Colorado's Southern Rockies
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Most Coloradoans define the southern Rocky Mountains as the breathtaking stretch of wilderness just below Aspen and Leadville - filled with 30 "fourteeners," or 14,000-foot peaks. It's a diverse area, encompassing arty small towns, high-end ski resorts and the roaring Arkansas River, perfect for white-water rafting. This region begins with the half-hour stretch of U.S. 285 from Salida to Buena Vista, in the shadow of the Collegiate Peaks, including Mount Shavano, Tabeguache Peak and Mount Princeton. Salida itself is easygoing and full of art galleries and colorful lunch spots; the climate is so consistently mild that residents have dubbed it the "Banana Belt." Not far is Crested Butte, which locals call "the last great ski town," a relaxed, historic area that lionizes its gold-mining years just as hard-partiers are streaming down the slopes in kilts, pink-bunny costumes, or no clothes at all. "The Butte" is also a magnet for extreme sports and mountain bikers, hosting the Winter X Games and the U.S. Extreme Boarderfest, among others, and is home of the bike-friendly (if intense, at 12,700 feet) Pearl Pass and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame & Museum.
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Steve Knopper is the Denver-based author of Moon Handbooks Colorado as well as a contributor to numerous Fodor's city guides.
Steve Knopper is the Denver-based author of Moon Handbooks Colorado as well as a contributor to numerous Fodor's city guides.
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Colorado's Southern Rockies Facts
- Location:
- In Colorado, the Southern part of the Rocky Mountains
- Wikipedia:
- Colorado's Southern Rockies
- Wikitravel:
- Colorado's Southern Rockies
Colorado's Southern Rockies Must See/Do
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Colorado's Southern Rockies See It Next Time
- Driving to Crested Butte in a snowstorm (roads are especially treacherous)
- Getting anywhere in a hurry (towns are spaced far apart)
- Lodging (not much in Salida or Buena Vista and even Crested Butte is generic)
When to Visit Colorado's Southern Rockies
Winter (for skiing at Crested Butte), summer, spring, fall (for sightseeing, mountain-biking, white-water rafting, etc.)
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Colorado's Southern Rockies Events
- March-April: Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival, Fruita Fat Tire, Spring Barrel Tasting, Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival
- July-August:Frisco Fourth July, Gunnison Cattleman Days, Art in the Park, Castle Rock Winefest, Crested Bute Wild Mushroom Festival
- December-January: Vail Snow Daze, Holiday Home Tour, Lighting of Breckenridge
- May-June: Downtown Art Jazz Festival, Bluegrass on the River, Telluride Jazz, Bluegrass Festival,
- November: Olde Golden Christmas, Catch the Glow Holiday Celebration, RimRock Run
- September-October: Rock Jam Music, Colorado Mountain Winefest, Denver Wine, Labor Day Wild West Air
- February-March: Annual Winter Carnival, Lead Sled Events, Valentine Day Dinner
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