9 Strangest Landmarks in Colorado
Colorado is a nature-lovers paradise. From skiing in the mountains to unwinding in a hot spring, the state is full of outdoor attractions. Beyond its natural beauty, Colorado also has some strange attractions. For example, the state is home to Bishop Castle, the largest one-man architectural project in the world. The state is also home to a Best Western that makes visitors feel like they are visiting Jurassic Park. These are only a few of the unusual landmarks in Colorado. Here, we explore nine of the state's strangest landmarks.
Bishop Castle
One of Colorado's most unusual landmarks is a self-built castle. Bishop Castle is the United States' largest self-built castle. The castle was built by Jim Bishop. At 15, he dropped out of school after he was told that he would never amount to anything. With the help of his parents, Jim bought a small plot of land in the San Isabel National Forest. He planned to move there to live and hunt. In 1967, Jim got married. Then, he decided to build a home for himself and his wife. The home started as a one-room stone cottage and turned into a towering fortress over 16 stories high. This was the largest one-man architectural project in the entire world. To this day, Jim is still building. Visitors can drive by and stop to admire his magnificent castle.
Gnome Road
Colorado is full of remote places with winding dirt roads and unusual paths. However, one particularly unusual dirt path is found in the Red Feather Lakes area. Known as Gnome Road, this is a path where visitors will want to pay close attention to the bushes and trees. Many little gnomes are hiding amongst them. The little toys are set up in different scenes along the path. There are ceramic trolls in mushroom caps and plastic trolls climbing trees. Visitors are welcome to take pictures and admire the scenes of trolls but are asked not to take any of the gnomes. Gnome Road goes between Lake Hiawatha and Lake Apache. The unique scenes of gnomes and toys are worth the trek.
Denver's Dinosaur Hotel
While most hotels have a beige, minimalist decor, the Best Western Denver Southwest has a unique flair. Stepping into the Best Western feels like stepping into Jurassic Park. The hotel pays homage to the area's paleontological history by decorating the walls with faux dinosaur bones and statues. Nearby the hotel are significant sites in terms of dinosaur fossil discovery. The hotel is near the famed "Dinosaur Ridge," for example. This is the spot where the first stegosaurus bones were found. In honor of this, the hotel has its own stegosaurus named Stanley. Standing outside welcoming guests, Stanley is a magnificent fiberglass statue. Inside, there is an abundance of dinosaurs, including a huge replica of a stegosaurus skeleton. Inside the hotel, there is even a Dino-themed restaurant for visitors to enjoy.
Carousel of Happiness
Most carousels feature horses moving in a continuous circle. However, the Carousel of Happiness is not an ordinary carousel. Scott Harrison created it to spread warmth and joy to everyone in Nederland, Colorado. His vision was to create a ride of pure joy rather than a silly carnival ride. He hand-carved the entire carousel himself despite never having carved anything before in his life. The carousel has 35 different rideable animals, including a giraffe, a panda, and a goose. There is a ring of 25 smaller animals on the outside showcasing more of Harrison's beautiful hand-carved pieces. An extra special touch on the carousel is the tiny fairies flitting overhead. The carousel is in the small mountain town's only shopping center and is accessible to everyone. There is a ramp for wheelchair access, and one trip costs just one dollar.
Rainbow Falls
What attracts people to Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs, Colorado, is not necessarily the waterfall itself but the graffiti underneath. The waterfall spot is not a well-known spot for those outside the community. The falls are tucked underneath a highway overpass. The spot has earned the name Rainbow Falls because of the colorful graffiti that covers the walls of the bridge.
Although the city has tried to clean up the area, the graffiti has always come back. While graffiti deters some people, it brings new life and color into the area. Stopping at this unusual spot, visitors are likely to see photographers snapping a few shots of the area and families playing in the waterfalls.
The Stanley Hotel
On the outside, the Stanley Hotel appears ordinary. The beautiful 138-room Georgian hotel is in Estes Park and overlooks the Rocky Mountain National Park. Since its opening in 1909, the park has hosted many celebrities, including Theodore Roosevelt, the Emperor of Japan, and Titanic survivor Margaret Brown. The hotel also hosted Stephen King, and it was here that he gained inspiration for his famous novel The Shining. What makes the Stanley Hotel unusual is the numerous accounts of guests hearing paranormal activity. The hotel is believed to be haunted by benign spirits. Several guests have reported seeing strange things, such as the keys of a piano in the hotel's ballroom, moving by themselves. In honor of Stephen King's book, the hotel plays the original movie on repeat in all guest rooms.
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde is a unique national park home to some of the world's most stunning structures from sedimentary rock such as sandstone. Here, visitors can find the homes of the Pueblo people. These are twelfth and thirteenth-century rectangular homes that are under a great overhanging cliff. The dwellings are next to windowless walls.
Archeologists believe people inhabited these buildings for a mere century or so before some sort of disaster forced the Pueblo people to leave. Some people theorize that a huge drought made the area uninhabitable. Many of the Pueblo people's buildings in this location were destroyed by looters and vandals. Thanks to the work of people such as the Wetherills family and Teddy Roosevelt, what's left of the parkland is protected today and open to visitors.
International Church of Cannabis
Going to a church might not be the first thing visitors think of when they think of unusual landmarks. However, the International Church of Cannabis in Denver is extraordinary. Inside the church, there are colorful murals painted by the artist Okuda San Miguel. The brilliant range of colors creates an atmosphere unlike any other church. The church of Cannabis belongs to a religious group that identifies with Elevationism. This is a new religion that believes cannabis use has a spiritual place. While the church is religious, it holds many secular events. The Beyond Light Show is a laser light show held in the colorful church that happens once every hour. The church also has meditation classes and a gift shop.
The Paint Mines Interpretive Park
Near Calhan, Colorado, the Paint Mines Interpretive Park captivates visitors with its surreal, multicolored landscape. The park showcases vibrant clay formations, including spires and hoodoos, with colors resulting from varying oxidation states of iron compounds within the clay. These geological features developed over millions of years through erosive processes that created incised gullies and exposed layers of selenite clay and jasper. Archaeological evidence indicates human activity in the area dates back approximately 9,000 years, with Native American tribes utilizing colorful clays for pottery and ceremonial paints. Today, the park encompasses approximately four miles of trails with an elevation change of over 500 feet, guiding visitors through its unique geological formations and diverse prairie ecosystem, offering an experience that is both visually stunning and rich in historical significance.
Why Visit These Strange Landmarks
While visiting Colorado's Rocky Mountain Park or exploring Denver's iconic museums make for a great Colorado trip, exploring the state's unusual attractions is a great way to get to know the local culture and a more intimate way to travel. For example, landmarks such as Gnome Road, the Carousel of Happiness, and Rainbow Falls show a different side of Colorado's culture. These landmarks also have the perk of being less known, so there will likely be fewer crowds. This means visitors can enjoy some quiet while they are traveling and enjoying the culture of the area. Overall, whether you are looking to plan a weekend getaway in Colorado or a family road trip, consider adding these landmarks to your travel itinerary. They will make for an unforgettable experience.
