#1 Black Canyon near Tomichi Point

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park

CO · 336K visitors/yr

Moderate Crowds

Gunnison River carved North America's steepest gorge through 1.7-billion-year-old rock, with 2,000-foot walls that trap the sun.

#2 Grasslands, large dunes, and snow-capped peaks at sunset

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

CO · 438K visitors/yr

Moderate Crowds

North America's tallest sand dunes rise 750 feet against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with alpine lakes and tundra at 13,000 feet above.

#3 Large cliff dwelling in cliff alcove

Mesa Verde National Park

CO · 480K visitors/yr

Moderate Crowds

Seven hundred Ancestral Pueblo dwellings are carved into sandstone alcoves, including the 150-room Cliff Palace accessible by ladder.

#4 Morning light in RMNP

Rocky Mountain National Park

CO · 4.2M visitors/yr

Busy

Trail Ridge Road crosses the Continental Divide at 12,183 feet. Below, 300 miles of trails connect glacial lakes to 14,259-foot Longs Peak.