When you think of the reasons to visit Colorado what comes to mind? Well, for starters, there are all those world-class snow sport resorts like Aspen and Wolf Creek. Of course, then you’ve got the spectacular Rocky Mountain and Mesa Verde National Parks. And then there’s the surprisingly cosmopolitan city of Denver, and the Broncos (they’ve got Payton Manning now, and that probably makes them an attraction again).
But beaches? Beaches just don’t come flying to mind for Colorado.
The Centennial State may be landlocked, but it actually has some surprising stretches of sand where you can chill or get active, with the added bonus of the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Here’s the lowdown.
Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
You could call Medano Creek Colorado’s secret swimming beach. Each spring, melt water from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains swells behind the park’s legendary sand dunes to form a wide, shallow creek, ideal for paddling in and chilling next to. The bad news is that it disappears at the end of each summer and you have to wait another nine months for it to come back again.
Jackson Lake State Park
Swimmers and water skiers really the dig the warm water and sandy beaches of Jackson Lake, a wide stretch of water located in Colorado’s eastern plains. The lake’s entire western stretch of beach is a ‘wakeless’ zone, as well, which means calm boat and jet ski-free waters perfect for swimming.
Grand Lake
Grand Lake is Colorado’s largest natural lake. This large expanse of sparkling blue water is ideal for zipping about on a speedboat, paddling along on canoe, or a lazy afternoon fishing trip.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: dok1)
