earthflow The Slumgullion Earthflow is a remnant of a landslide in the San Juan Mountains in Hinsdale County, Colorado. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1983. It is also a Colorado Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Conce ...

Spanish Peaks The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado. The Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( ) or Wa-ha-toy-yah meaning "double mountain" The two peaks, East Spanish Peak at elevation and ...

*Sulphur Cave and Spring * Summit Lake * West Bijou Site

National Recreation Trails

The 28 federally designated

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

s in Colorado are: *Apex National Recreation Trail near Golden * Barr National Recreation Trail between

Manitou Springs Manitou Springs is a home rule municipality located at the foot of Pikes Peak in western El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The town was founded for its natural mineral springs. The downtown area continues to be of interest to traveler ...

and

*Bear Creek National Recreation Trail near Ouray *Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail through

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

* Calico National Recreation Trail near Dolores *Crag Crest National Recreation Trail near Cedaredge *Devils Head National Recreation Trail near Sedalia *Fish Creek Falls National Recreation Trail near Steamboat Springs * Grays Peak National Recreation Trail near

Silver Plume Silver Plume is a Statutory Town located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Silver Plume is a former silver mining camp along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The federally designated Georgetown-Silver Plume ...

* Greyrock Mountain National Recreation Trail near Laporte * High Line Canal National Recreation Trail through metropolitan Denver *Highline Loop National Recreation Trail near Dolores *Lake Fork National Recreation Trail near South Fork *

Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail The Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail is an 11.6 mile all-season biking/walking trail that loops around Leadville, Colorado, and through its historic mining district. The trail's setting is quintessentially Colorado Rocky Mountain landscap ...

near

* Mount Evans National Recreation Trail near

Idaho Springs The City of Idaho Springs is the statutory city that is the most populous municipality in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Idaho Springs is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 ...

Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail is a hiking trail in the Cache La Poudre Wilderness of Roosevelt National Forest west of Fort Collins, Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mou ...

near Laporte *Petroglyph Point National Recreation Trail in

*Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail through metropolitan Denver *Poudre River National Recreation Trail between Greeley and

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

* Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Recreation Trails near

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

* Round Mountain National Recreation Trail near Loveland *Swamp Park National Recreation Trail near Steamboat Springs *Two Elk National Recreation Trail near

Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the nume ...

* Two Ponds National Recreation Trail in Arvada *Vail Pass National Recreation Trail between Copper Mountain and

*West Lost Trail Creek National Recreation Trail near

*Wheeler Ten Mile National Recreation Trail between Frisco and Copper Mountain *White House Ranch National Recreation Trail in

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...

National Register of Historic Places

There are more than 1,500 Colorado sites on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Wild and Scenic River

The

Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-f ...

in Colorado is: * Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

The

has designated 88 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in western Colorado.

State lands

Colorado State Parks

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the state parks system and the wildlife of the U.S. state of Colorado. Responsibilities include state parks, wildlife areas, and the Colorado Natural Areas Program. History *1937 – The state legislature ap ...

manages the 43

Colorado State Parks This is a list of the state parks in the United States, U.S. Colorado, State of Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the state park system to accommodate both outdoor recreation and tourism. There are currently forty-two parks open to th ...

. *

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) is a state park in Colorado, U.S. The park is jointly administered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Forest Service. The park's joint headquarter ...

* Barr Lake State Park * Boyd Lake State Park * Castlewood Canyon State Park * Chatfield State Park *

Cherry Creek State Park Cherry Creek State Park is a state park in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The park consists of a natural prairie and wetland environment with an reservoir at its center which is shared by powerboats, sailboats, and paddle craft. ...

Cheyenne Mountain State Park Cheyenne Mountain State Park is a Colorado state park that was acquired in June 2000 through a partnership between the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado State Parks, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Lottery, El Paso County, and other l ...

Crawford State Park (Colorado) Crawford State Park is a Colorado State Park that encompasses Crawford Reservoir located about south of the town of Crawford in Delta County, Colorado. The north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is about southwest and ...

Eldorado Canyon State Park Eldorado Canyon State Park is part of the Colorado State Park system. It was established in 1978 and is located in Boulder County near the city of Boulder. The park consists of two areas, the Inner Canyon (developed area) and Crescent Meadows ...

Eleven Mile State Park Eleven Mile State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Park County, south of Lake George, Colorado, United States. Established in 1970, the park surrounds , long Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. The reservoir itself was completed in 1932 ...

Elkhead State Park Elkhead Reservoir State Park is a Colorado state park located in Moffat and Routt counties in northwest Colorado, near Craig. The park surrounds and includes the 900 surface acre Elkhead Reservoir. It is referred to as Elkhead State Park. Elkh ...

Fishers Peak State Park Fishers Peak State Park is a Colorado state park in Las Animas County, Colorado, just south of Trinidad. Trinidad Lake State Park is nearby. The park opened on October 30, 2020, and is still being developed. History The land for the park, for ...

Golden Gate Canyon State Park Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Gilpin and Jefferson counties northwest of Golden, Colorado. The Front Range park established in 1960 has of hiking trails. Horse and bicycle travel is allowed on . Faci ...

Harvey Gap State Park Harvey Gap State Park, is a Colorado state park founded in 1987. It is well known for its fishing and limited use boating. The park's reservoir—Grass Valley Reservoir—is when full and allows fishing year round. References External links< ...

* Highline Lake State Park *

Jackson Lake State Park (Colorado) :''This is about the Colorado State park. For others, see Jackson Lake (disambiguation).'' Jackson Lake State Park is located northeast of Orchard, Colorado in western Morgan County, Colorado. It is situated on Jackson reservoir that was buil ...

* James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park *

John Martin Reservoir State Park John Martin Reservoir State Park is a state park in Colorado. It contains John Martin Reservoir, which is the second largest body of water in Colorado by capacity. It is also known for being a prime birdwatching location. Bent County, Colorado ...

Lake Pueblo State Park Lake Pueblo State Park is a state park located in Pueblo County, Colorado. It includes of shoreline and of land. Activities it offers include two full-service marinas, recreational fishing, hiking, camping and swimming at a special swim beach. ...

* Lathrop State Park * Lone Mesa State Park *

Lory State Park Lory State Park, is a state park located west of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado and is west of Horsetooth Reservoir and north of Horsetooth Mountain Park. Some of the park's more popular attractions include mountain biking, hiking, horseback ...

* Mancos State Park *

Mueller State Park Mueller State Park is a Colorado state park encompassing of land outside Divide, Colorado, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The park offers many outdoor activities. There are of trails, biking, camping year-round, hunting, hiking, and ho ...

Navajo State Park Navajo State Park is a state park of Colorado, USA, on the north shore of Navajo Lake. Touted as Colorado's answer to Lake Powell, this reservoir on the San Juan River begins in Colorado's San Juan Mountains and extends into New Mexico. Its ...

North Sterling State Park North Sterling State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Logan County north of Sterling, Colorado, Colorado. The park established in 1992 includes a reservoir with of surface area and of hiking trails along the shoreline. Warm water fish ...

* Paonia State Park *

Pearl Lake State Park Pearl Lake State Park, at the base of Hahns Peak, is in Routt County, Colorado near the town of Hahns Peak Village, Colorado and is north of Steamboat Springs. Pearl Lake is named for M. Pearl Hartt, the wife of pioneer sheep rancher, John ...

Ridgway State Park Ridgway State Park is a state park located in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The park is 21 miles southeast of Montrose, 14 miles northeast of Ouray, 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway and 312 miles southwest of Denver. The wildlif ...

Rifle Falls State Park Rifle Falls State Park is a Colorado State Parks, Colorado State Park located in Garfield County, Colorado, Garfield County northeast of Rifle, Colorado, Rifle, Colorado. The central feature of the park is Rifle Falls, a triple waterfall flowin ...

Rifle Gap State Park Rifle Gap State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Garfield County near Rifle, Colorado. The park established in 1966 includes a reservoir. Plant communities are pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush shrubland with deciduous riparian fore ...

Spinney Mountain State Park Spinney Mountain State Park is a Colorado state park located in South Park in Park County, Colorado, United States. The park centers on the Spinney Mountain Reservoir, which is popular with anglers. The reservoir and surrounding land are owned ...

* St. Vrain State Park *

Stagecoach State Park Stagecoach State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Routt County south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The park established in 1989 includes a reservoir on the Yampa River formed by Stagecoach Dam. Facilities include a marina, boat ...

* State Forest State Park *

Staunton State Park Staunton State Park is a Colorado state park in Park and Jefferson counties, located west of Conifer, Colorado. The park, which opened on May 18, 2013, includes dramatic rock outcroppings, several streams and a waterfall. On December 4, 201 ...

Steamboat Lake State Park Steamboat Lake State Park is a Colorado State Parks, Colorado state park located in Routt County, Colorado, Routt County north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and near the community of Hahns Peak Village, Colorado, H ...

* Sweitzer Lake State Park * Sweetwater Lake State Park *

Sylvan Lake State Park Sylvan Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Eagle County, south of Eagle, Colorado. The park established in 1987 and surrounded by the White River National Forest includes a lake and of trails. Facilities include a visit ...

Trinidad Lake State Park Trinidad Lake State Park is a state park west of Trinidad, Colorado, United States. The park protects Trinidad Lake, a dammed reservoir. There are hiking trails, and camping and boating opportunities. The park features historical attractions su ...

Vega State Park Vega State Park is a Colorado state park in Mesa County, Colorado in the United States. Vega Reservoir is a fishing destination and is located at an elevation of . Year-round recreational activities at Vega State Park include boating, hiking, ...

Yampa River State Park Yampa River State Park is a Colorado state park located along the Yampa River in Routt and Moffat Counties in northwestern Colorado in the United States. Features Yampa River State Park provides 13 access points for boaters along of the Yamp ...

Colorado Wildlife Areas

manages the 307

Colorado State Wildlife Areas The Colorado state wildlife areas are managed for hunting, fishing, observation, management, and preservation of wildlife. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife division of the U.S. State of Colorado manages more than 300 state wildlife areas with a t ...

State designated areas

Colorado Natural Areas

The

Colorado Department of Natural Resources The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for the development, protection, and enhancement Colorado natural resources for the use and enjoyment of the state's present a ...

has designated 95 Colorado Natural Areas. * Aiken Canyon Natural Area * Antero-Salt Creek Natural Area * Arikaree River Natural Area *

Badger Wash Natural Area Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by their ...

Blacks Gulch Natural Area Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ch ...

* Blue Mountain Natural Area *

Bonny Prairie Natural Area Bonny Lake State Park is a former state park located in Yuma County, Colorado near Hale. Created in 1966 and closed in 2011, Bonny Lake was the easternmost state park in Colorado. History In September and October 2011, Bonny Reservoir was ...

Boulder Mountain Park Natural Area In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In com ...

Boulder Mountain Park In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock (geology), rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobble (geology), cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, ot ...

Brush Creek Fen Natural Area A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during u ...

California Park Natural Area California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the sout ...

* Castlewood Canyon Natural Area in Castlewood Canyon State Park *

Chalk Bluffs Natural Area The Chalk Bluffs is a barren chalk escarpment in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Colorado, stretching from the Wyoming border east of I-25 to near the South Platte River in Logan County and Weld County. Geology The Chalk Bluffs expo ...

* Colorado Tallgrass Prairie Natural Area *

Comanche Grassland Lesser Prairie Chicken Natural Area Comanche National Grassland is a National Grassland located in southeastern Colorado, United States. It is the sister grassland of Cimarron National Grassland and contains both prairie grasslands and canyons. It is separated into two sections, ...

Copeland Willow Carr Natural Area Copeland or Copeland's may refer to: Places Australia * Copeland, New South Wales Canada * Copeland Islands (Nunavut) * Copeland Islands Marine Provincial Park, in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia * Mount Copeland, also Copeland Ridg ...

Corral Bluffs Natural Area A pen is a fenced/walled open-air enclosure for holding land animals in captivity, typically for livestock but may also be used for holding other domesticated animals such as pets that are unwanted inside buildings. The term describes types o ...

Cross Mountain Canyon Natural Area A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in ...

Dakota Hogback Natural Area Dinosaur Ridge is a segment of the Dakota Hogback in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark located in Jefferson County, Colorado, near the town of Morrison and just west of Denver. In 1877 Arthur Lakes, a clergyman, teacher, and ...

commonly known as

Dinosaur Ridge Dinosaur Ridge is a segment of the Dakota Hogback in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark located in Jefferson County, Colorado, near the town of Morrison, Colorado, Morrison and just west of Denver. In 1877 Arthur Lakes, a clerg ...

in Matthews/Winters Park *

Deer Gulch Natural Area A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) an ...

Dome Rock Natural Area A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

Dome Rock State Wildlife Area A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

Droney Gulch Natural Area Droney is an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic ''Ó Dróna'', and originating from county Clare. Outside of Ireland, it's also prevalent in the U.S. An alternative theory says it is derived from the Middle English word ''drane'', meaning ''dron ...

Duck Creek Natural Area Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ta ...

Dudley Bluffs Natural Area Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the 20 ...

East Lost Park Natural Area East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...

Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas an ...

East Sand Dunes Natural Area State Forest State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Jackson and Larimer counties east of Walden, Colorado, United States. The park was established in 1970 in the Medicine Bow Range of the Rocky Mountains. Facilities include a visitors ...

in State Forest State Park *

Elephant Rocks Natural Area Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''). ...

Escalante Canyon Natural Area Escalante may refer to: People *Amat Escalante (born 1979), Mexican filmmaker *Bernardino de Escalante (1537–after 1605), 16th-century Spanish writer, author of one of the first European books on China *Enrique Escalante (born 1984), Puerto Rica ...

* Fairview Natural Area *

Fourmile Creek Natural Area Fourmile or Four Mile may refer to: People * Henrietta Marrie, an Australian human rights activist, ''née'' Henrietta Fourmile Canyons and bodies of water * Fourmile Canyon and Fourmile Creek, west of Boulder, Colorado, the site of a major wil ...

Fruita Paleontological Locality Fruita () is a home rule municipality located in western Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 13,395 at the 2020 United States census. Fruita is a part of the Grand Junction, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area and ...

* Garden Park Fossil Locality *

Gateway Palisade Natural Area Gateway often refers to a gate or portal. Gateway or The Gateway may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Gateway'' (film), a 1938 drama * ''The Gateway'' (2015 film), a horror film * ''The Gateway'' (2017 film), a science-fiction ...

Geneva Basin Iron Fens Natural Area Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

Gothic Research Natural Area Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

Gunnison National Forest The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres (2,612.71 sq mi, or 6,766.89 km2) Gunnison Gravels Research Natural Area Gunnison may refer to: * Foster Gunnison Jr. (1925–1994), American LGBT rights activist and independent archivist * John W. Gunnison (1812–1853), American explorer whose name is used in several places in the Western states * The Gunnison River i ...

* Haviland Lake Natural Area in

Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area Haviland can refer to: People *Haviland (given name) * Aslaug Haviland (1913–2003), deaf and blind Norwegian woman and motivational speaker * Chris Haviland (born 1952), Australian politician * David B. Haviland (born 1961), Swedish-American ...

High Creek Fen Natural Area High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...

High Mesa Grassland Natural Area High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...

* Hoosier Ridge Research Natural Area on the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

and

Hurricane Canyon Natural Area A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

Indian Spring Natural Area Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

Indian Springs Trace Fossil Locality Indian Springs Trace Fossil Natural Area is a 40-acre privately owned site on the Indian Springs Ranch in Fremont County, Colorado. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980. Overview There are 25 types of trace fossils of horses ...

Irish Canyon Natural Area Irish Canyon is a valley in Moffat County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Colorado, at 6,099 feet in elevation according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Bureau of Land Management states the elevation in the valle ...

Jimmy Creek Natural Area Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

* Ken-Caryl Ranch Natural Area *

Kremmling Cretaceous Ammonite Locality The Town of Kremmling is a List of cities and towns in Colorado#Statutory town, Statutory Town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,509 at the 2020 United States census. The town sits along the upper Colorado Riv ...

Limestone Ridge Natural Area Limestone is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Limestone forms when these ...

Logan Wash Mine Natural Area Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gover ...

* Lookout Mountain Natural Area *

Lower Greasewood Creek Natural Area Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...

McElmo Natural Area The McElmo Phase refers to a period in the late 11th and early 12th centuries when drastic changes in ceramics and masonry techniques appeared among the people living in Chaco Canyon in what is now New Mexico in the American Southwest. Char ...

Mexican Cut Natural Area Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

* Mini-Wheeler Natural Area *

Miramonte Reservoir Natural Area Miramonte may refer to: * Miramonte, California, in Fresno County * Miramonte High School, in Orinda, California * Miramonte Elementary School, an elementary school within the Los Angeles Unified School District in which child abuse scandals broke ...

Dan Noble State Wildlife Area Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

* Mishak Lakes Natural Area * Mount Callahan Natural Area *

Mount Callahan Saddle Natural Area Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

* Mount Emmons Iron Fen Natural Area in

Gunnison National Forest The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres (2,612.71 sq mi, or 6,766.89 km2) Mount Goliath Natural Area Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

Narraguinnep Natural Area Narraguinnep Natural Area is a 2,922 acre natural area in Dolores County, Colorado that is owned by the United States Forest Service. It was designated a natural area in 1980. The Colorado Natural Area includes Narraguinnep Canyon, which is lo ...

Needle Rock Natural Area Needle Rock Natural Area is located at the western edge of the West Elk Mountains of Colorado. The surrounding terrain is characterized by laccolithic mountains flanked by precipitous cliffs, extensive talus aprons, forested mesas, canyons, and ...

* North Park Phacelia Natural Area *

Orient Mine Natural Area The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

* Owl Canyon Pinyon Grove Natural Area * Pagosa Skyrocket Natural Area * Paradise Park Natural Area in

Park Creek Hogback Natural Area A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

* Pyramid Rock Natural Area * Rabbit Valley Natural Area * Rajadero Canyon Natural Area *

Raven Ridge Natural Area Raven Ridge is a starkly visible sedimentary rock exposure located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado and Uintah County, Utah, USA. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The ridge contains a diverse selection of rare plants unique to the ...

* Redcloud Peak Natural Area *

Rough Canyon Natural Area Rough may refer to: * Roughness (disambiguation) * Rough (golf), the area outside the fairway on a golf course Geography * Rough (facility), former gas field now gas storage facility, off the Yorkshire coast of England People * Alan Rough (born ...

Roxborough Natural Area Roxborough State Park is a state park of Colorado, United States, known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of Denver, Colorado, the park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a National N ...

in and near

* Ryan Gulch Natural Area *

Saddle Mountain Natural Area A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not known p ...

* San Miguel River at Tabeguache Creek Natural Area *

Sand Creek Natural Area Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural cl ...

* Shell Duck Creek Natural Area *

Shell Rock Natural Area Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

Slumgullion Earthflow Natural Area The Slumgullion Earthflow is a remnant of a landslide in the San Juan Mountains in Hinsdale County, Colorado. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1983. It is also a Colorado Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Conce ...

South Beaver Creek Natural Area South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

South Boulder Creek Natural Area South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

South Cathedral Bluffs Natural Area South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

* Specimen Mountain Research Natural Area in

Staunton Natural Area Staunton State Park is a Colorado state park in Park and Jefferson counties, located west of Conifer, Colorado. The park, which opened on May 18, 2013, includes dramatic rock outcroppings, several streams and a waterfall. On December 4, 201 ...

Tamarack Ranch Natural Area ''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and als ...

in Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area * Treasurevault Mountain Natural Area *

Trinidad K-T Boundary Natural Area Trinidad Lake State Park is a state park west of Trinidad, Colorado, United States. The park protects Trinidad Lake, a dammed reservoir. There are hiking trails, and camping and boating opportunities. The park features historical attractions su ...

Two Buttes Natural Area 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...

* Unaweep Seep Research Natural Area *

Wacker Ranch Natural Area Wacker may refer to: People *Wacker von Wackenfels * The Whacker, poker player Garry Bush's nickname * Wacker (surname) * ''Wacker'', a colloquial term for an inhabitant of Wirral, England; a partial synonym for "scouser" Places * Wacker (Heve) ...

* West Creek Natural Area in

Wheeler Geologic Natural Area The Wheeler Geologic Area is a highly eroded outcropping of layers of volcanic ash, located in the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado, United States. It is about 10 miles east north-east of Creede. The ash is the result of eruptions from ...

in the

* White Rocks Natural Area * Yanks Gulch/Upper Greasewood Creek Natural Area *

Zapata Falls Natural Area Zapata Falls is a waterfall located in the San Luis Valley near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on Bureau of Land Management land adjacent to Rio Grande National Forest and south of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Alamosa ...

Regional trails

The following transcontinental hiking trail was established by the American Discovery Trail Society. *

American Discovery Trail The American Discovery Trail is a system of recreational trails and roads that collectively form a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. Horses can also be ridden on most of this trail. The coastal tr ...

The following hiking trail across the

Southern Rocky Mountains The Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and ext ...

is maintained by the Colorado Trail Foundation. *

Colorado Trail The Colorado Trail is a long-distance trail running for from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. Its highest point is above sea level, and most of the trail is above . Despite its high elev ...

The following three single-track

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...

trails are maintained by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association and the

. * Kokopelli Trail * Paradox Trail * Tabeguache Trail

Bicycle routes

The following four bicycle touring routes through Colorado are regularly scouted by the

Adventure Cycling Association Adventure Cycling Association is a nonprofit member organization focused on travel by bicycle (bicycle touring). Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, Adventure Cycling develops cycling routes, publishes maps, provides guided trips, and advocates ...

. *

Great Divide Mountain Bike Route The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a , off-road bicycle touring route between Jasper, Alberta, Canada and Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA. Completed in 1997, the GDMBR was developed by Adventure Cycling Association, who continue to ...

Great Parks Bicycle Route The Great Parks Bicycle Route is a two-part bicycle touring route developed and mapped by Adventure Cycling Association. Great Parks North runs 751.5 miles (1209.4 km) from Jasper, Alberta, Canada, to Missoula, Montana, U.S. Great Parks South exten ...

* TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route *

Western Express Bicycle Route List of cycleways — for all types of cycleways, bike path, bike route, or bikeway's transportation infrastructure and/or designated route, listed by continents and their countries. Greenways and/or rail trails can include a cycleway−bike p ...

Notes

References

External links

Colorado state government website

Colorado Department of Natural Resources website
*
Colorado Parks & Wildlife websiteColorado tourism websiteHistory Colorado websiteUnited States federal government website

United States Department of the Interior website
*
Bureau of Land Management website
*

*
United States Fish and Wildlife Service website

United States Department of Agriculture website
*
United States Forest Service website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protected areas of Colorado, List of Colorado geography-related lists Colorado history-related lists Tourist attractions in Colorado

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Federal lands

National Park System

National Parks

National Monuments

National Historic Sites

National Recreation Areas

National Historic Trails

National Scenic Trail

National Forests

National Grasslands

National Wildernesses

National Conservation Areas

National Wildlife Refuges

Federally designated areas

National Heritage Areas

National Historic Landmarks

National Natural Landmarks

National Recreation Trails

National Register of Historic Places

Wild and Scenic River

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

State lands

Colorado State Parks

Colorado Wildlife Areas

State designated areas

Colorado Natural Areas

Regional trails

Bicycle routes

See also

Notes

References

External links