No trip to Colorado is complete without exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. Encompassing over 250,000 acres of postcard-perfect mountains, lakes, and tundras within the Front Range, this national park is excellent for hiking with over 350 miles of trails to explore. One of the best treks is up to Chasm Lake, which offers stunning panoramas of Long's Peak, the park's tallest mountain. If hiking isn't your thing, spend the day fishing on the Colorado River and keep an eye out for local wildlife, including moose, elk, and bighorn sheep. Campers planning to spend a few days at Rocky Mountain National Park will find several primitive campgrounds across the park. Major cities like Denver and Fort Collins are less than two hours away if you'd prefer to park up at one of the best campgrounds in Colorado.
Tucked away in the state's southwest corner is one of Colorado's most striking parks, Mesa Verde National Park. This park is historically significant as it contains over 600 archeological sites belonging to the Ancestral Puebloans. Some of these homes date back over 700 years and are some of the best examples of Ancestral Pueblo heritage in the US. Take a guided or self-guided tour of the park, which will lead you to the ruins of fascinating cliffside dwellings like Cliff Palace and Long House. If you plan to stay overnight at Mesa Verde National Park, you'll find Morefield Campground, which includes around 15 RV sites with full hookups. Or, drive 35 miles to Durango and park up at one of the city's several campgrounds like United Campground of Durango and Durango North KOA.
Another national park in Southern Colorado worth exploring is Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. While most people wouldn't associate Colorado with desert landscapes, the San Luis Valley features the largest sand dunes in the country, five of which are over 700 feet tall. As well as this 19,000-acre dunefield, the park is also home to lush grasslands and serene alpine lakes. Hike up the dunes, or spend your day sand boarding and sand sledding for a unique and exciting experience. Campers can spend the night at the rural Piñon Flats Campground or drive just outside the park and camp at Grand Sand Dunes Oasis or Zapata Falls Campground.