These May Just Be The 10 Most Iconic Places To Take Your Christmas Card Picture In Colorado

It is that time of year again: the time when we start to send photos and updates of ourselves and receive them in return from our friends and family. Are you ready? While you can always slap a selfie on a card or sit in a stale portrait studio, we recommend taking your card to the next level by taking your Christmas photos at one of these iconic locations! Christmas in Colorado has never been so scenic! These are the best places to take Christmas photos in colorful Colorado:

1. Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)

If you thought the Garden of the Gods was beautiful in the summer (which, of course, it is!), wait until you get a load of it capped with beautiful snow! No matter where you go in the park, you are guaranteed to have the most envy-worthy Christmas card in the family.

2. Maroon Bells (Aspen)

Do you want to show off your family AND the fact that you are a total BA who can hike 3.6-miles round-trip without breaking a sweat? Then the breathtaking Maroon Bells may be just the spot for your next Christmas card! Plus, it's one of the best winter hikes in Colorado. Are you not a huge hiker and want something equally beautiful without all the work? Then you may want to opt for...

3. Kebler Pass (Crested Butte)

...Kebler Pass, a colorful 30-mile drive that runs from Crested Butte to Paonia and features not only gorgeous mountain views but plenty of places to get out and take a postcard-worthy picture.

4. Casa Bonita (Lakewood)

Okay, so the fountain in front of Casa Bonita may not be the most beautiful spot in Colorado, but you cannot tell us it isn't incredibly iconic (and, by golly, a rite of passage)! Oh, and by the way, the creators of the hit TV show South Park are purchasing this iconic restaurant in Colorado to keep the legend alive.

5. Great Sand Dunes (Mosca)

Do you have a lot of out-of-state friends and family who think that Colorado is made up of only mountains? You can prove to them that there is a lot more to the state by taking a photo at the Great Sand Dunes, which consists of a whopping 149,028 acres of super soft sand. Come see why this is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Colorado for photography.

6. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre (Morrison)

Good news: There is still a little time left to get out and get your picture taken with the colorful fall foliage surrounding the Red Rocks Amphitheatre! Bonus points if you not only get your photo at the Amphitheatre but with your favorite band playing in the background. Christmas in Colorado is breathtaking at Red Rocks.

7. Pawnee Buttes (Sterling)

Do you live along the Eastern Plains and want to take photos near your home? Enter the Pawnee Buttes: two 300-foot-tall mesas that tower proudly over the surrounding shortgrass prairie. Are you in southeast Colorado and do not feel like driving up to Sterling? Read on...

8. Picketwire Canyon (La Junta)

Did you know that Colorado is home to the country's largest dinosaur track site? Located in the southeast town of La Junta, Picketwire Canyon is comprised of some 1,900 prints and 130 separate trackways, making for not only a sight that needs to be seen to be believed but also an epic Christmas photo. Please note: The trail to the Picketwire Canyon is 16.7 miles round-trip. This is one of those natural wonders in Colorado you can't miss, especially in the winter.

9. Crystal Mill (Carbondale)

Arguably one of the most popular spots to photograph in Colorado is Crystal Mill, an old 1892 wooden powerhouse that sits abandoned atop the picturesque Crystal River. As soon as you read this, make plans to hike to the Mill, as there is still a chance to see it with the surrounding fall foliage.

10. Mesa Verde National Park

For a truly unique photo (and overall experience), visit the historic Mesa Verde National Park, which preserves the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who called the area home from 600 to 1300 CE. Featuring 600 cliff dwellings, there is no shortage of places to snap and see at the incredible Mesa Verde.

Have you sat for portraits at any of the best places to take Christmas photos in Colorado? We would love to see them in the comments! For even more must-see places around the Centennial State, check out these 11 Hidden Gems You Have To See In Colorado Before You Die.