RV Rental in Denver

RV camping in Colorado: a complete overview

Colorado is one of the richest RV camping states in the USA, with 4 national parks (Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison), ~40 state parks, 11 national forests, and a dozen BLM field offices. Most RV-accessible camping sits between 7,000 and 10,000 ft, so even in July you should plan for near-freezing nights. From Denver, you can reach Rocky Mountain National Park in 75 minutes, Great Sand Dunes in 4 hours, and Mesa Verde in 7.

Options span every comfort level: luxury resort parks with full hookups, hot tubs and trout ponds (Tiger Run in Breckenridge, Winding River Resort in Grand Lake), midrange state-park loops with power and water (Cherry Creek, Chatfield), rustic USFS campgrounds with vault toilets and no hookups, and free dispersed camping on millions of acres of public land. Reservations are essential at Rocky Mountain NP, every national-park campground, and at Colorado State Parks from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

National park campgrounds and Recreation.gov

Rocky Mountain National Park operates five campgrounds, all booked through Recreation.gov: Moraine Park (year-round, no hookups, the classic base for Bear Lake), Glacier Basin (summer only, reservations mandatory), Aspenglen (west side of the park), Timber Creek (west side, first-come in shoulder season), and Longs Peak (tent-only, not RV-friendly). Sites release 6 months in advance, the minute they open, summer Saturdays vanish.

Great Sand Dunes has one campground (Piñon Flats), Mesa Verde has Morefield, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison has South Rim and North Rim campgrounds. All bookable on Recreation.gov. Expect $25–$35/night, with the America the Beautiful inter-agency pass ($80/year) covering park entry but not camping.

Colorado State Parks

Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) runs 42 state parks, most with RV-friendly loops and full or partial hookups. The best RV picks within 90 minutes of Denver are Cherry Creek (reservoir, sandstone swimming, 20 min from downtown), Chatfield (south metro reservoir), Jackson Lake (east plains, migratory birds), and Eleven Mile (high-plains fishing south of Fairplay). For the full Colorado RV experience, aim west to Ridgway State Park (gateway to the San Juans), Steamboat Lake, State Forest (moose), and Sylvan Lake.

Cost: $28–$45/night plus a daily park pass ($10/day or $80/year with the Keep Colorado Wild pass). Reserve through cpw.state.co.us (they use Active Network / ReserveAmerica).

National Forest and BLM camping

Colorado's 11 national forests offer hundreds of developed campgrounds at $20–$30/night with vault toilets and potable water but no hookups. Popular favourites include Kelly Dahl (Arapaho NF, near Nederland), Meadows Group (Pike NF), Silver Jack (Uncompahgre NF), Amphitheater (Ouray), and Matterhorn (near Telluride).

USFS and BLM lands also allow free dispersed camping for up to 14 days at a time, park in an existing pullout, pack out everything, no fires during bans. Iconic dispersed areas near Denver include Rollins Pass Road, Kenosha Pass, and the Buffalo Creek area. Always check the ranger-district website for fire restrictions (fsw.cotrip.org, or the national fire map at inciweb.nwcg.gov).

• Private RV parks near Denver and Colorado hotspots: Cherry Creek Campground, Denver East-Strasburg KOA, Tiger Run Resort (Breckenridge), Winding River Resort (Grand Lake), Durango KOA, Ouray Riverside Resort, Glenwood Springs West / Ami's Acres, Buena Vista KOA.
• USFS campgrounds: $20–$30/night, no hookups, vault toilets, running water from May to October at most sites.
• BLM lands: Mostly free, 14-day limit, no amenities. Excellent near Gunnison, the North Fork, and Delta.
• Resort parks: $90–$150+/night with pools, hot tubs, cabins, and concierge services. Cluster around Breckenridge, Durango, Glenwood Springs, and Estes Park.

Elevation, bears, and fire bans

Most Colorado campgrounds sit between 7,500 and 10,500 ft. Even in July, nights can drop below 4°C (40°F) and occasionally freeze. Pack a real sleeping bag rated to 0°C and do not rely on RV furnaces running out of propane, top off before leaving town.

Black bears are active April through November across almost every USFS and RMNP campground. Bear boxes (metal lockers) are required for all food storage at RMNP and most USFS sites above 7,000 ft, never leave food, toothpaste, or coolers inside your RV if you're tent-camping alongside; for RVers, keep the awning area clean and the windows shut overnight.

Fire bans are common June through August on USFS and BLM land and sometimes in state parks. A Stage 1 ban outlaws open fires outside designated metal rings; Stage 2 outlaws all fires and even chainsaws. Always check the specific ranger district the day before travel.

Best activities and adventures from Denver

Colorado is America's high-altitude adventure playground. From Denver you can be on a Rocky Mountain National Park trailhead in 75 minutes, rafting the Arkansas River by lunch, soaking in Glenwood Hot Springs by dinner, and stargazing above 10,000 ft by night. No other US city puts so many 14,000-ft peaks, scenic byways, national parks, and ski resorts within a day's drive.

Most mountain activities require some altitude acclimatization, spend at least 24 hours at Denver's 5,280-ft mile-high elevation before attempting anything above 10,000 ft, drink 2× normal water, and skip alcohol the first night. Below is a region-by-region guide to the best experiences you can launch from an RV base.

Rocky Mountain National Park (75 minutes from Denver)

The crown jewel of Colorado RV travel. Trail Ridge Road (US-34) is the highest continuous paved road in the USA, topping out at 12,183 ft between Estes Park and Grand Lake (open late May to mid-October). The Bear Lake trailhead is the gateway to Emerald Lake, Dream Lake, and Nymph Lake, bring the timed-entry reservation (required late May to mid-October via Recreation.gov).

Serious alpine objectives include Longs Peak (14,259 ft, the park's only 14er. Keyhole Route, 15 miles round-trip, full-day objective) and the Sky Pond cirque. Fall elk rut peaks in late September in Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park, stay 25 m from bulls and never approach. Timed-entry permits are required in summer; get them at Recreation.gov.

14ers and mountaineering

Colorado has 58 peaks above 14,000 ft, more than any other US state outside Alaska. The easiest "walk-up" 14ers accessible from an RV base camp:

• Mt. Bierstadt (14,065 ft): Guanella Pass trailhead, 75 min from Denver. Class 2, 7 miles round-trip, often the first 14er for out-of-state visitors.
• Quandary Peak (14,271 ft): Near Breckenridge. Class 1, 6.75 miles, the most summitted 14er in Colorado. A permit shuttle operates in summer.
• Pikes Peak (14,115 ft): Colorado Springs. You can drive to the summit (toll road), ride the Cog Railway, or hike Barr Trail (26 miles round-trip).
• Grays & Torreys (14,278 ft & 14,267 ft): Bagged together in one long day from the Bakerville trailhead off I-70.

Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, and Black Canyon

Three more Colorado national parks are within a long day's drive of Denver. Great Sand Dunes NP (4 hours south via US-285) protects the tallest sand dunes in North America (up to 750 ft), ringed by the 14,000-ft Sangre de Cristo range, bring sandboards and wade Medano Creek in early summer. Mesa Verde NP (7 hours SW via US-160) preserves 600 ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings; Cliff Palace and Balcony House require ranger-guided tour tickets on Recreation.gov. Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (5 hours west) drops 2,722 ft in sheer Precambrian gneiss, the South Rim is RV-accessible, the North Rim is gravel and long.

Whitewater rafting and hot springs

Colorado is the birthplace of commercial whitewater rafting. Four rivers dominate:

• Arkansas River: Buena Vista, Salida, and Royal Gorge, the most-rafted river in the USA. Class II family floats to Class IV Browns Canyon and the Numbers.
• Colorado River: Glenwood Canyon (easier family floats), Shoshone (Class III), and further west through Westwater and Cataract Canyons for multi-day trips.
• Clear Creek: 30 minutes from downtown Denver, steep Class III–IV with tour operators in Idaho Springs.
• Animas River: Durango, through the gorges of the San Juans.

After rafting, soak at Glenwood Hot Springs (the largest mineral hot-spring pool in the world, right off I-70), Strawberry Park (Steamboat, rustic, natural, at its best after snow), Mount Princeton (Nathrop. Chalk Creek canyon), or the small soaking pools in Ouray and Pagosa Springs.

Hiking, biking, and free icons

• Maroon Bells (Aspen): The most photographed mountains in North America. Summer access is by permit shuttle from Aspen Highlands; fall aspen peak is late September.
• Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs): Free municipal park, 300-ft red-sandstone fins, easy paved loops, RV-friendly parking.
• Hanging Lake (Glenwood Canyon): Permit-only (Recreation.gov), a turquoise travertine lake suspended above I-70. Short but steep 2.4-mile round-trip.
• Fruita and Grand Junction: Desert mountain biking on the Kokopelli Trail, Loma, and the Lunch Loop, warm shoulder-season riding when the high country is still snowed in.
• Kenosha Pass, Independence Pass, Kebler Pass: Three of the most spectacular fall-foliage aspen-viewing drives, peaking late September.

Skiing, snowboarding, and mountain-town culture

For Nov–Apr RV visits, Colorado's ski resorts are all accessible by I-70 or US-550. Valley-floor RV parks in Dillon, Silverthorne, Frisco, and Glenwood Springs let you base at 7,500–9,000 ft and ski day-trip into the big mountain resorts:

• Breckenridge: 5 peaks, the highest lift-served terrain in North America. Huge RV-friendly vibe.
• Vail & Beaver Creek: Legendary back bowls, iconic Bavarian village. I-70 direct.
• Copper Mountain, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Winter Park: Cheaper day-trip resorts on Epic, Ikon, and Indy passes.
• Aspen & Steamboat: Iconic destinations 3–4 hours from Denver.

Wildlife viewing

Colorado's wildlife is as famous as its peaks. Elk in Rocky Mountain NP (especially during the September–October rut in Moraine Park), bighorn sheep on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway (the highest paved road in North America at 14,130 ft, summer-only), moose in the Never Summer Mountains and State Forest State Park, pronghorn on the Front Range plains, and prairie dogs in virtually every suburban open space. Birders should aim at Jackson Lake and the Pawnee National Grassland for migration.

Colorado Scenic Byways

Colorado has 26 designated scenic and historic byways, more than any state except Oregon. The must-drives for an RV trip:

• Trail Ridge Road (US-34): Highest continuous paved road in the USA.
• San Juan Skyway (US-550 / CO-145): 236-mile loop through Durango, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride, the "Switzerland of America".
• Million Dollar Highway (US-550): Ouray to Silverton, sheer drop-offs, no guardrails, one of the most dramatic drives in the USA.
• Top of the Rockies (US-24 / CO-82 / CO-91): Leadville, Twin Lakes, Independence Pass, Aspen.
• Peak to Peak (CO-119 / 72 / 7): Nederland to Estes Park, the first and finest aspen-leaf drive from Denver.
• Collegiate Peaks (US-24 / US-285): Buena Vista and Salida, 14ers lined up along the horizon.
• Flat Tops Trail (CR 8 / CR 17): Meeker to Yampa, remote and wild, unpaved segments.
• Gold Belt: Cripple Creek, Victor, and the old mining camps south of Pikes Peak.

Classic Colorado mountain towns

Base the RV in or near these towns for food, culture, and fast access to the mountains: Estes Park (gateway to RMNP), Grand Lake (RMNP west side, largest natural lake in Colorado), Breckenridge (Victorian mining town turned ski hub), Aspen (culture and four separate mountains), Telluride (box canyon, Bluegrass Festival), Crested Butte (wildflowers, singletrack), Ouray (Switzerland of America, ice climbing in winter), Silverton (narrow-gauge railroad), and Glenwood Springs (hot springs and Hanging Lake).

Essential travel tips for driving Colorado by RV from Denver

Colorado's defining trait is altitude. Denver sits at 5,280 ft (exactly one mile high), the San Juan passes top 11,000 ft, and 58 peaks rise above 14,000 ft. Everything on your trip is affected: your engine loses power, your body loses water twice as fast, sunscreen burns off in half the time, and weather can flip from 30°C sunshine to hail in an hour. Plan carefully, but expect to be rewarded with terrain you cannot see anywhere else on earth.

Altitude acclimatization: the most important Denver topic

Spend at least 24 hours at Denver's mile-high elevation before attempting anything above 10,000 ft (Rocky Mountain NP, Trail Ridge, Independence Pass, any 14er). Drink twice your normal water, skip alcohol for the first 48 hours, eat carb-forward, and take it slow. Early symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) are headache, nausea, dizziness, and poor sleep, if they worsen, descend 1,000 ft and rest. Children, pregnant women, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should check with a doctor before driving above 10,000 ft.

Weather: pack four seasons even in July

Coloradans joke "if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes", and it's true. Denver in July can hit 37°C (98°F) while Trail Ridge Road gets fresh snow the same afternoon. Pack layers for every possible condition on every trip.

• Afternoon thunderstorms (Jun–Aug): Near-daily storms build over the peaks by 1 pm. Plan to be below treeline and off summits before noon; pull off I-70 if hail starts.
• Hail: Front Range hail can total windshields. Park under cover if storms are forecast; watch weather.gov/bou (NWS Boulder).
• Wildfire smoke (Jun–Sep): Smoke from Colorado and out-of-state fires can close I-70 and ruin air quality across the Front Range. Check inciweb.nwcg.gov and AirNow.gov daily.
• Lightning: Colorado is the second-most-lightning-prone state in the USA. Never be above treeline when dark clouds build.
• Winter (Nov–Apr): Chain laws on I-70, black ice in the early morning, and wind gusts across the plains. Carry a shovel, traction mats, full tank, and a 72-hour food/water kit.

Sun, hydration, and safety

UV strength increases roughly 4% per 1,000 ft of elevation, in Denver that is 25% stronger than sea level, on Trail Ridge 60% stronger. Reapply SPF 50 every 90 minutes at altitude, wear sunglasses, and cover exposed skin. Dehydration accelerates sharply at altitude, drink water constantly, not just when thirsty. Coffee and alcohol both dehydrate you; offset each with an extra glass of water.

Wildlife safety

• Black bears: Active April through November across almost every campground above 7,000 ft. Store food in bear boxes, never leave a cooler outside the RV, and keep the RV doors locked at night.
• Elk: During the September–October rut, bulls are aggressive, stay 25 m away; never approach or step between a cow and calf. Most dangerous encounters in Estes Park come from tourists getting too close for photos.
• Moose: Bigger and more aggressive than bears. Found in the Never Summer Mountains, State Forest, and around Grand Lake. Keep 50 m distance.
• Mountain lions, rattlesnakes: Rare encounters; make noise while hiking, keep dogs on leash, watch where you place hands on ledges.

Budget and costs for a Colorado RV trip

A realistic daily budget for a couple driving a mid-size Class C around Colorado is $200–$350/day all-in. The breakdown:

• Fuel: $45–$90/day. Gas runs $3.50–$4.50/gallon across the Front Range, 30–70¢ higher in mountain towns. Altitude costs ~10% fuel economy.
• Campground: $30–$120/night. State parks $28–$45, USFS $20–$30, private RV parks $50–$90, resort parks $90–$150.
• Groceries (self-catering): $40–$70/day. King Soopers and Safeway on the Front Range; City Market in the mountains (often 15–20% more expensive).
• Activities & park entry: $30–$100/day. Rocky Mountain NP $35/vehicle for 7 days; America the Beautiful $80/year covers every federal site; raft trips $80–$150 per person; hot springs $25–$35.
• Tolls: Minimal unless you use E-470 ($4–$12 one-way via plate billing).

Connectivity

Verizon has the widest mountain coverage, followed by AT&T; T-Mobile is strong in the metro but weaker in canyons. Expect dead zones inside Clear Creek Canyon (I-70 through Idaho Springs), Glenwood Canyon, Big Thompson, and much of the San Juans. Always download offline maps of every park and route in Denver before leaving. Google Maps offline, Apple Maps offline, AllTrails+, and Gaia GPS. RMNP visitor centres have wi-fi.

Health, emergencies, and insurance

• 911: Works nationwide and routes automatically even with no active SIM.
• Major hospitals: Denver has world-class trauma centres (UCHealth, Denver Health, National Jewish). Mountain towns have small clinics (Vail Health, Aspen Valley Hospital, Mercy in Durango), serious injuries get flown to Denver.
• Travel insurance: US healthcare is expensive, one ER visit can run $3,000+. International visitors should carry comprehensive medical plus evacuation coverage.
• Altitude sickness: If symptoms persist above 10,000 ft, the only reliable treatment is to descend. Oxygen bars in Aspen and Breckenridge can help mild cases.

Legal marijuana: the Colorado caveat

Recreational marijuana is legal for adults 21+ in Colorado (state-regulated dispensaries). However, it remains a Schedule I drug under federal law, so possession is illegal on all federal lands, including Rocky Mountain NP, USFS campgrounds, and BLM areas. Driving with 5 ng/mL THC in blood is per-se DUI; never consume and drive. Do not cross state lines with product.

Tipping, currency, and payments

• Restaurants: 18–20% on the pre-tax total. Servers earn most of their income from tips.
• Bartenders: $1–$2 per drink, or 20% on a tab.
• Housekeeping: $2–$5 per night at RV resort cabins or hotels.
• Raft and ski guides: 15–20% of the tour price.
• Currency: USD. Cards accepted everywhere; Apple Pay / Google Pay widespread. Some remote USFS campground self-pay envelopes only take cash or cheque, carry $40 in small bills just in case.

Packing checklist for a Colorado RV trip

• Layering system: base, mid (fleece), shell (rain/wind)
• Down or synthetic puffy jacket (even in July above 10,000 ft)
• Hiking boots with ankle support, plus camp shoes
• Sun hat, warm beanie, gloves, sunglasses (polarized)
• SPF 50+ sunscreen, lip balm with SPF
• Two 1-litre water bottles per person, plus electrolyte mix
• Headlamp with spare batteries
• Basic first-aid kit with ibuprofen, moleskin, antihistamines
• Rain jacket and rain pants
• Bear spray for backcountry days (legal in Colorado)
• USB chargers, power bank, car inverter for the RV
• America the Beautiful pass ($80/year) or Colorado Wild pass

Major festivals and events in Colorado

Colorado's calendar is packed year-round, with festivals built around the two things the state does better than anywhere else: mountains and craft beer. Timing your RV pickup to coincide with a major event adds a deep cultural dimension to the trip, but it also means booking the RV, campground, and sometimes festival tickets months in advance. Here are the events worth planning around.

• Great American Beer Festival (early October, Denver): The Super Bowl of craft beer — 500+ breweries, 4,000+ beers poured at the Colorado Convention Center over three days. Denver sells out hotels, RV parks, and flights months ahead. GABF tickets release in July and typically vanish within 30 minutes. Base the RV at Cherry Creek or Denver East-Strasburg KOA and take light rail downtown.
• National Western Stock Show (mid-January, Denver): The biggest rodeo and livestock show in the Rocky Mountains, running for 16 days at the National Western Complex. 650,000+ attendees, working-ranch competitions, Mexican rodeo, and authentic western culture. Winter RV access to the grounds is easy; plate-glass cold but plowed.
• Telluride Bluegrass Festival (mid-June, Telluride): 50-year tradition in the box-canyon town. 4-day camping festival with on-site RV spots that are allocated by lottery, register in the preceding November, confirm by February. If you miss the lottery, RV parks in Ridgway, Mountain Village, and Ouray fill next.
• Telluride Film Festival (Labor Day weekend, early September, Telluride): One of the three most important film festivals in the world alongside Cannes and Toronto. Indie and major releases premier here first. Lodging and RV spots book 9–12 months out.
• Aspen Music Festival (late June – late August, Aspen): Eight weeks of classical and opera at the Benedict Music Tent. Pair daytime hikes on the Maroon Bells with evening concerts, a uniquely Colorado combo.
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert season (April–October, Morrison): The most spectacular outdoor music venue in the USA — 9,500-seat amphitheatre carved from 300-ft red-sandstone fins, 15 miles from Denver. Concerts almost nightly in summer; famous morning yoga (Yoga on the Rocks). Bring layers; the weather can turn in minutes.
• Aspen X-Games (late January, Aspen): ESPN's winter action-sports championship, freeski, snowboard, snowmobile big air at Buttermilk Mountain. Free to spectators; concerts at night. The RV-friendliest base is the Aspen-Basalt KOA or dispersed camping in Castle Creek (snow-dependent).
• Colorado Renaissance Festival (weekends June–August, Larkspur): 16th-century jousting, live armoured combat, and craft fair on a purpose-built 320-acre village an hour south of Denver. Day-trip from any Front Range RV park.
• Crested Butte Wildflower Festival (mid-July): Colorado's official Wildflower Capital. 200+ guided hikes, photography workshops, and wildflower walks over 10 days. July is peak bloom on Schofield Pass and the West Elk Mountains.
• Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival (August, Keystone): 200+ wines and live jazz at the base of Dercum Mountain. I-70 easy access; the neighboring Keystone RV Park has hookups.
• Steamboat Wine Festival (August, Steamboat Springs): Mountain-town winemaker dinners and grand tastings; pair with a soak at Strawberry Park Hot Springs.
• Labor Day balloon festivals (Steamboat, Pagosa Springs, Colorado Springs): Three simultaneous balloon rallies across the state on Labor Day weekend (early September), dawn launches, tethered rides, and evening balloon glows.
• Estes Park Elk Festival (early October): Celebrates the RMNP elk rut with bugling contests, storytelling, and Ute Nation performances. Perfectly timed with peak aspen colour.
• Mardi Gras Ski Festival (early February, Crested Butte): The mountains' answer to New Orleans, costumed skiers, parade down Elk Avenue, live zydeco. A quirky favourite for RVers already in town for winter skiing.
• Denver Broncos NFL (September–January, Empower Field at Mile High): Sundays and Monday nights in the fall. Parking is tight; take light rail from a Front Range RV park.
• Colorado Rockies MLB (April–September, Coors Field): Baseball at 5,280 ft, the ball flies further here than any other stadium in the majors. Mid-week games often have $20 tickets.

Colorado culture, people, and traditions

Colorado's identity blends four deep currents: Indigenous peoples (the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne have called this land home for centuries and still operate the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribal lands), Hispanic and Mexican heritage (especially in the San Luis Valley, the oldest continuously-settled Hispanic region in the USA), mining-town history (Leadville, Silverton, Cripple Creek, silver, gold, and coal built these towns), and cattle-ranching traditions that still drive the Eastern Plains and Western Slope.

Today the state is defined by an outsized outdoor culture, hiking all 58 14ers ("14er-bagging"), mountain biking, skiing, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, combined with an explosion of craft beer (Denver alone has over 100 breweries, the densest brewing scene in the USA), a legal cannabis industry, and a tech-and-aerospace corridor around Boulder and Colorado Springs.

• Craft beer: Denver's RiNo (River North) and LoDo districts are ground zero. Flagship breweries include Great Divide, Wynkoop, Odell (Fort Collins), New Belgium (Fort Collins), Oskar Blues (Longmont), and Left Hand (Longmont).
• 14er culture: Bagging all 58 is a recognised achievement, the Colorado Mountain Club, 14ers.com, and CFI (Colorado Fourteeners Initiative) maintain trails and host celebration dinners.
• Ski & mining heritage: Many ski towns (Aspen, Breckenridge, Telluride, Crested Butte, Silverton) are preserved Victorian mining camps. Visit the Leadville Mining Museum and the Creede Underground Mining Museum for context.
• Native American heritage: Mesa Verde preserves 700+ years of Ancestral Puebloan history. The Ute Mountain and Southern Ute Indian Reservations welcome visitors, the Ute Mountain Tribal Park offers guided tours of remote cliff dwellings less crowded than Mesa Verde.

Colorado regional food to try on your road trip

Stop at local spots, the RV is your kitchen, but Colorado has distinct culinary traditions worth trying on the road:

• Green chile (Pueblo variety): Roasted local Pueblo chiles, served smothered on burritos, burgers, and eggs. The famous Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival is in September. Every Colorado diner has a house green chile.
• Rocky Mountain oysters: Breaded, deep-fried bull testicles, a high-country bar snack dating to the ranching era. The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver is the classic place to try.
• Palisade peaches (August): The Palisade fruit belt on the Western Slope produces the best peaches in the USA. Roadside stands on I-70 between Palisade and Grand Junction open in early August.
• Olathe sweet corn (August): Sweeter than anything from the Midwest, thanks to altitude and cool nights. The Olathe Sweet Corn Festival runs in early August.
• Colorado lamb and bison: Many high-country ranches raise grass-fed Colorado lamb (considered some of the best in the USA) and bison. Try at Buckhorn Exchange, Fort (Morrison), or any good Boulder steakhouse.
• Mountain trout: Wild rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout from Colorado streams, most mountain-town restaurants feature local trout on the menu.
• Craft beer and distilling: Denver and Fort Collins are national beer capitals. Leopold Bros (Denver) and Peach Street (Palisade) lead the growing distilling scene. Every mountain town has at least one good taproom.