Denver Colorado
Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver, Colorado is one of America's most beautiful cities. Founded in 1859 as a gold mining camp, Denver is one of the nation's youngest cities, and one of the most exciting. The city is very much alive with a great affinity for the outdoors and you are promised to get your fill with Denver's 300 days of sunshine a year. Denver is highly regarded for its entertainment, shopping, cultural attractions, museums, and is the sports and recreation capital of the vast Rocky Mountain West, with all four Major League sports: NHL Colorado Avalanche, NBA Denver Nuggets, NFL Denver Broncos, Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies, as well as two professional soccer teams. more info
Today, this metropolis has a population of 2.4 million people and is in the largest city in a 600-mile radius. Denver, also know as the "Mile High City", is one of the fastest growing cities in America and entertains over 8.8 million visitors a year. The word has spread that Denver offers a great quality of life with its endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, along with excellent education and career opportunities.
When planning your Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Park adventure, consider using Denver, Colorado as a hub and central location for your travels. Traveling from abroad, or from east coast or west coast, Denver International Airport is a fantastic airport for layovers while awaiting your next flight. Denver is home to the nation's largest airport, Denver International Airport (DIA), encompassing 53 square miles. There are few airports in the world which are good enough to count as tourist attractions in their own right, but Denver is certainly one of them. Often long layovers between flights are dreadful, but use this extra time to wander through the various art works which are on display at the airport, and to marvel at the tented roof structure.
Denver International Airport offers a wide selection of car rentals and RVs can be rented with advance reservations. Located 23 miles northeast of downtown Denver, DIA provides a great starting point for your Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Park adventure. Spend a fee days exploring the dynamic city of Denver. Denver has the tenth largest downtown in the United States, a bustling area centered around a mile-long pedestrian promenade that is lined with outdoor cafes and flower baskets. Down every street there are mountain views. The mountain panorama visible from Denver is 120 miles long and includes nearly 200 named peaks. Downtown Denver is home to three new sports stadiums, 300 restaurants, a restored historic district filled with 90 bars and brewpubs, a collection of museums, a variety of galleries and shopping, the second largest performing arts center in the nation, three college campuses and even a unique downtown amusement park, Six Flags Elitch Gardens.
From Denver, with 563 miles to reach Yellowstone National Park, take your time and drive northwest through quaint Colorado mountain towns to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Here you will find 60 peaks rising above 12,000 feet where hikers and climbers are met with great challenges. Anyone visiting between Memorial Day and late autumn can see many of these peaks eye to eye by driving over Trail Ridge Road, topping out at 12,183 feet, this is the highest continuous paved road in the United States.
Continuing your adventure you will enter the 9th largest state in the nation, Wyoming, containing 97,914 square miles. The vast rugged landscape of Wyoming is home to the world's largest single elk herd, along with boasting the largest antelope population of any state or province. The scenic drive towards Yellowstone National Park takes you through the Medicine Bow Range and along side the Wind River Range, where Wyoming's highest peak of 13,804 feet is found, Gannett Peak. The landscape greatly changes upon reaching Jackson Hole, where granite slabs jet out from the ground rising to peaks of $13,770 feet. North of Jackson Hole is the protected lands of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, a timeless world of its own.
There are five points of entry gates into Yellowstone National Park: the south from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the east from Cody, Wyoming, the northeast from Red Lodge, Montana, the north from Gardiner, Montana, and the west from West Yellowstone. Departing from West Yellowstone creates a nice loop to make your way back south heading through Idaho into Utah and doing some siteseeing as you go. With an unlimited time schedule, leaving through the northern and western gates opens up the Montana territory and the Rockies leading into Canada. A lifetime of adventure can be had in the great Rocky Mountains, and Denver is a perfect hub to get you started.
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Breckenridge
Summit County and Breckenridge Colorado are easily accessible from Denver via Interstate 70.
Visit Aspen Colorado
Aspen Colorado is easily accessible from Denver or one of the local airports.
