There are an abundance of quaint, cool Colorado mountain towns and you’ll find some of the most colorful, quirky, fun ones in the Southwest corner of the state. Many of these towns are just a Main Street with a few bars and restaurants yet others are full-fledged small cities with all the amenities of a larger city on a smaller scale.
Mountain Towns Get Busy
Colorado mountain towns are generally packed with tourists during the summer season and it’s a good idea to plan ahead and book hotels and activities as far in advance as possible. Generally, you will find accommodations ranging from small out of the way cabins to more upscale hotels.
Most of these little villages have rivers running right through the center of town and it’s fun to just stroll along the river for some relaxing down time after a long hike.
It’s quite a pleasant surprise to me how many of these towns have restaurants that offer everything from casual pizza and burger joints to fine dining that would rival the best you could find in a city.
Visit any one of these towns for a day or several to get a peek behind the scenes of what makes them so interesting outside of their obvious natural beauty.Almost all of them have a visitors center of some kind and many have museums and forest service offices too.
Learn about mining history which was so prevalent here; discover the story of Alferd Packer and his ill-fated winter journey or visit the “Little Switzerland” of America. There are breathtaking hikes and hot springs, jeep tours or fly fishing, shopping, dining and even theater to be enjoyed.
Click on the Colorado town map markers to learn more:
View Southwest Colorado-Mountain Towns in a larger map
