Colorado Vacations

With yesterday being Memorial Day, which many consider the “official” start of summer, that means tourist season has begun. If you are going to be vacationing here in Colorado, state government has produced many websites and publications to help you.

Colorado.com is the official Colorado tourism site. It has many resources for planning your vacation, whether you are a Colorado resident wishing to learn more about your state, or traveling here from somewhere else.

The Colorado Department of Transportation produces the official state maps. These can be borrowed from our library.

If you are interested in visiting historic sites in Colorado, many are listed on the Colorado Historical Society’s webpage. Also, we have available in our library the book Colorado Museums and Historic Sites. This book lists nearly all the museums and places of historical interest to visit throughout the state. And if you are visiting here in Denver, Colorado’s Capitol is one of the most popular tourist spots. In our library you can find publications such as “Visitor’s Guide to Colorado’s Capitol” and “Memorials and Art Around the State Capitol,” as well as Derek Everett’s book “The Colorado State Capitol.” There is also a virtual tour of the state house provided by the Colorado Legislative Council.

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources has many publications of interest to tourists and vacationers, including hiking maps produced by Colorado State Parks, and wildlife viewing guides produced by the Division of Wildlife. Check our catalog for the many titles offered by this agency.

Finally, if you’re interested in tourism statistics, we have those, too. Examples include the Colorado Visitor’s Study, produced annually, as well as some older publications like statistical studies of the Colorado ski industry done by CU-Boulder in the 1980s. Again, check our catalog for these and other Colorado tourism resources.