When you think of adventure sports, it’s only natural to think of Colorado. All forms of extreme sports are teeming in the skies, over the rugged mountains, and along the winding canyons and rivers. Here is our checklist for you adrenaline junkies.
Take to the Sky
Colorado is an epic place to get wings, whether through paragliding, hang gliding, or skydiving. The vast ranges of snowy peaks, the brisk wilderness, and the dense forests give you some of the best vistas while your feet dangle in midair. Some awesome spots to paraglide and hang glide are:
- Vail Valley in Avon
- Aspen
- Red Mountain in Glenwood Springs
- Lookout Mountain in Golden
- Villa Grove in San Luis Valley
- Colorado Springs
Make a Splash
Both the Arkansas River and the Colorado River serve up some excellent opportunities for white water rafting and expert kayaking:
- Pine Creek on the Arkansas River
- Gore Creek on the Colorado River
- Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River
You’ll find some class-five white waters via Pine Creek on the Arkansas River, with a take-off point in Buena Vista. The steepest mile experiences a 200-foot drop, so you know it’s got some turbulence. Gore Creek on the Colorado River is another notable location, but less frequently permitted. Start in Frisco to take off on this savage adventure. All levels are welcome at Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River.
We didn’t forget our brothers on the lookout for water skiing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. There are plenty of lakes to create some wakes:
- Lake Pueblo State Park
- Navajo State Park
- Grand County Lakes
- Soda Lakes
Tread the Trails
Mountain biking in Colorado offers some jaw-droppers. If you’re an expert, you’ll feel right at home weaving through the wild terrain and chugging up the unforgiving verticals.
- Colorado Trail - Roughly 500 Miles
- Doctor Park in Crested Butte - 14.2 Miles
- Monarch Crest in Salida - 11.5 Miles
- Lunch Loop in Grand Junction - 6.4 Miles (Main Loop)
- Government Trail in Aspen - 19.7 miles
- Phil’s World in Cortez - 26.8 miles
The whole Colorado Trail is substantial and high-endurance. For a solid vignette of its features, Silverton to Durango gets you right into the thick of the wild with stunning mountain views and iconic strenuous vertical challenges along the way. Lunch Loop runs the gamut of skill levels, while Government Trail is more of a moderate, chill ride.
Carve Up the Sand
Looking for something novel? Hit the dunes for some sandboarding, sand sledding, and sand skiing. You can rent, buy, or even create your own sand skis. Two main spots to ride the dunes are:
- Medano Creek & Castle Creek Dunes in San Luis Valley
- North Sand Hills in Walden
Cling & Climb
We haven’t even touched on the main event – the rocky mountain climbs. Chalk up and hit some of these epic faces:
- Rocky Mountain National Park; high vistas, park-permit bivouacs welcome
- Garden of the Gods
- Rifle Mountain Park - Limestone; lots of overhangs
- Via Ferrata in Telluride
Rocky Mountain National Park is the gem here, letting the most avid scale to the best of vistas with optional permits for bivouacs. For the best in limestone and daunting overhangs, head to Rifle Mountain Park. Via Ferrata in Telluride gives a 500-foot climb on its titular “Road of Iron,” right below Ajax Peak.
Slip, Slide, Rappel
Colorado has some awesome places to go canyoneering. Rappel down waterfall faces, swim through cool waters, and test your scramble skills at these locations for Colorado canyoneering:
- Weehawken Creek in Ouray County
- Bear Creek in Ouray County
- Cascade Creek in Ouray County
- Angel Creek in Ouray County
- Corbett Creek in Ouray County
- Oak Creek Canyon in Ouray County
- Outlaw Park in Moffat County
- Buckwater Draw & Buckwater Draw South Route in Moffat County
Most of these excursions clock in around two to three hours, while Outlaw Park is the longest at nearly six hours. It also plunges you into some unadulterated, unique terrain with multitudes of slot canyons. Bear Creek and Weehawken give you the drenching waterfall rappels you look forward to, while Corbett Creek gives you a whopping 300-foot rappel face.
Winter Thrills
It’s no secret that Colorado boasts some of the best U.S. ski resorts. Check out our previous blog on the “Best Ski Resorts Across the U.S.” for the lowdown.
Stay On Top of the Gear
Whether you’re jumping off a peak to soar through the wind or diving headfirst into Colorado’s canyons, you’ll want to take good care of your gear. Snowboards, sandboards, and other gear can depreciate when left exposed to unmitigated climates, and we recommend storing these items in climate-controlled environments.
StorQuest provides the necessary space and amenities to keep your gear in top-notch condition, so all you have to worry about is picking it up and starting your next adventure. Your journey matters. So does your stuff.