In the beginning, I used to think that like all other national parks Redwood is only one park. But Redwood is a combination of several parks. Generally, Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park- these four parks are combinedly known as Redwood National Park. But there are more Redwood Parks and lots of amazing places full of giants in the area. Located in the northwest region of California, this National Park is home to some of the tallest trees on earth. World’s tallest tree ‘Hyperion’, second tallest tree ‘Helios’ and third one ‘Icarus’ -all three of them are in Redwood National and state parks, though the exact locations are kept secret to protect the trees. In this blog post, I am going to talk about the places to visit in Redwood National Parks.

When we think about Aspen, snow-covered mountains, wooden cottages, and ski always come first in our mind. I know Aspen is famous for winter activities, but there are a lot of summer activities you can enjoy in Aspen. The beauty of Aspen is really hard to describe. I have been to Aspen both in summer and winter and both of the seasons have their own uniqueness and beauty. For Aspen, my favorite one is fall, especially with the fall foliage and a little bit of snow on the top of the mountain peak. No matter which seasons you visit, there are plenty of things to do and experience in Aspen. In this blog, I am going to talk about the things to do in Aspen during the Summer months.

What is the most interesting about Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park? I would say the color of the rocks make it more interesting. The sheer black cliffs that drop 2000 ft to the Gunnison River below creates an amazing scene that you will not be able to forget for a long time. You will be amazed to see the rough, ragged formations eroded for millions of years and taking its current shape- who knows after another hundred year it would be same or not!

Did you know there are eight National Monuments in Colorado? It’s amazing to explore this state and know about the places along with the captivating history. Among these eight National Monuments, Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. This 31-square mile unit of the National Park System is a gem of a landscape located on the North-western side of Colorado. You will be able to experience Colorado’s vast red rock areas, huge canyons, sandstone towers, the desert area, which is scenic and most importantly quiet, not like any other monument. If you are looking for solitude in nature, you should visit Colorado National Monument. In this blog, I tried to gather what to expect or whatnot in this National Monument.

At first, I wanted to name this blog ’things to do in Denver’. Then I thought, Denver is a big city of activities. There are so many fun activities to do just in Denver. But if I say things to do in Denver and then talk about the places that you can reach driving one or two hours- it would not be justice. So instead, here I am talking about places that you can visit within a short driving distance from Denver.

Switzerland of USAhttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. One is ‘Switzerland of USA’ and another one is a harry potter city- yes that is how I love to describe Ouray and Telluride. These two are the most beautiful mountain towns I have ever seen. I visited both towns in winter and the winter beauty of these two mountain towns is hard to describe and you cannot compare each other as both are different and unique in their own way. Telluride is more like a tourist town whereas Ouray is an off-roading paradise.

Painted Mines, Coloradohttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. Though Colorado is all about beautiful mountains and alpine goodness, Painted Mines Interpretive Park is completely different than the rest of Colorado. This place is unique and stunning. You will be able to see different colorful formations here and there are layers of colorful bands on those formations. The reason behind these colored bands is the presence of oxidized iron compounds mixed in varying amounts throughout the different layers of clay. American Indians used to collect the colorful clays to make paint from here. The name ‘Painted Mines’ came from it.

Mesa Verde National Parkdreamcatcher_mahdi/instagram. If you are searching for places full of historical significance in Colorado, you should plan to visit Mesa Verde National Park located in Southwest Colorado. In Spanish, ‘Mesa Verde’ means ‘green table’, and the people who lived in Mesa Verde were known as ‘Anasazi’. ‘Anasazi’ is a Navajo word that means ‘the ancient ones’ or ‘enemy ancestors’. Once upon a time, Mesa Verde was home to the Pueblo people who built an entire village on the sides of cliffs during the 13th century A.D. They did not develop any writing system during that time yet, but they left behind the rich archaeological remains. From those remains and the stories passed down through the ages, the researchers reconstructed their past or imagination of their life. The people who built the cliff dwellings were very creative. They used the existing bedrock to determine the size and the shape of the rooms wedged inside the protective space. Rooms ranging in number from 3 to 150 were adjoined and tucked into the alcoves. In some places, dwellings were 2-3 stories tall which provided housing for farming communities living there from 1190-1270 AD. The fact why they left their homes or if there were any natural calamities such as drought, greener pastures, changing environment, or any advancing enemies- the reason is still unknown. The ruins still bear the proof of their presence and their day-to-day life. Researchers have found recently that the people at Mesa Verde were good at mathematics. They used the golden ratio to construct a Sun Temple.

Great Sand Dunes, Coloradodreamcatcher_mahdi/instagram. Colorado has so many things to do and so many places to explore that I stopped counting at some point. I visited this national park on my first visit to Colorado. First, I saw the mountains and then I saw the dunes. It felt out worldly. How can a place be this beautiful! Colorado has amazed me over and over and I must say it is always a happy surprise. Do you know that Great Sand Dunes is home to the tallest dunes (around 755 ft) in North America? Located in the southeast part of Colorado, this dune is surrounded by a diverse landscape that includes mountains, grasslands, forests, wetlands, tundra, and alpine lakes. The snowcapped 14000-foot peaks and desert-like landscape- what a combination it is! Totally mind-blowing and a must-visit place in Colorado.

Sunset at Garden of the GodsDreamcatcher_mahdi/instagram. According to the legend, some explorers gave this place the name ‘Garden of the Gods’. The whole incident is quite amusing- how a simple incident can lead to a beautiful naming! One explorer said that area could be a potential beer garden, whereas another explorer thought this place is fit to be a place for the Gods to assemble and named it Garden of the Gods. Though I am not quite sure about the reality or truth of such stories, still the name is perfect for this place. When I visit any place, I love to know more about the place. So, I visited the exhibits at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. The experience gave me a lot of information about the place. Millions of years ago, these rock formations were created, and they lie on a fault line that had caused the slabs of rock to be leaned at an angle vertically into ‘fin’-like form as the tectonic plates moved. The reason behind the color of the rocks is the presence of hematite in the formation.

Rocky mountain national park is not only the most visited national park in the USA but also one of the highest national parks. Every year millions of visitors come from all over the country to visit this national park. Especially during the summer, this national park is fully packed with people. Lofty mountain peaks, lots of hiking trails, alpine goodness, curvy roads, wildlife, waterfalls, what is not there! Everything about this park is wonderful and you will enjoy every moment of it. If you are a hiker like us, this park is a kind of hiker’s paradise. Every year, we try to visit this national park at least once. It’s not possible to cover this national park in only one visit, you will need more than that. That’s why I focused on the experiences rather than places in this blog. Let’s talk about what can you do or experience in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Crystall Mill, Coloradodreamcatcher_mahdi/instagram. Crystal Mills is one of those places which will give you goosebumps at the first sight, will make you think about it, and finally, you will give in to the beauty of the mill standing tall with its surroundings. A house with a mill at the edge of the cliff, trees are surrounding the house everywhere and a river at the bottom- everything is out there! This place is like a fairy tale, only it is not a castle but a mill. You will love it. The exciting part of the journey is the drive to the mill. You will not be bored for a single minute- I can assure you that.

Maroon Bells, Coloradohttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. What makes an alpine lake beautiful? It’s not only the color of the water but also the surrounding mountains, meadows, wildflowers, the beautiful blue sky- everything makes the experience a very beautiful one. If you are planning for some alpine lakes this summer, you should make a plan for Colorado. Here are some beautiful alpine lakes to visit this summer:

Molas Lake at sunsethttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. Located at 10522 ft elevation, this lake has the ‘most scenic campground in Colorado’. You can already guess how amazing the view is. We had the opportunity to camp here once, and I can assure you this is one of the most amazing campsites in Colorado with a gorgeous view. Unlike lots of other lakes in Colorado, this lake is easily accessible. You will get the backcountry camping vibes without any hiking. This 25-acre waterbody is located about 6 miles south of Silverton, Colorado, and is the largest lake in San Juan County. The campground here is owned by the town of Silverton and is considered one of the most scenic developed camping sites in Colorado. There are 50 campsites including tent sites, RV/trailer sites and facilities like restrooms, showers, and drinking water are available. Imagine waking up beside a lake and the first thing you see is a beautiful lake and mountains as its backdrop. The view is stunning. Due to high demand, the campsites tend to fill up very quickly every year. If you are planning to camp here, try to make your reservation as early as possible.

Beautiful Maroon bells at sunrisehttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. If you have already been to Maroon Bells, you probably know what I am talking about and why. If you have not, this is a must-visit place in Colorado. Maroon bells are one of the most photographed mountains in Colorado and I must say the picture does not do any justice. Maroon lake, with the mountains, is far more beautiful than the pictures. During the sunrise and sunset time, the water of the Maroon lake becomes so still that the reflection of the two-giant snow-striped mountain tops become prominent, and everything is so quiet that it creates a very stunning panoramic view. These two mountains on the back are known as Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak. Especially, right when the first ray of the sun hits the Maroon Peaks, the scene is amazingly beautiful. This iconic view changes with the season. During the wintertime, you will get a certain snow-covered view which is only accessible by snowmobile. Summer will give you the reflection view of the peak in the water of the lake. Fall is my favorite one. Just imagine, stripped mountain peak, gorgeous yellow fall trees at the bottom, and then the reflection on the Maroon lake- it’s such a beauty! The yellow-golden hues surrounding the lake make an out-of-the-world scene. You will understand why this is the most photographed mountain view in Colorado, probably in North America.

The beautiful sky pond, Coloradohttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. Can you believe it? You can see three amazingly beautiful alpine lakes and two waterfalls in one hike. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. We wanted to do this hike as a loop connecting to Emerald Lake, Dream Lake, and Bear Lake. But due to rain and thunderstorm, we had to change the plan and cut it short. Still, I would say this hike is amazing and most importantly all the lakes are at comparatively lower elevation. That means less chance of altitude sickness and a comparatively easy hike. That also means sharing the trail with tons of people and meeting a lot of fellow hikers. This part is always exciting to me- to have some meaningful conversations and make new trail friends.

Beautiful alpine lake in Coloradohttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. When I first read about this lake, I was really surprised. Really? Can you drive up to this alpine lake without any hiking? I asked myself again and again. Yes, this is true. This amazing alpine lake is accessible by only four-wheel-drive vehicles. The trailhead or the drive path starts at the same area where Ice Lake and Island Lake trailhead is located, near the South Mineral Campground. We reached the trailhead very late at the night. I had seen numerous videos of this drive. Still did not think it would be a good idea to drive the road to Clear Lake at night. So, we did car camping on the side of the road. About parking on the road, please be careful about not harming any kind of vegetation or do not park in the meadows. We parked at the side of the road and made sure that we were not harming any kind of vegetation. Surprisingly, there were not so many vehicles nearby. But I was pretty sure by morning, this place was going to be full because of the popularity of Ice Lake and Island Lake.

Beautiful blue alpine lake in Coloradohttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. If you have read my recent blog post about the Ice Lake hike, let me tell you about another electric blue lake in Colorado. The color of the lake is out of the world. This lake is also located in the San Juan Mountain range though the hike is tougher than the Ice Lake hike. This hike is more like a climb in elevation at a steep 12% grade. So, be prepared for some legwork.

Beautiful Chasm Lakehttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. If you are looking for a day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, you should consider Chasm Lake. Nestled in the Rockies, this lake will give you a view of Longs Peak, the highest point in the national park. It also reminds me of the walls of Yosemite. I must warn you; this hike is difficult but extremely popular. It’s almost impossible to get a parking spot. Especially during the weekend, the parking spots fill up very early. Even at 4 am, we had to wait for a while to get a spot. Those who intend to summit Longs Peak, generally start their hike between 3 am to 5 am. As a day hike to Chasm Lake, the hike is nice, amazing view, and a bit difficult.

The electric blue ICE Lakehttps://www.instagram.com/dreamcatcher_mahdi/. Today, I am going to share another favorite hike of mine- Ice Lake and Island Lake trail. The electric blue color lake at the end of the trail is an eye soothing scene sight and its worthy. Ice Lake and Island Lake both are located in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado and this hike is considered moderately difficult. It does not matter how hard the hike is, as soon as you see the beautiful lakes surrounded by the mountains, you will forget everything. Moreover, this entire basin is famous for its alpine wildflower during the summer months. So, if you are doing this during summer, more likely you will be able to see these alpine beauties surrounded by wildflowers.