Introduction to South Central Colorado

Colorado is known the world over for its glorious skiing, beautiful scenery, and other outdoor adventures. The often overlooked South Central Colorado has so much to offer everyone from the casual visitor to the hard core adventure seeker. The boundaries of South Central Colorado are much argued but roughly from the San Juan Mountains (Continental Divide) in the west to Colorado Springs and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the east and from I-70 in the north to the border with New Mexico in the south. The cities of Pueblo and Trinidad are commonly considered to be part of Southeastern Colorado.

South Central Colorado is where the images are drawn that people visualize when thinking of mountainous Colorado. There are vistas here which equal and maybe from some perspectives exceed the continental divide view as seen on I-70 at the 'Buffalo Heard' overlook. Here is where one can find the infamous Fourteeners, which refers to mountains that have an altitude of fourteen thousand feet or more. You can truly feel as though you’re on top of the world here, even when in the alpine San Luis Valley which is at an altitude of around seven thousand feet above sea level. While this environment provides for some of the freshest and crispest air in the world, some visitors find their first trip a bit breathtaking – literally. The high altitudes sometimes makes for necessary adjustments to be made on one’s respiratory system and so, especially for first-timers or those who are coming from near sea level. It is recommended that one first become acclimated to the altitude before trying to run across the parking lot, as as I have seen friends discovered in a most breathless way.

If you should tire of looking up and want something different stop by the Royal Gorge and get a nice case of vertigo looking down from the Royal Gorge Bridge and ride across on the tram. It may be hard to believe but there is also the Sand Dunes National Park. What a site that is with the snow capped mountains in the background. Oh yes, there is the city of Leadville which happens to be the highest incorporated city in the U.S.

Bill Dvorak’s Kayak & Rafting Expeditions offers a variety of rafting trips where people come year after year to experience the wonderful Colorado waters by kayaking, white water rafting and fly fishing on the Arkansas and Rio Grand rivers whose headwaters are in the high San Juan mountains. This is an experience you’ll never forget as you get up close and personal with the fine, refreshing water. For more thrills, be sure to visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located just outside of Aspen, where you can experience everything from watching a sunset as you sail along in a relaxing tram ride, for excitement there is the bungee tram or just watch the kids dig up fossils in Discovery Park.

This area is so diverse that it is nearly impossible to cover it all here. I will just say that having made many trips there I saw or experienced something new and different each and every time. I even remember sitting by the side of the road while a cattle drive (yes a for real one and not one put on for dude ranch visitors) passed as they were moving the herds to the high summer range.