8 Most Scenic Small Towns In Colorado For Nature Lovers

Colorado is, for many people, a symbol of the American West. Rugged yet sophisticated, naturally majestic yet a comfortable place to live and vacation, the place welcomed visitors and longer-term settlers long before it became a US state in 1876. These days, Colorado's natural beauty offers some of the most impressive outdoor wonderlands found in any single part of the United States. Well beyond its larger cities, like Colorado Springs or its capital, Denver, smaller towns here provide a wealth of natural attractions amid a calmer pace for a trip away from home.

Durango

In Durango, a gem of Colorado's southwest, outdoors lovers flock to its ideally placed setting between the San Juan Mountains and the Animas River Valley's promise of fish aplenty. The Durango and Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad harkens back to the 19th-century days when rail and Colorado itself were new, making an ideal outing for families and rail fans.

Downtown Durango offers a mix of the arts, dining, and drinking. The Animas City Theatre, also in town, puts on lively productions on a regular basis, as does the Durango Arts Center. The Sorrel Sky Gallery combines Western and Native American artistic sensibilities. For a place to stay, choices range from Western standouts like the Colorado Trails Ranch to more standard options like motels, campsites, and RV parks.

Frisco

The central town of Frisco, a mountain town set at the western edge of the Dillon Reservoir, combines the best of land and water. Sitting above 9,000 feet, Frisco offers close access to famous ski resorts, including Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain, which makes the town a popular place to stay and play when not cruising down the slopes.

For families, the Frisco Adventure Park delights kids and adults with year-round activities, such as snow tubing, wagon rides, and disc golf. The Frisco Bay Marina allows for sailing on the reservoir, as well as rentals for canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boarding. Given the popularity of the town and its attractions, local authorities recommend making advance reservations ahead of high season and holiday periods. Accommodations range widely, from hotels like the AC Hotel Frisco to boutique operations, such as the Frisco Lodge Bed and Breakfast.

Fruita

A town on Colorado's "Western Slope" of the Continental Divide, the name of Fruita goes together with paleontology and the presence of dinosaur bones and fossils abundant here. Dinosaur Journey, which brings the area's fossil richness to life for children, makes for a family-friendly visit.

Also nearby is the Colorado National Monument, actually a rock formation, with dramatic canyons, animals like eagles and bighorn sheep, and a spectacular road from which to see it all. For smaller children and more animal-focused fun, the Moon Farm Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo, also in Fruita, educate kids about the wonders of the natural world. In the evening, parents can reward themselves with an adult beverage at the Copper Club Brewing Company, a beermaker that offers a pub space so comfortable that locals refer to it as "Fruita's living room."

Glenwood Springs

Taking its name from local hot springs, the town of Glenwood Springs, in western Colorado, once went by the moniker of Defiance. (Surrounding towns bear equally unusual names, like Rifle, Antlers, and No Name.) Set just north of the Colorado River, Glenwood Springs offers access to the White River National Forest, as well as numerous attractions downtown. For those interested in the springs above all, head to Iron Mountain Hot Springs, Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, or Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves. Outside of town, Glenwood Canyon draws visitors for hiking, walking, and kayaking, all within a glorious view of the Colorado River.

In town, history buffs can visit the Frontier Historical Museum, which exhibits the grit and grind of territory life and Colorado's transition to statehood. The center focuses on programs geared toward children's education. For a little caffeine between outings, the Deja Brew and Sunshine Too, a coffee shop and convenience store, offer java and outdoor seating beside its bright-blue walls.

Montrose

In picturesque Montrose, also found on the Western Slope, the town provides year-round options for fun and outside adventure. The Spring Creek Waterfall makes for a sublime photo opportunity as it shoots out from the surrounding rocky landscape. Many come to Montrose before or after a visit to Black Canyon, a part of Gunnison National Park. The canyon shows dark stone against a rushing Gunnison River below, giving a headrush to not a few gazing visitors. The park is also popular with cyclists. For a little time on (calmer) water, Blue Mesa Reservoir, east of town, allows for fishing, boating, and relaxation under an immense Colorado sky. For some more all-American culture after hours, head to the Tru Vu Drive-In, which shows films in a wide-open lot every evening at dusk.

Telluride

Telluride, a name synonymous with world-class skiing, sits in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado's southwest corner. A former mining town, the ski resort dominates most visitors' attention here, though further attractions await downtown, too. The historic district showcases homes from the Victorian era and building style, while several luxury accommodations, like the historic Hotel Telluride, a four-star option built in 1891, might serve as destinations of their own. For a mix of nature and history, the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum, run by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Land Management, offers facts, figures, and appreciation for Native American local tribes, including the Navajo, Ute, and Pueblo, as well as the onset of European settlement and the Americans of today.

Ouray

Wearing the nickname the "Switzerland of America" for its high-mountain setting like so many Swiss villages, the town of Ouray sits northeast of Telluride, at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. Many local visitors know Ouray for its Million Dollar Highway, which provides stunning views during the autumn leaf-changing season, or the Ouray Hot Springs Pool, a swimming facility surrounded by an impossibly pretty mountain backdrop. In winter, visitors flock to Ouray for its Ice Festival, held each January. The year 2025 marks the festival's 30th anniversary. Ouray is recognized as an ice climbing mecca in general; at Ouray Ice Park and other climbing sites, climbers can do their best to pick and clip their way to the top.

Salida

If Ouray finds its fans among ice climbers, the central Colorado town of Salida acts like a magnet for adepts of whitewater rafting, kayaking, and fly fishing. The Arkansas River offers the chance for each group to find their bliss in the local outdoors. Others prefer Monarch Mountain, a peak near Salida that offers skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing for winter fun. Monarch has operated as a ski area since 1939. For more on local history, the Salida Museum educates visitors from its place in the "heart of the Rockies," per its billing. The museum traces the legacy of Salida and the region, from the early days of settlements and railroads to the boom days of mineral discoveries and the town's current role as a vacation and adventure destination.

Natural Beauty Awaits In Colorado's Small Towns

As these remarkable towns suggest, some of the best natural beauty in Colorado hides among its smaller towns. From San Juan Mountain towns like Durango and Telluride, to the best of the Western Slope in places like Fruita and Montrose, these gems of travel interest might just inspire a vacation or two for when the summer weather comes. Likewise, in winter, ski and snowboard vacations or a venture into ice climbing in places like Ouray provide even more reasons to think of Colorado as a natural, beautiful travel destination for the near future.