Hiking, camping, and Bishop’s Castle

Hiking, camping, and Bishop’s Castle

The Wet Mountains aren’t dramatic by Colorado standards, rising above the prairie like a nondescript green wall, with only the southern tip reaching past the timberline. They might be more at home in the Appalachians than the Rockies. But don’t be fooled — this area is as full of outdoor recreation opportunities as anywhere else … Read more

Colorado’s best dinosaur destinations, from museums to tracksites

Colorado’s best dinosaur destinations, from museums to tracksites

Colorado could come across as dinosaur-obsessed — and with good reason. The Rocky Mountain West has unparalleled access to artifacts from the dinosaur age because the uplift that formed the mountains unearthed layers of rock that were buried for millennia prior, said Bruce Schumacher, senior paleontologist with the U.S. Forest Service. That’s why when development … Read more

Trashing “America’s Mountain,” Pikes Peak

Trashing “America’s Mountain,” Pikes Peak

As most Coloradans know, the lyrics to “America the Beautiful” were inspired by a trek to the summit of Pikes Peak via prairie wagon in 1893. But when Katharine Lee Bates penned a poem called “Pikes Peak,” which became an American anthem after it was set to music in 1910, she could scarcely have imagined … Read more