24 places for Coloradans to travel in 2024

Every year, The New York Times publishes a list titled “52 Places to Go,” and it makes for great reading and even better daydreaming. But most of those far-flung locales are bucket-listers, the kinds of destinations that make for a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a special adventure.

So we decided to come up with our own list of places to go in 2024, but with more manageable goals — and with a nod toward Colorado connections. We also leaned heavily on road trips or nonstop flights from Denver International Airport, because travel is already difficult these days — prices, crowds, cancellations. Why make it any harder?

Here are 24 places for Coloradans to travel this year, broken down into destinations in Colorado, elsewhere in the United States, and other countries or overseas.

Bon voyage.

IN COLORADO

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado’s fourth and least-visited member of the nation’s most prestigious open-space club. Named for the depths of the steep and narrow canyon that splits it, Black Canyon can be tackled in a variety of ways, from scenic drives and rim-side hiking to challenging treks to the bottom. And you will find far fewer people than at Rocky Mountain National Park or the Great Sand Dunes. Montrose, about five hours from Denver, is a popular kickoff point.

Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument

Designating the 84,500 acres where Colorado’s famed 10th Mountain Division trained for its role in World War II as a national monument in 2022 didn’t change it much. The area southwest of Vail is still used for camping and fishing, snowmobiling and ATV riding. But it’s gorgeous country, and worth a stay at the campground. Want to learn more about it? There is a new exhibit at History Colorado in Denver that delves into the story of the 10th and the legacy it left behind.

Boulder

Boulder doesn’t really need the attention, but it got plenty in 2023 with the arrival of Coach Prime at the University of Colorado. But the city is more than football and cliches. In fact, in November Fodor’s named it as one of 24 places to visit in the entire world in 2024 (only one other U.S. destination was included). The travel guide honed in on Boulder’s scenery, open space and accessibility to recreation and nature, as well as the Pearl Street Mall’s dining options. We would add that there are plenty of awesome breweries, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant (Frasca).

Craft beer highway

The origins of Colorado’s craft beer culture date back to 1979, when Boulder Beer Co. was founded in a goatshed in Hygiene (about 10 minutes west of U.S. Highway 287 in Longmont). There are now more than 420 craft breweries in the state, a surprising number of which are located just a mile or two on either side of 287, between Broomfield and Fort Collins. In fact, you could call this 50-mile stretch the Colorado Craft Beer Highway. Wanna get a taste? Find a designated drive and hit up a couple of dozen of these treasures, some of which — like Liquid Mechanics, Cellar West, Verboten and Zwei — are among the best small breweries in the state.

Mount Blue Sky

It’s not the tallest mountain in Colorado, but it’s the closest fourteener to Denver and one of the best-known peaks in the state. And last September, Mount Evans (at 14,130 feet) was renamed as Mount Blue Sky after years of campaigning by Native American groups. With the change, it’s a good time to remember that this is one of the few Colorado fourteeners that motorists can drive to the top of (although not in winter). The views up there are gorgeous, and there is a good chance you’ll see mountain goats and wildflowers along the way.

Glenwood Springs

There’s nothing quite like boarding Amtrak’s California Zephyr at Union Station and riding it to Glenwood Springs, peering out at not just the stunning expanses of Glenwood Canyon, but also the less-often-seen backside of Denver and its suburbs. Glenwood itself has evolved quite a bit in the past few years, with big changes (already completed or still on their way) to some of its hot springs, like Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and Iron Mountain Hot Springs, among others. The little downtown strip beneath the overpass is also a charming spot for a bite, a stroll, some entertainment and a beer, perhaps from Casey Brewing & Blending’s lively taproom.

Amache National Historic Site

Wanna get away? You don’t need Southwest Airlines. Just drive east from the Front Range — at any time of year, really — in the opposite direction of where most people are headed. One fascinating destination is the Granada Relocation Center at the Amache National Historic Site, which became part of the National Park System in 2022. Amache was one of 10 forced relocation centers in the United States where tens of thousands of Japanese citizens and people of Japanese descent were imprisoned during World War II. Today, there is a cemetery, a monument and landscaping to explore — and to remember.

Mountain Plover Festival, Karval

Speaking of eastern Colorado, one of the most unusual birding festivals in the world takes place every April (it’s April 26-28 this year) in Karval. What makes the Mountain Plover Festival different? There are no motels or restaurants in Karval, so reservations are required and attendees stay with local ranching families (meals and entertainment are provided). So, in addition to bird-watching tours (mountain plovers are a rare breed and difficult to see), you learn about the history and community of the area. Karval is about 2 hours southeast of Denver in Lincoln County.

IN THE UNITED STATES

Spring training in Arizona

No matter how you feel about baseball or the Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball’s Cactus League Spring Training in the Phoenix/Tempe/Scottsdale area can be a magical experience. And, as we wrote in our recent travel guide on Scottsdale, it’s also “a nice excuse to slip away to the Sonoran Desert,” where springtime temperatures are in the mid-70s — a nice break from cold Colorado weather — and there are pools aplenty.

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park is the second most visited park in the system, with nearly 5 million visitors per year, but the land around it received a special designation in 2023 when President Biden banned mining on nearly 1 million acres in order to protect the ecosystem and preserve Native American sacred sites. The national monument isn’t that easy to “visit,” since it consists mostly of open space, but there are a few historic and cultural highlights of interest.

Hatch, N.M.

The great chile debate rages on between Colorado and New Mexico about which state produces the biggest and best peppers. Why not find out for yourself on a road trip to the area around Hatch, N.M., an agricultural community that many consider to be the Napa Valley of chiles. Other things to see in the area: White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains national parks, along with the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and plenty of historic sites featured in the recent movie (and Oscar nominee) “Oppenheimer.” (Make sure to stop in Pueblo, Colo., on your way back up Interstate 25, though; that’s the heart of Colorado’s own green chile country, so youi can settle the debate for yourself.)

Asheville, N.C.

DIA added a new nonstop flight to Asheville, N.C., in September, and 2024 is a great time to visit since Denver’s TRVE Brewing plans to open a second location there in the next few months. (Fort Collins-founded New Belgium also has a taproom there.) But Asheville, set along the dreamy Blue Ridge Parkway, should be on any Coloradan’s list anyway, because in addition to its incredible craft brewery scene, it’s an outdoor lovers mountain playground.

New York City