Planning Your Summer Vacation?

It’s Memorial Day weekend, which many people consider to be the unofficial beginning of summer. Even though the weather has been more like winter than summer, warmer days are sure to come. So if you’re planning a Colorado trip this summer — whether it be for enjoying the outdoors, visiting historic sites, experiencing arts and culture, or wining and dining — the State of Colorado has numerous resources to help you plan where to go and what to do.

The Colorado Field Guide is a website from the Colorado Tourism Office that you can use to explore some great vacation ideas in all parts of the state. Also see their Trip Ideas and Things to Do pages.

The Official State Vacation Guide, also from the Colorado Tourism Office, includes everything you need to know about what to do, where to stay, and how to get there. You can check out a copy from our library, or order your own free copy here.

Interested in hiking, biking, fishing, boating, and camping? Head over to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website and click on the “Places to Go” and “Things to Do” menus.

If food and drink is more your style, the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s agritourism website features great resources on festivals, farmers’ markets, wineries/breweries/distilleries, locally sourced food, dude ranches, bed and breakfasts, and more. There’s even a section with Colorado recipes!

Colorado Roots, another website from the Colorado Tourism Office, also offers information on agritourism as well as historic places and museums. Colorado Roots was previously issued in magazine form – you can view issues through 2018 from our library.

Colorado history is full of amazing stories…and places that tell them. History Colorado offers some incredible museums and historic sites across the state, including trains, forts, historic houses, and museums celebrating our state’s diverse cultural groups. Check ’em out.

Looking for arts and culture? The Colorado Tourism Office’s Colorado Creative Corridor site explores several of the state’s certified Creative Districts. Click here [broken link removed 27 June 2022] for a map of all of Colorado’s Creative Districts.

Finally, as you travel around the state, enjoy the view! Colorado has 26 Scenic & Historic Byways, more than any other state. View this illustrated guide for photos, maps and facts about each byway. (This is a large file and may take a few moments to load).

Our library has hundreds of additional resources on Colorado tourism, so search our online catalog to find more information on a Colorado place or activity.