Everyone knows that Colorado is home to stunning scenery, outdoor adventures and amazing mountain towns. However, there are many incredible spots to explore outside of the well known places like Aspen and Vail. Here is your guide to unique small towns to explore on a Colorado road trip.

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Download this free Google Maps guide to all of the places listed in this article. This allows you to fully customize your trip!

– Responsible Travel Tips –

Please be respectful of the local environment when exploring these small towns. Practice Leave No Trace principles such as staying on designated roads/trails, leaving wildlife alone and putting out fires. It always helps to pick up a piece of trash or two as well! 🙂

Additionally, try to support small businesses in the places you are visiting. All of these towns are full of incredible locally owned restaurants, shops and hotels!

1- Cuchara

Located along the scenic Highway of Legends, Cuchara is a quaint town with a population of only 150 people. Not much has changed in its 100 years of history, nor has it seen the boom of tourism like other places in Colorado. If you enjoy peaceful and quiet places, you can certainly find that here.

WHERE TO STAY

• Yellow Pine Guest Ranch – This working ranch offers charming cabins, horseback rides and also the most beautiful views of the Cuchara Valley.

• Another option is the Cuchara Lokal Inn, a cozy and comfortable lodge in the heart of Cuchara. They have a great main room for relaxing and a delicious breakfast too.

WHAT TO DO HERE

• Play mini golf at the Bears Den.

• Drive the famous Highway of Legends, a scenic road from Trinidad to Walsenburg, Colorado.

• Eat at the Dog Bar, a local staple with pizza, burgers and also live music on weekends.

• Take a picnic up to Bear & Blue Lakes and spend a lazy afternoon with beautiful views.

• Hike the 8 mile West Spanish Peak Trail, a difficult but very rewarding trail that takes you to the top of a 13,000 foot mountain.

2- Lake City

Tucked into the gorgeous San Juan Mountain Range, this historical mining town is filled with history and remarkable views. There are many adventures to be had in this area, including driving along the Silver Thread Scenic Byway.

WHERE TO STAY

• Wildflower Cabins – These cozy cabins are centrally located, well appointed and allow pets as well. There are shared fire pits too!

• Williams Creek Campground – Only 15 minutes from town, this campsite has nice views and easy access to backcountry adventures.

WHAT TO DO

• Wander around the charming downtown with shops & restaurants.

• Drive to Lake San Cristobal Overlook & Windy Point Observation Site.

• Enjoy an afternoon cooling off along the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River at Lake Fork Park.

• Kayak, SUP, fish or picnic at the beautiful Lake San Cristobal.

• Lastly, explore the nearby mountains on a high alpine 4WD adventure. You can rent vehicles from a local company in Lake City and adventure from there. Favorite drives include the Alpine Loop (Cinnamon & Engineer Pass) which has spectacular views!

3 – Westcliffe

This little town, located within the Wet Mountain Valley, has the most stunning background views in Colorado. It’s also known for being an International Dark Sky Community, which means the star gazing here is fantastic.

WHERE TO STAY

• Courtyard Country Inn – A cute spot located right in Westcliffe. They have cozy rooms as well as a lovely courtyard decorated with flowers.

• Alvarado Campground – Great campground only 20 minutes outside of Westcliffe. The campsites are tucked into nature and you can also hike right from the campground.

WHAT TO DO

• Visit the Smokey Jack Observatory, which is one of the highest in the US

• Try the best coffee in Colorado at Peregrine Coffee Roasters

• Enjoy a picnic with stunning views at Bluff Park

• Explore nearby Bishop’s Castle, a hand built “castle” project that has been going on for nearly 60 years. It’s free to explore and open every day of the year.

• Hike to Crystal Falls, a moderate 6 mile trail with waterfall and valley views.

4 -Creede

Located within a canyon, this old mining town has a lovely western facade colored with bright buildings. This tiny town of 250 is also found on the Silver Thread Scenic Byway along with Lake City. Stay here for a couple of evenings or visit as part of the scenic drive.

WHERE TO STAY

• Cottonwood Cove Guest Ranch – A relaxed spot that is about 10 minutes outside of Creede. This ranch offers rivers views and also has an onsite restaurant/ice cream shop.

• Marshall Park Campground – Also only 10 minutes from Creede, this campsite sits beside a quiet river and has a beautiful backdrop of rock formations and mountains.

WHAT TO DO

• Visit the underground mining museum.

• Visit the North Clear Creek Falls, a unique waterfall that seems to appear out of nowhere.

• Drive on the Bachelor Loop, a 4WD road with great views and lots of mining history.

• If you don’t stay at Cottonwood Cove, you can also visit here as they offer horseback rides, a quiet fishing spot and jeep rentals too.

Keep reading for the remainder of the unique small towns to explore on a Colorado road trip.

5 – Twin Lakes

Aptly named for the two lakes that sit beside it, Twin Lakes is probably the tiniest town on this list. Since there is plenty of outdoor recreation here, you could easily stay for a couple of days or you can stop here for a quick lunch/coffee.

WHERE TO STAY

• Dexter Point Campground – One of the best campgrounds in Colorado with fantastic mountain and lake views. Spots are first come, first served and there are both tent and RV sites.

• Lakeview Campground – This campground is only a couple of minutes from the one listed above, but it is a great backup option for it. You can also reserve sites online for both tent and RV camping.

WHAT TO DO

• Rent paddleboards or kayaks at Twin Lakes SUP & Cycle. They also rent bicycles too.

• Drive over 12,095 foot high Independence Pass. This spectacular road is one of the highest in Colorado with incredibly dramatic views!

• Go on an adventure with AVA rafting and zipline. This spot is only a couple of minutes from Twin Lakes and offers many awesome outdoor experiences.

• Hike on one of the many nearby hiking trails. Favorites include: Interlaken trail (an easy, but beautiful 4 mile hike) or attempt to hike the highest peak in Colorado, Mt Elbert. This is a difficult hike, but not impossible and very worth the effort!

6 – Minturn

The small town of Minturn is located in a fantastic spot, as it’s sandwiched in between the more famous Vail and Beaver Creek. Besides its great location, it is also incredibly charming with cute historical buildings and homes.

WHERE TO STAY

• Minturn Inn – This fabulous cabin style inn has a great location, delicious breakfast, a common room stone fireplace and also amazing hosts.

• Hornsilver Campground – Primitive first come, first served 7 site campground. Tent and RV sites both available. The campground is along the highway, however, it is quiet at night.

WHAT TO DO

• Drive from here along the Top of the Rockies scenic highway. This gorgeous road goes from Minturn to Leadville to Aspen.

• Wander around the tiny downtown area and eat at the delicious Rocky Mountain Taco (try the veggie tacos & queso dip!)

• Drive to the iconic Red Cliff Bridge, which is only 15 minutes away and one of the most beautiful bridges in the state.

• Lastly, hike on the Grouse Creek Loop trail, which practically leaves right from Minturn. This is a moderate 5.6 mile hike with amazing overlook views of the surrounding mountains.

7 – La Veta

The lovely La Veta is located in Southern Colorado along with the previously mentioned Cuchara. If you drive the scenic Highway of Legends, you’ll visit both of these places. This area is especially wonderful, as it is a peaceful and quiet retreat from many busier areas of Colorado.

WHERE TO STAY

• Two Fox Cabins – Cozy cabins with rustic style decor and fire pits as well as beautiful outdoor landscaping.

• La Veta Inn – A historical building and inn dating back to the 1880s. The inn has a delicious on site Italian restaurant as well as a courtyard for daytime relaxing!

WHAT TO DO

• Explore the historical and very charming downtown, which has several local artist’s galleries. You can also rent free bikes from the La Veta library to wander around town.

• Eat at Alys’ Restaurant, a homestyle restaurant with weekly menu changes or stop for an ice cream cone at Charlie’s Market.

• Visit nearby Lathrop State Park for incredible views of the Spanish Peaks, which are the mountains that form the backdrop of La Veta. You can fish, camp, swim and also hike here.

• Lastly, drive to the La Veta Pass Historic District, which is an abandoned ghost town hidden in the mountains outside of La Veta.

8 – Paonia

Last, but certainly not least, of the unique small towns to explore on a Colorado road trip is Paonia. This perfectly quaint small town is a great base to explore the orchards, wineries and farm stands that surround the area.

WHERE TO STAY

• Bross Hotel B & B – A wonderful spot located right in Paonia with a hot tub, fabulous breakfast and comfortable rooms.

• Wisehart Springs Inn – Equally incredible spot with bright rooms, relaxing outdoor spaces and gorgeous mountain views.

WHAT TO DO

• Visit Big B’s Delicious Orchards. This orchard has a beautiful mountain backdrop, large outdoor space with live music and also delicious food/drink products. You can pick your own fruit here too!

• Get coffee, pastries and fresh baked bread at Paonia Breadworks.

• Explore nearby Needle Rock Natural Area, which has unique views of the area as well as hiking trails.

• Drive to McClure Pass, which is about 45 minutes from Paonia. This nearly 9,000 foot pass has especially incredible views in the fall, when the Aspen trees are changing.

• You can also explore the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park from Paonia. While it is a bit further of a drive (50 minutes) to the North Rim of the park, it is worth it for the spectacular views here.

Enjoy these unique small towns on your next Colorado road trip!

Caroline & Jonathan