When you mention “Colorado” it is either the peaks or Denver that comes to mind. Well, let’s broaden the picture!

Denver is the largest metro area in Colorado, with 2.9 million people, making it the 19th most populated metro area. Another ¾ of a million are in the Colorado Springs metro area, and there’s a total of 5.7 million in the entire state, ranking it 21st in the country.

BUT … when you leave the metro areas you quickly find yourself in wide open space or in canyons leading deep into the Rocky Mountains.

You see, Colorado is actually the 8th largest state (about 104,000 square miles), so when you factor in the size you find there’s only 52 people per square mile. That places Colorado in 37th place in terms of population density.

Of those 104,000 square miles, there are 11 national forests and two national grasslands. Their locations are shown on the map inside our Camp Colorado Guide. Those national lands total 14.5 million acres! While I’ve yet to hike or fish all of these, I’ve heard there are 160 miles of trails and over 100 miles of fishing steams.

Colorado welcomes you to vacation with us and hunt, fish, birdwatch, cycle, kayak, raft, ride horses, zip-line or any of a multitude of other outdoor adventures.

If that isn’t your cup of tea, take in the landscape of the Rockies, enjoy the arts from city to mountain towns, sample the cuisine from fine dining to Rocky Mountain oysters, see the historic mines and trains, study the eclectic architecture that abounds, and learn about the people who once established what we now get to enjoy.

Still not hitting it? How about savoring Colorado wines and microbreweries? Hey, that’s a favorite of many!

Or do a little bit of all of it. That would make a memorable vacation … or two or three or four!

We invite you come to Colorado to escape! Breathe in the mountain fresh air! See what it’s like to feel as though you can reach up and touch the stars, and we invite you to camp while taking it all in.



Our search page makes it easier to search for campgrounds.

This publication is supported by funding from the Colorado Tourism Office, a state agency. Turn to Colorado.com for a comprehensive list of festivals, events, historic areas, itineraries, and community insight.
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