We Love Our National Parks, but This Colorado State Park Is Just as Colorful

If you drive into Colorado from any direction, you'll be greeted by a sign saying: "Welcome to Colorful Colorado." There are 41 of these signs, in fact, one at each and every entry point. We love welcoming people to our state, and these signs remind visitors that they're about to see many beautiful and colorful sights during their time here. Colorado's beauty is one of the things I love best about living in this great state, and I love encouraging visitors to see as much of it as possible.

Colorado has 17 National Park Service sites within its boundaries. Four of these are national parks—Rocky Mountain, Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Mesa Verde—along with 13 other NPS sites, including five national monuments, four national historic trails, three national historic sites, and one national recreation area. All are worth visiting, and all draw many thousands of visitors each year.

But there's so much more to see in Colorado, too! In addition to these sites under National Park Service management, our state also has 11 national forests and two national grasslands. Even more exciting is the fact that Colorado has 43 state parks. I've made an effort to visit each and every one of them, and if you ask me, they are all worth checking out.

One of my very favorite Colorado state parks is Roxborough State Park. This incredible, 3,413-acre state park is just south of Denver and is absolutely spectacular. It is full of wildlife, diverse plant species, and towering red rock formations. It's often overlooked by visitors to the area, but I'm telling you—do NOT miss it. You're going to love this park. Read on to learn more about it.

You're probably already familiar with the prevalence of red rock in the Front Range of Colorado. Almost everyone knows about Red Rocks Amphitheater and the park surrounding it, and most also know about Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Boulder has the Flatirons, too. These red rock formations are gorgeous and receive many visitors each year.

However, along roughly the same longitude, you'll also find the less-visited Roxborough State Park. It's only 40 minutes south of downtown Denver and very worth the trip. Like the other red rock parks mentioned above, this park features 300-million-year-old red sandstone. The sandstone formations jut out of the ground around them at a 60-degree angle and tower high above the landscape below.

This state park was established in 1975. In 1980, it was recognized as a National Natural Landmark due to its vast ecological and geological diversity. In addition to its rock formations, this park is full of forests packed with ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees and open prairies and woodlands. Over 145 species of birds have been recorded as visitors to the park—it's been designated as an Important Bird Area by Audubon—and over 50 species of butterflies live within the park boundaries as well.

What most human and animal visitors love best about Roxborough State Park is that it is generally uncrowded. I have personally visited this park many times, and I am always able to find some quiet space and time alone on the park's trails. In an average year, Roxborough State Park sees about 177,000 visitors. For comparison purposes, the nearby Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater welcomes well over one million visitors annually. So, if you want to enjoy red rock formations in an uncrowded environment, Roxborough State Park is an excellent choice.

Due to the lack of crowds, there's a good chance that you will see abundant wildlife during your visit to Roxborough State Park. In addition to birds and butterflies, 11 different reptiles and amphibians have been found in the park. Many mammals live in the park, too, including coyotes, deer, elk, foxes, mountain lions, black bears, prairie dogs, and rabbits.

This park offers several excellent hiking trails, all rated easy or moderate. The most popular is the Fountain Valley Loop Trail, which is rated easy and takes hikers on a 2.3-mile loop through rock formations. Be sure to bring your camera!

When you visit Roxborough State Park, be sure to stop by the visitor center to learn more about the park and everything it has to offer. Enthusiastic staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the rocks, history, flora, or fauna of the park. There's also a bookstore where you can purchase a souvenir to further support the park.

Roxborough State Park is one of the very best state parks in Colorado, and you'll love everything about it. Although some overlook this state park, you'll find it to be a wonderful place to visit, and you'll likely want to return time and time again. Have a great visit! There's no other place quite like it—enjoy.