7 Offbeat Colorado Towns To Visit In 2025

Worldwide travelers set their sights on the Centennial State for skiing, climbing, and other ways to unwind, and nothing is quite as authentic as Colorado's mountaineering spirit. Revealing some of the Rockies' best, this collection of seven off-beat towns reflects Colorado's true colors with unique features and quirky surprises.

Both a jigsaw puzzle in themselves, each is part of a bigger picture—the offbeat Colorado. It is where the New Age is in the midst of nowhere, and prehistoric sites are in Denverites' backyard. Manitou Springs is known for eclectic festivals and endearing hikes, while Crestone really encapsulates the state's motto: "Nothing without the Deity."

Crestone

Bounded by the Sangre de Cristo range in the east and Great Sand Dunes National Park in the south, Crestone is kind of in the middle of nowhere. In addition to common UFO sightings and a UFO watchtower, there is also a spiritual center for a number of religions. After the 19th-century mine depletion, in the 20th century, Crestone experienced a spiritual renaissance in beautiful surroundings. Today, the "New Age Capital of the World" is globally recognized. Scenic domes, like MahaLakshmi Temple, peek through the foothills.

From Tashi Gomang Stupa to Crestone Ziggurat, its Zen Center could not fit better in mountainous vistas, while a dozen retreats crowd around sacred landmarks. North Crestone Creek Campground welcomes nature lovers. Willow Creek Trailhead is a popular nearby hike. Challenger Point awaits to test your endurance next to Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, with a 4.5-mile trail to a hanging lake. For those not into mountaineering, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, minutes west, offers a serene escape into nature. Meanwhile, Our Food Is Art Restaurant serves state-renowned burgers.

Manitou Springs

Just west of Colorado Springs, this offbeat town with a cute name brims with oddities like Garden of the Gods. Along the Garden Dr., Balanced Rock is a precarious, striking, eons-old red rock formation within this park. Meanwhile, Garden of the Gods Trading Post is a quirky shop with a gallery, specialty foods, and Native American crafts. Manitou Incline poses an exhilarating challenge to ascend over 2,000 feet in under a mile, via 2,744 stairs. Archaeology fans can't miss Manitou Cliff Dwellings, dating to 1200 BCE, with a museum on prehistoric Native American life.

In addition, Manitou Springs celebrates the dead in October with frenzied coffin races, suds, and parades. In June, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the nation's second-oldest motorsports race, starts in town via Barr Trail, a 13-mile ascent. The Mumbo Jumbo Carnival and Parade warms up crowds in February with its Mumbo Jumbo gumbo cook-off. Colorado Ski Furniture is another whimsical shop, while minutes north, thrill seekers enjoy the historic Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, with spelunking tours, a zip line, and a ropes course.

Monte Vista

Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountains tower with many “fourteeners." Monte Vista, Spanish for "mountain view," attracts adventurers to explore these rugged south-central Colorado ranges. In addition to the expansive vistas, millennia-old Native American petroglyphs dot the area. You can make out the sandhill cranes' migration, which love the high plains valley to this day, having established it as their spring break spot. Protected as a refuge in the mid-20th century, the wetland habitat is a popular ecotourism spot, particularly during the annual Monte Vista Crane Festival in March.

The world's largest single-site brewery relies on the resilient crop fields that surround the town for miles. Monte Vista is a farming hub, thanks to the fertile San Luis Valley, which produces potatoes and other veggies alongside "Coors barley," used for Coors' Rocky Mountain-style beer. Amble around the retro-style historic district, perhaps for a brewski, sift through galleries and antiques, taquerias, and from-scratch bakeries, which also source locally. Annually in July, Monte Vista’s Ski Hi Complex draws worldwide cowboys for the state's oldest pro rodeo, the Ski-Hi Stampede, held since 1919.

Morrison

Morrison occupies the bottom of winding Bear Creek Canyon. Most known for its Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this outdoor concert venue is a spiritual experience at sunrise on a quiet hike among the rocks. Just west of Downtown Denver, the suburb is filled to the brim with curious oddities. First on the list? Tiny Town, which really puts perspective on scale, having just come from the big city to a small town to find an even smaller one within. This epic attraction features 100 miniature buildings at 1/6 size, plus a tiny tots train ride.

Take the Morrison Trailhead through a verdant park or the challenging Mount Morrison South Ridge Trailhead. Prehistoric fossils at the Dinosaur Ridge within North Dinosaur Park are also on display at the town's Natural History Museum, while Colorow's Cave was named after a prominent Ute chief who sought shelter for his family right here, in the midst of suburban Colorado. Unwind along the tiny main street with quaint shops, eateries, and antique stores. October's "A Storybook Holiday: Witches," Halloween event is a spooky delight for all ages.

Ouray

Ouray is the Switzerland of America. Ripe in scenic beauty, European charm, and rich mining history in the San Juan Mountains, its stunning alpine allure is a playground for adventurers and sightseers year-round. From the nearby popular Baby Bathtubs Trail to Ouray Via Ferrata Trailhead, this remote southwestern corner in the state encapsulates the spirit of the Rockies yet transports you overseas right in your backyard. Right on the doorstep, Box Cañon Falls Park features an 85-foot cascade, trails, picnic spots, and a visitor center.

Ouray’s Victorian-era downtown glows amid the snowy peaks in winter. Browsing its vibrant mix of shops, galleries, and restaurants, it is easy to mistake it for the Alps' own. The Ouray County Museum draws a connection to the riches gleaned during the region's gold and silver rush era. Many know of the Ouray Ice Park, a world-class destination for ice climbers within a natural gorge just outside. Ouray Hot Springs Pool is an attraction in itself, where you can soak in a variety of geothermal pools with scenic views of the places you have hiked. Many local lodges and inns also offer private springs.

Saguache

At the crossroads of two major highways in southern Colorado, Saguache still feels like the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by hot springs within a 40-mile radius, the area has long been settled and named after the Ute word for "blue earth," a nod to the high alpine valley with the second largest aquifer in the US. Between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the San Juans to the west, there is no shortage of natural beauty and wildlife. Abundant in trees and town greens along the walkable neighborhoods, it is nothing short of Pleasantville.

This town, which is 7,800 feet in size, is known for rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding trails that go on forever. Cannibal Alfred Packer was jailed in town. His victims were found some two hours west at Cannibal Plateau, while some of Packer's personal memorabilia are at the local County Museum. Among the surrounding ranches, some sell beef, one is an art center, and New Sky Ranch offers lodging. The 320-acre Saguache Ranch, a replica of an old west town, is for sale at $3.7 million, with its 18 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms.

Winter Park

Have you ever been to a resort town that didn't buckle down to tourists? Widely considered Colorado's original winter playground, Winter Park has everything for tourists, including nightlife, but it still feels like the locals rule the "hill." It even markets itself as "Colorado Unfiltered," making for a truly authentic experience beneath the sweeping peaks of the Rocky National Park. Winter Park Resort attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over, with trails ranging from beginner and kid-friendly to double black diamonds.

Meanwhile, Granby Ranch and the National Sports Center for the Disabled provide adaptive experiences for everyone's fun in the snow. Colorado Adventure Park offers snow tubing, fat biking, and snowshoeing with rentals for your favorite way to play, while Snoasis, located mid-mountain, is a vintage lodge to dine alpine-style January through March. Enjoy good food and incredible views of the resort's half-pipe and the terrain in a lively atmosphere, then descend under the stars via the nearby Explorer Express and Prospector lifts.

Bottoming out in canyons and upholding the heavens with snow-capped peaks, anything feels possible in Colorado. It is where Ouray captures the spirit of the Rockies in the ambiance of Switzerland. Saguache is a perfect base for mountain adventures and seeing a famous cannibal's personal belongings.

On the doorstep of the modern downtown Denver, Morrison rubs shoulders with dinosaur tracks and the Red Rock Amphitheater at the bottom of Bear Creek Canyon. These seven towns across the state are ideal for dreamers and adventurers. So, embrace authentic Colorado; surprising encounters make the best memories.