Today’s guest post is part of the “Favorite Places to Explore Nature” series and comes from fellow outdoor blogger Angela of The Walking Stick, who also happens to be a big supporter of GoExploreNature’s Facebook page (thank you, Angela!). I’m so happy she’s here to tell you all about her favorite places to explore nature in Colorado!
I recently told my daughter that someday we might move away from Colorado. To my surprise, she was quite upset, and let me know right away that she really didn’t want to move. She specifically said she would miss the beautiful mountains and all the outdoor stuff we get to do as a family. Her proclamations of love for Colorado made me very happy!
Just like my daughter, I too love Colorado! I can’t think of any other place I’d rather live.
Colorado is a beautiful state best known for skiing, but loved by its residents for the variety of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed all year.
My family and I live south of Denver, in one of the communities located in Douglas County. Although we live close enough to visit most major tourist attractions, we have three favorite spots where we especially like to enjoy and explore nature.
Roxborough State Park
Roxborough State Park is only 20 minutes away from our house. The kids love hiking here because every time we go, they see and learn something new.
In past hikes, we’ve been lucky enough to see a red tail fox, a rattlesnake and tons of mule deer! Not to mention that the landscape is amazingly beautiful, featuring those beautiful red rocks found on many a Colorado postcard.
Our last trip to Roxborough was earlier this month and we were pleased to see that the landscape was changing in color – a sign that autumn is finally arriving in Colorado. Our hike was made extra special when we saw a beautiful scrub jay gather and eat nuts nearby. He didn’t seem afraid of us and was happy to entertain the entire family for a very long time!
Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park
Spring, summer and fall are the best times to visit Estes Park with kids. When we go, we love renting a cabin for the weekend. We usually go fishing and hiking.
We also like to take the Estes Park Aerial Tram to feed the chipmunks some peanuts (which they sell at the ranger’s store).
While in Estes, we also get to see majestic elk,
steller’s blue jays,
and marmots – all in one place, and usually all in one day!
Another wonderful thing about Estes Park is that it’s right next to Rocky Mountain National Park. What a wonderful place to explore nature! The last time we went hiking there, we took the Bear Lake Trail – and actually saw a bear!
Lucky for us, the bear was shy. But we did get to see it boogey away fast into the mountainous part of the trail. Although our visit was in August, the kids are still talking about their encounter with the mighty bear!
Douglas County Trails
Although we drive to Roxborough State Park, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, we usually don’t have to go too far to enjoy nature. In our county, we have approximately 46,552 acres of open space that has been designated protected land and have been mainly made into hiking trails.
The Douglas County Trails make it easy for us to walk right into nature! In fact, our favorite time as a family is to leave our house and hit the trail just one minute away from our house. This is a special time for the kids who love to seek out the bugs that are in abundance there throughout the year.
Just as an FYI, I’ve told my daughter that we are not leaving our beloved Colorado any time soon!
The Walking Stick is a blog written by Angela Richtenburg, who chronicles her family’s outdoor adventures to inspire others to go out and enjoy nature.
Wow, those are some really great pics, Angela! I get to go to Colorado several times a year and it is always a great experience. I think I would miss not having an ocean, but I would sure have fun in those mountains 🙂