Colorado has something for everyone when it comes to outdoor adventures. And there’s not better time to get your summer adventure on than now. With about a month left until school starts up again, the staff at Mavi Unlimited wants to know what you have been doing for outdoor fun in Colorado and also wants to share some fun activities for all levels of adventurers.
One of the most popular and enjoyable summer activities is camping! In Colorado there is an abundance of camping areas. Some Mavi favorites are 1. Guenella Pass – right out of Bailey that also has some fun hiking trails! 2. Ouray, located southwest of Denver, has many camp sites ranging from drive up and set up your tent to hike in and a couple miles and then sent up camp. Ouray also has great hiking trails, including a trail head for a 5 ½ mile trek up the 14ner, Handies Peak. 3. Green Mountain Reservoir located just north of Silverthorne. This camping location has areas for hiking, 4-wheeling, fishing, cliff jumping into the lake, and boating – making it an easy favorite with something for everyone to do!
Another great summer activity that is best to do when you need to cool down, is rafting! My favorite place to raft is down the Arkansas River out of Salida and Buena Vista, located southwest of Denver. Some of Colorado’s top rafting locations include Royal Gorge, Browns Canyon, and of course the Colorado River. If you are planning a rafting trip, it is important understand the general classification of rapids to ensure an enjoyable rafting trip. White water rapids are classed as follows:
Class 1: an easy, slow-moving current
Class 2: small waves
Class 3: rapids have medium waves with some technical maneuvers required
Class 4: rapids occur in a faster current, with bigger waves that are technical and scouting is sometimes recommended
Class 5: rapids have a very fast current, large waves and scouting is necessary
Class 6: rapids are virtually un-runnable, only attempted by professional racing teams
Last, but definitely not least is bike riding. Whether you are into mountain biking or ridin’ on the road, Colorado has plenty of bike paths for beginners to experts! Bear Creek Lake Park has some great trail rides for all levels. But if trail riding isn’t your thing, Denver and the surrounding areas have great paved paths. One of the more popular routes is the Platte River Trail that runs all the way to Cherry Creek, making it a perfect day ride. One of my favorite bike paths is in Glenwood Canyon, about 3 hours west of Denver. This path is great because it’s mostly flat, you ride right next to the Colorado River, and you can ride to one of the best hiking trails in Colorado, Hanging Lake!
Get out there and enjoy the rest of the summer and share what you’re doing with Mavi Unlimited!!!
