Your Ultimate Guide To State Parks In Colorado

The Centennial State is well known for its natural beauty; its sprawling Rocky Mountains, dreamy alpine lakes, endless hiking trails, and a plethora of outdoor recreational activities beckon travelers from around the world. Our beloved State Parks are well maintained and cared for, and for good reason: they simply are some of the most beautiful in the country. We’ve crafted this guide to be your ultimate guide to State Parks in Colorado, so be sure to reference it when you plan your next Colorado adventure.

Most Popular State Parks In Colorado

Colorado offers some of the most pristine natural environments in the country that outdoor enthusiasts come from around the world to explore. Endless hiking, fishing, camping, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, and other year-round recreational adventures await. Of the 42 State Parks and four National Parks in Colorado, below are three of the most popular parks in the state. While you may have to contend with some crowds to explore them, their beauty and allure are well worth the effort.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Jessica Moore / OnlyInYourState Staff Writer

• Location: Estes Park, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Expansive park with gorgeous mountain views, endless hiking, and tons of wildlife
• Need To Know: Advanced reservations are generally required to enter the park. They cost $2. Once you've reserved your timed entry pass, you will need to pay the additional $30 per vehicle entrance fee to enter the park. Be aware that there is little to no cell service in the park, so make sure you're prepared with a park map, plenty of water, and proper clothing for the variable weather conditions that often occur in the park.

While Rocky Mountain National Park is not technically a State Park, it still warrants mentioning as the most popular park in Colorado. This 265,000-acre park offers breathtaking mountain vistas everywhere you turn; in fact, the park has more than 60 mountain peaks that top out at 12,000 feet in elevation or higher. There are over 350 miles of some of the best hiking trails in the country. You're also likely to encounter a variety of wildlife; most notoriously, the herds of elk that meander through certain areas of the park (see the image I captured of an elk resting in the grass in Moraine Park). You might also encounter moose, birds of prey, coyotes, and perhaps an occasional bear or mountain lion. Please remember never to approach or attempt to feed the wildlife.

There are several campgrounds in the park as well, some of which require advanced reservations, and some are walk-in basis only. But take it from me, it's best to check with park staff and make any camping reservations in advance as the campgrounds often fill up months in advance.

Check out this amazing video for a detailed walk-through of Rocky Mountain National Park:

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, USA

Jessica Moore / OnlyInYourState Staff Writer

• Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Amazing red sandstone rock formations with Pikes Peak in the background
• Need To Know: No entrance fee

Garden of the Gods is one of the most iconic and easily recognizable natural landmarks in Colorado. A conglomeration of sandstone and limestone formations formed over years of deposition and erosion, these amazing reddish rock formations jut out of the landscape in the foreground, while Pikes Peak - America's Mountain - towers majestically in the background.

I grew up exploring this amazing park, and now I spend a great deal of time photographing it. This is my favorite overlook of the park, and this sunset still remains the most beautiful sunset I have ever witnessed there. This natural wonder will leave you speechless with awe at its beauty, but because it does get crowded, I recommend you visit early in the morning during the week if you can; this way, you can avoid some of the crowds.

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Steamboat Lake State Park, 61105 Rcr 129, Clark, CO 80428, USA

John B. Kalla / Flickr

• Location: Clark, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Gorgeous views of Hahn’s Peak, breathtaking wilderness, ample campsites
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle entrance passes are $10 per vehicle, basic campsites are $28 per night ($18 per night in the winter), and electric hookup sites are $36 per night ($28 per night in winter)

Steamboat Lake State Park is a peaceful destination tucked away in the beautiful Yampa Valley north of Steamboat Springs, in the northwest corner of Colorado. At 8,100 feet in elevation, this vast, sprawling paradise offers all your favorite outdoor activities: family-friendly fishing, kayaking, boating, camping, hiking, waterskiing, and other water sports, along with wintertime recreational activities, such as snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more. There are also 188 campsites (both tent and electric) as well as 10 cabins that you can rent if you'd like to stay and enjoy a few days of adventure. We highly recommend that you do!

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Best State Parks In Colorado To Camp

Camping is the most natural way to immerse yourself in the outdoors. It’s also a very low-cost alternative to staying in a hotel and gives you that much more time to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. Plus, who doesn’t love to roast s’mores over a campfire under a sparkling night sky? There are over 4,000 campgrounds in Colorado, and each is special in its own way; however, below are three of the best State Parks in Colorado for campers.

Mueller State Park, 21045 CO-67, Divide, CO 80814, USA

Micah M / Google

• Location: Divide, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, lots of hiking trails, high-elevation camping
• Need To Know: The daily park pass is $10 per vehicle. Tent campsites are $28 per night, electric sites are $36 per night. There are coin-operated showers and washers/dryers, vault toilets, and there is firewood for sale. Please note that dogs are not permitted on the hiking trails or in the backcountry

Mueller State Park is one of the most popular camping destinations in Colorado. Despite its popularity, if you plan and reserve your campsite ahead of time, you can still enjoy an incredibly scenic and peaceful camping experience at this 5,000-acre State Park. Wildlife sightings of black bears, elk, mule deer, hawks, and more are common, so be sure to keep your food items stored in your locked vehicle. Depending on the season, you can enjoy boating, cross-country skiing, hiking, geocaching, horseback riding, OHV riding, snowmobiling, and much more. Mueller State Park is the first park where I went camping as a child, and it's the first campground where I took my own child camping for the first time, so it's a very special campground that is kid-friendly and sure to be a family favorite.

Eleven Mile State Park, 4186, 4344 Co Rd 92, Lake George, CO 80827, USA

VpV / Google

• Location: Lake George, Colorado
• Wow Factor: This state park is remote and tucked away in the trees alongside a large reservoir, which offers excellent fishing opportunities
• Need To Know: This park is very remote and there is unlikely to be any cell signal. The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle, basic campsites start at $28 per night and electric sites are $36 per night

The idyllic and remote Eleven Mile State Park is just 11 miles south of the little town of Lake George, Colorado. This pristine park surrounds the 3,405-acre Eleven Mile Reservoir, which offers excellent fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat, kokanee, and pike. The campsites are plentiful and well-maintained. The park offers a whopping 325 campsites, and I can vouch from experience that this is one of the best campgrounds in Colorado for the lakeside scenery and perfect night sky viewing. On a clear night, you'll be in awe of how brightly the Milky Way shines over the sparkling water. I also highly recommend renting a paddle board or kayak from the marina to take exploring around the lake. It's so incredibly serene and peaceful that you won't want to leave.

State Forest State Park, 56750 CO-14, Walden, CO 80480, USA

Kroum Kouzmanov / Google

• Location: Walden, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Colorado's largest state park with expansive wilderness and mountain scenery
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle entrance fees/passes are $10 per vehicle. Dispersed campsites are $18 per night, basic tent campsites are $28 per night, and electric hookup campsites are $36 per night. There is no charge for backcountry camping, but you'll still need to check in with the park staff beforehand. Campsite reservations can be made at the Moose Visitor Center or by visiting their website

Did you know that State Forest State Park is the largest state park in Colorado? This 71,000-acre wilderness is located near Walden, Colorado, and offers some of the most pristine, untouched mountain wilderness you'll find anywhere. With scattered alpine lakes of azure blue, endless hiking trails galore, and all the Rocky Mountain scenery one could possibly desire, this state park is a true Colorado gem. Enjoy countless opportunities for outdoor recreation year-round, from fishing, boating, camping, and hunting to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and more. You'll want to spend at least a handful of days or longer camping out at this beautiful outdoor oasis. I know it's made its way onto my camping bucket list!

Best State Parks In Colorado To RV

There is no better way to enjoy the peaceful respite of nature while still maintaining your comfort than by bringing your own RV (or renting an RV through RVshare!) with you on your travel adventures. Not all campgrounds in Colorado are the most RV-friendly, but many are very accommodating to RV campers. The below campgrounds are some of the best State Parks in Colorado for RV camping.

Cherry Creek State Park, 4201 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80014, USA

Yu-Feng Gu / Google

• Location: Aurora, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Large and beautiful state park that is very easy to access from Denver and surrounding areas
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle entrance passes are $11 per vehicle, dog off-leash passes are $3, basic campsites are $28 per night, and electric hookup sites are $41 per night

Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora might be the best State Park in Colorado for those who enjoy water sports and activities. Here, you can enjoy paddle boarding, water skiing, fishing (just be sure you have a fishing license), boating, kayaking, jet skiing, and much more. I have ventured to this park many times, and am always surprised by how many people visit this park, yet you can still find so many peaceful scenes and moments like the one captured above.

This park's popularity is in part due to its close proximity to Denver, but that's part of what makes it so great: if you're visiting Denver but don't have much spare time to explore, you can still visit this park and enjoy so much natural beauty. It's hard to believe this serene park is nestled right in the biggest city in Colorado! It's also perfect for those who struggle with higher elevation but still want to enjoy some strolling in nature, as there are several walking trails scattered throughout the park. Not to mention, its white, sandy beaches almost make you feel like you're at the ocean!

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Chatfield State Park, 11500 N Roxborough Park Rd, Littleton, CO 80125, USA

SeanXu / iStock / Getty Images Plus

• Location: Littleton, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Replace this text with the correct information.
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle. All approximately 200 campsites have electric hookups, but full hookup camping is only available to 146 sites from mid-April through mid-October. The rest of the sites offer electric only. Reserve your campsite in advance through their website

Chatfield State Park is a peaceful, serene little park located in the Platte River Valley in Littleton, one of Denver's western suburbs. Chatfield Reservoir offers fantastic fishing and boating opportunities year-round. In fact, boating is so popular at Chatfield that their marina offers boat rentals and even a floating restaurant! It also offers horseback riding, camping, and even hot air ballooning! What makes this State Park so great for RV campers is that all 200 of the campsites offer electric hookups for RVs! And for being so close to Denver, I think that Chatfield State Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Colorado.

While you're there, I highly recommend checking out the nearby Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms during the warmer months, children and adults alike will adore petting the farm animals, exploring the Butterfly House and the rustic farmhouses, playing on the farm equipment and the playground, and much more.

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Ridgway State Park, 28555 Highway 550, Ridgway, CO 81432, USA

Veronica Esler / Google

• Location: Ridgway, Colorado
• Wow Factor: Gorgeous views of the Uncompahgre River and the San Juan Mountains, offers close access to Ouray and Montrose
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle, tent campsites are $28 per night, electric RV campsites are $36 per night, and full hookup sites are $41 per night. Alternatively, you can rent a yurt for $90 per night

Ridgway State Park is a magnificent park located about 15 miles north of the famous mountain town of Ouray. Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground in Ridgway State Park was ranked in the Top 10 RV Campgrounds in the US by USA TODAY in their 2020 Reader's Choice Awards! This beautifully maintained State Park and its campgrounds offer beautiful views of the Uncompahgre River and the surrounding San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. This is my favorite mountain range in the state to explore, and I highly recommend visiting Ouray, the Dallas Divide, and Telluride while you're in the area, and if your schedule allows for it. The campground itself offers 258 electric hookup campsites from April to October. Restrooms, showers, and a coin-operated laundromat are on site. Ridgway State Park is a beautiful destination for your RV camping adventures.

Best State Parks In Colorado For Hiking

It should come as no surprise that Colorado is a hiker’s paradise. There are more than 17,000 hiking trails spanning a total of 39,000 miles across the Centennial State! If those stats don’t impress you enough, we also have 58 mountains that rise above 14,000 feet (which we term 14ers), and many of those amazing trails can be found scattered throughout Colorado’s 42 State Parks. If you’re looking for the best of the best, the parks listed below are easily among the best State Parks in Colorado for hiking.

Roxborough State Park, 4751 Roxborough Dr, Littleton, CO 80125, USA

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• Location: 4751 Roxborough Dr, Littleton, CO 80125
• Wow Factor: Rugged red sandstone rock formations with miles of hiking trails among them
• Need To Know: Dogs are not permitted on the hiking trails within the park. Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle

Nestled along the foothills of the Front Range Mountains just 20 miles south of Denver is the iconic Roxborough State Park. These dramatic red sandstone rock formations emerge from the landscape to create a truly otherworldly landscape with endless hiking, biking, and photography opportunities. This beautiful 3,339-acre park was established in 1975 and declared a National Natural Landmark just 5 years later. It is beloved by locals and visitors alike for its 14 miles of hiking trails of varying difficulty levels. Having hiked several of the trails in this park, I can attest to these trails being among the best hiking trails along the eastern slope of the Front Range Mountains. You'll likely contend with crowds unless you hit the trails early in the morning (and even better if you can visit on a weekday morning), but even with crowds, the park is spacious enough that you shouldn't encounter too much (if any) disruption of your experience. These views are so picture-worthy that you'll hardly notice others on the trail anyway.

Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 CO-83, Franktown, CO 80116, USA

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• Location: 2989 CO-83, Franktown, CO 80116
• Wow Factor: Beautiful views of the surrounding landscape, hiking trails for most skill levels, easy access for a day hike
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle. Leashed pets are permitted on trails

Castlewood Canyon State Park is not one of the most well-known State Parks in Colorado, and I consider this a good thing, as there never seem to be too many people hiking the trails in this park. Even on the busiest days, there is plenty of space for all to roam through this expansive and unique park. It offers a variety of hiking trails from 1 mile to 4 miles in length, and you can easily combine trails if you'd like to add distance to your hike. Living just a short distance from this park makes it a popular choice for a day hike, and it's very family-friendly if you have children you'd like to bring along with you. Note that there are some stream and river crossings with some trails, but they aren't terribly difficult as long as you have sturdy shoes. You can always avoid those crossings by hiking along the rim of the canyon instead for some breathtaking views.

Golden Gate Canyon State Park, 92 Crawford Gulch Rd, Golden, CO 80403, USA

Scott Corrow / Google

• Location: 92 Crawford Gulch Rd, Golden, CO 80403
• Wow Factor: Vibrant colors during the fall season, 36 miles of hiking trails
• Need To Know: Note that there is no cell phone service in this park. Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle. Backcountry campsites are $18 per site per night, basic campsites are $28 per night, electric campsites are $36 per night

Get your cameras ready, this State Park tops the charts as one of the most vibrant and colorful parks in Colorado, especially during the fall season. Appropriately named, Golden Gate Canyon State Park boasts vibrant hues of golds, oranges, and reds during autumn, but offers 36 miles of hiking trails and endless beauty to enjoy year-round. Raccoon Trail offers some especially stunning views of the surrounding peaks and valleys, and what's great about these trails is that there are options for all skill levels and age ranges. Bring the family for some fall leaf-peeping or enjoy some solo hiking in the quiet respite of nature. Luckily, this park never gets too crowded, so you're likely to enjoy plenty of peace and quiet.

Little-Known State Parks In Colorado

If you are the type that prefers to avoid the crowds that can so often be found at our beautiful state parks, you’re in luck! These little-known State Parks in Colorado don’t typically draw big crowds. And, they offer plenty of natural wonder and beautiful views to soak in, while avoiding a lot of the stress that dealing with crowded parks often brings.

Rifle Falls State Park, 5775 Highway 325, 10379 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650, USA

Jessica Moore / OnlyInYourState Staff Writer

• Location: 5775 Highway 325, 10379 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650
• Wow Factor: Colorado's most easily accessible waterfalls
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle. Basic campsites are $28 per night and electric hookup campsites are $36 per night

Rifle Falls State Park is such a hidden gem that I almost don't want to tell you about it. I discovered it somewhat by accident while traveling along Interstate 70, and due to bad weather, I found lodging in the little town of Rifle. I went off exploring the area and stumbled across the amazing Rifle Falls and was truly blown away. These triple 70-foot waterfalls are quite impressive, and even during the winter months, they often freeze over and are visually stunning (in a different way). You can even walk behind the falls! This was my favorite discovery of the visit; feeling the power of the falls and the soft mist on your skin is rejuvenating. If you're lucky and visit during the off-season, like I did, you may even get this amazing little park all to yourself. Another great thing about these beautiful falls is that these are the most accessible waterfalls in Colorado; for those that require those considerations, you'll be delighted to know that you'll be able to fully enjoy this park's beauty.

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Staunton State Park, 12102 S Elk Creek Rd, Pine, CO 80470, USA

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• Location: 12102 S Elk Creek Rd, Pine, CO 80470
• Wow Factor: Towering granite cliffs and rugged, forested terrain, plenty of hiking trails, camping, and more
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle passes are $10 per vehicle. Basic campsites are $28 per site per night. There are no electric campsites

Staunton State Park is one of the newest State Parks in Colorado, which also means it's one of the lesser-known. Established in 2013, this charming 3,828-acre park is located near the little town of Pine (about an hour's drive southwest of Denver). Here, you'll find varying landscapes ranging from grassy meadows to towering granite cliffs, and forested terrain throughout, this little slice of heaven has it all. You'll want to download the trail map from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website to plan your day of hiking and exploring. If you're up for a longer hike that leads to a great reward at the end, check out Elk Falls Trail. It's 12 miles in length and gains 1,500 feet in elevation, but the falls at the end are a beautiful treat. There are plenty of shorter, easier hikes throughout the park that are all worth exploring as well.

Barr Lake State Park, 13401 Picadilly Rd, Brighton, CO 80603, USA

Faina Gurevich / iStock / Getty Images Plus

• Location: 13401 Picadilly Rd, Brighton, CO 80603
• Wow Factor: Stunning views of Long's Peak, vast species of local and migrating birds, popular for hiking, biking, boating, and fishing
• Need To Know: Daily vehicle passes are $10 per person

Barr Lake State Park is located in Brighton, a growing suburb northeast of Denver, and it's quite an unexpected little slice of paradise that many people (even many locals) aren't aware exists. But the biggest draw to this park, in my opinion, is this stunning view of Long's Peak towering majestically in the distance to the west. Another reason to visit this peaceful little park is that it is a frequent stop for over 350 species of waterfowl and other local and migrating bird species, not to mention a variety of other wildlife. You might get lucky enough to spot Bald Eagles here! This park also offers 12 miles of trails for walking, hiking, running, and biking. Plus, fishing, boating, and kayaking are popular activities enjoyed by visitors to the park, so there is truly something for everyone to enjoy here.

Which of these best State Parks in Colorado are you most looking forward to visiting, if you haven’t already? If you’ve visited before, which are your favorites from this list? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

If you’re still looking for some additional Colorado State Park inspiration, we’d suggest adding Eldorado Canyon State Park to your travel bucket list, because it was rated Colorado’s Best State Park by Travel + Leisure in 2021. Check it out, and see if you agree!