Explore a destination located in Colorado, United States
The state of Colorado is located in a portion of the Rocky Mountains range and has a total of roughly 5.8 million people currently living within its boundaries.[3] Nicknamed the "Centennial State," the area sees a wide range of weather and holds various different climates. The mountains tend to be colder as the elevation increases, while the plains see more moderate temperatures throughout the year.[1] Denver is the state capital and is also the largest city in Colorado, followed by Colorado Springs and Aurora.[11] There are many mountains in the state that both visitors and locals are able to spend time on, skiing or snowboarding in the winter and hiking or four-wheeling in the summer. One destination for many of these kinds of activities is the Rocky Mountain National Park, with one entrance in Grand Lake. Grand Lake offers one of the largest, naturally occurring lakes in the state for activities like boating and fishing.[4] Colorado earned its nickname, the "Centennial State," because it was established as the 38th state of The United States in 1876, exactly one hundred years after the Constitution was created and signed.[5]
Colorado, also known as the "Centennial State," has many places within its boundaries that have a history dating back before it was an established territory in the 1500s.[5] Over time, Denver has become the most populated city in the state.[11] Denver offers many big attractions like the Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and more. The zoo is found centrally in the city and offers exhibits of many exotic animals. Denver Zoo is over 80 acres large and has animals like kangaroos, orangutans, black rhinos, and tigers, to name a few. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science offers exhibits ranging from dinosaur bones to Egyptian artifacts, featuring recreated scenes of what creatures and objects from previous times would have looked like and giving information on how they would have behaved and what they were used for.[9]
One of the most defining traits of Colorado is the Rocky Mountains, which span across the western side of the state. The Rocky Mountains consist of numerous mountains, including Apache Peak, Mt. Antero, Bald Mountain, and Longs Peak. Rocky Mountain National Park alone has roughly 355 miles worth of trails that can appeal to all experience levels of hiking. One notable hiking trail that is found in Rocky Mountain National Park is called Longs Peak, which takes hikers to 14,000 feet in elevation with nearly 5,000 feet in elevation gain on the hike. The Longs Peak hiking trail is often sought out by experienced hikers that would like a challenge. National forests and parks are scattered throughout the mountains and offer various places for visitors to hike, camp, fish, ski, snowboard, and hunt throughout the year. There are also a number of places where people can go white water rafting, canoeing, and more during the warmer times of the year. Lakes and rivers tend to be common, especially in mountainous areas. Grand Lake is one such place where visitors can spend time in nature near a large body of water. Fishing, boating, and other outdoor recreational activities are popular at Grand lake.[4]
On the southern side of the state, still within the mountainous areas, visitors can find Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. At this national park, people can try their hand at an activity that is not so easily done elsewhere. Sand surfing is a popular activity for people to try while visiting the sand dunes. As long as visitors are properly equipped with a sandboard, they should have no problem finding a location suitable enough for the sport. So long as they are not sliding down vegetated areas, sand surfing is allowed anywhere on the dunes. The nearest shops to rent sandboards are in San Luis Valley.[4]
Colorado is surrounded by several other states, some of them sharing the same mountain range as Colorado. Wyoming can be found on the north side, Kansas is to the east, New Mexico is located in the south, and Utah borders the west. Other states found near the corners of Colorado include Arizona in the southwest, Nebraska in the northeast, and Oklahoma in the southeast. Due to the fact that the mountains cover a majority of the state, primarily in the west, there are many different geographical locations such as alpine mountains, canyons, mesas, valleys, high plains, forests, deserts, and rivers.[1]
Colorado has a wide array of climate types within its borders. Some of the more common climates that can be found in various parts of the state include subarctic, tundra, semi-arid, continental, humid subtropical, and cold deserts. While the temperature can vary depending on the location one is at, the typical temperature during the summer ranges between 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 32.2 to 37.8 degrees Celsius). The lows, however, can reach as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit (about -1.1 degrees Celsius), though the average tends to be a little higher than that. In the more mountainous parts of the territory, temperatures can achieve highs that regularly reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), and can have winters that often drop to about -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23.3 degrees Celsius). As one gets closer to the mountains, rainfall and snowfall averages increase. While the state is usually sunny during the year, the average snowfall across the state ranges between 60 and 100 inches, (1524 to 2540 millimeters).[1]
According to the Weather Atlas, "The best time to visit Colorado is during the spring from March to May, and in autumn from September to November." The reason for this is that visitors tend to miss the extreme heat of the summers and the freezing cold of the winters. It is during the spring that many parts of the state will receive the majority of its rainfall, while the fall season sees nature offer the views of the fall colors typically attributed to the season.[1]
Due to the mountainous ranges in the west and the plains in the east, there are a wide variety of animals that can be found within the state's range. The American bison is a large mammal located in the plains of Colorado that once populated many plains across North America but nearly became extinct due to overhunting. In the mountains, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep can be found. These sheep are most easily identified by the distinctive, curled horns that adorn the males' heads. These horns are used for both foraging and self-defense. A predator that can be found in the mountains is the mountain lion—one of the largest cats in North America that are also known as a cougar, panther, or puma.[6]
Throughout Colorado, it is common to find areas that are dense with various trees. Several common trees in the mountains include pinyon pine, ponderosa pines, oak brush, and juniper.[10] Other smaller plants and flowers can be found growing naturally in both the mountains and plains. One flower that can be found in Colorado is called Lady's Leek—a bulb-like flower with loose, bell-shaped blooms that are small in size. Another flower that can be found in the flatter ranges of Colorado is called cow parsnip. Cow parsnip grows tall and blooms many tiny white flowers.[7]
The area that now makes up Colorado was first visited by Spanish explorers in the 1500s. They called the area Colorado due to the red rocks that are commonly found in the land. It wasn't until 1706 that the territory was claimed for the country of Spain by a man named Juan de Ulibarri. The United States obtained Colorado in segments in the span of just under 50 years. The eastern part of Colorado was obtained in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The central portion came into The United States' ownership at the same time as Texas in 1845. Then, a few years later, the western side of what is now Colorado was taken by the country as a result of the Mexican War in 1848. It wasn't until 1876 that Colorado was accepted into the Union and became the 38th state.[5]
One unique thing about Colorado is that there are over 1,000 Rocky Mountain peaks that stand over 10,000 feet high, roughly 3,048 meters. Fifty-four of the mountain peaks stand as far as 14,000 feet tall, which is about 4,267 meters tall. One of the most famous of the taller mountains is called Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak was discovered in 1806 by an Army lieutenant whose name was Zebulon M. Pike.[5]
In the past, the state obtained a majority of its wealth from its land. Mining and agriculture used to be some of the primary sources of wealth and still remain important factors to the state's economy. However, there are other focuses that have had positive effects on its success financially. Currently, Colorado's economy is more driven towards the service industry, including medical providers and professional services. Manufacturing is another trade that is a large part of Colorado's economy. Food, machinery, printing and publishing, and electrical instruments are some of the more common things produced within the state. Much of the food and products created are, in part, due to the farm industry, which also plays a big part in the state's economy. Livestock is more commonly harvested in the region, but there are also many farms that grow crops like corn, hay, and wheat. Colorado is also the main source of communications and transportation throughout the Rocky Mountains.[5]
There are a number of successful businesses that either started in Colorado or moved their base of operations to one of the cities. OtterBox is a company that is based in Fort Collins and is privately owned. Founded in 1998, OtterBox produces many electronics accessories, ranging from phone cases to products like charging kits, power banks, universal adapters, and more. Another company that currently works from one of the cities of Colorado is Red Robin. Red Robin, an American-themed restaurant that serves burgers, French fries, and more, was originally founded in the 1960s and started in Irvine, California, before moving to Greenwood Village in 2000. Coors Brewing Company was first established in Golden, Colorado, by a German immigrant named Adolph Coors in 1873. The original factory is still located in Golden and is said to be the largest single brewing facility in the world.[8]
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