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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Colorado

308 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Colorado

Updated April 16, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Alamosa
  2. Antonito
  3. Aspen
  4. Aurora
  5. Bailey
  6. Bedrock
  7. Boulder
  8. Breckenridge
  9. Broomfield
  10. Cañon City
  11. Carbondale
  12. Central City
  13. Colorado Springs
  14. Commerce City
  15. Creede
  16. Crested Butte
  17. Crestone
  18. Cripple Creek
  19. Del Norte
  20. Denver
  21. Dolores
  22. Durango
  23. Estes Park
  24. Fairplay
  25. Florence
  26. Fort Collins
  27. Fruita
  28. Gateway
  29. Glenwood Springs
  30. Golden
  31. Grover
  32. La Junta
  33. Lake City
  34. Lakewood
  35. Leadville
  36. Littleton
  37. Longmont
  38. Loveland
  39. Manitou Springs
  40. Montrose
  41. Morrison
  42. Nathrop
  43. Nederland
  44. Ouray
  45. Pagosa Springs
  46. Pueblo
  47. Red Feather Lakes
  48. Trinidad
  49. Wheat Ridge
  50. Winter Park

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Ultimate Guide to Hidden Red Rocks: 10 Secret Passageways, Artifacts, and Ghost Stories

Sponsored by Visit Denver

There’s the version of Red Rocks most people know: the iconic open-air concert venue flanked by soaring sandstone fins. And then, there’s the version that even the amphitheater’s biggest fans sometimes overlook. Behind its impressive facade, you’ll find that the Denver-area venue has a hidden side—a quirky streak that it just might reveal to you if you know where to look. To see Red Rocks at its most pensive, go at first light. Mule deer and lynx sometimes roam the trails surrounding the amphitheater, and the sun’s first rays gild the rock until it seems to glow. Book a sunrise yoga session on the steps, or join the runners on dawn patrol: jogging the stone bleachers is a local rite of passage (and a serious workout). History buffs would be remiss not to stop into the Red Rocks Hall of Fame—a curving corridor lined with guitars and other rare artifacts—or visit the nearby Civilian Conservation Corps building that housed Red Rocks’ creators. Want to go even deeper? Singletrack trails wind through the ancient sandstone passages, unfurling a 300-million-year geology lesson one stratum at a time. That’s just a taste of what Red Rocks has in store for those willing to ferret out its secrets. Here are ten ways to uncover the whimsical, gritty, spooky, and mysterious sides of Colorado’s most iconic stage.

View Itinerary

Unusual Attractions in Colorado

See All 308 Things To Do in Colorado

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Colorado

See all 15 Places to Eat in Colorado
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Colorado

308
Museums 28
Mountains 27
History 25
History & Culture 22
Nature 22
Geology 21
Memorials 20
Architecture 19

Colorado Leaderboard

Recent Colorado Activity

Stories About Colorado

Enjoy stunning winter vistas on horseback at Saddleback Ranch

Not Your Average Snow Day: 8 Wild Ways to Experience Winter Fun in Colorado

Turn up the thrill with these unconventional winter adventures.
Sponsored by Visit Colorado
Live out your western winter dreams on a horseride through the snow

Western Winter: Your Guide to Colorado’s Cowboy Culture

Travel back to a time when flurries fell upon the open range and cowboys roamed the snowy hills.
Sponsored by Visit Colorado
Each fall, amorous male tarantulas prowl the Colorado plains in search of mates, who may or may not kill them.

Why Did the Spider Cross the Road?

In Colorado, tap-dancing male tarantulas risk everything for love—including becoming lunch.
by Karuna Eberl
Trees and other plants can’t escape wildfire smoke.

Trees Hold Their Breath to Avoid Wildfire Smoke

Researchers made the surprise discovery when wildfire smoke blanketed their test site.
by Delphine Farmer and Mj Riches
Durango’s 140-year-old steam locomotive is just one of Colorado’s spectacular historic rail lines.

Ride the Rails to Discover Hidden History and Incredible Hiking in Colorado

Follow the footsteps of cowboys and coal miners—and catch a rare glimpse of the state’s wild inner core.
Sponsored by Visit Colorado

The Ancient Secrets Hidden in 41,000 Bison Bones

Thousands of bones from Colorado's Jones-Miller site offer a detailed picture of Ice Age hunting—and a few mysteries.
by Stephen E. Nash
An 1868 image of Pikes Peak, towering over lesser mountains, by Leon Jean-Baptiste Sabatier.

Colorado's Pikes Peak Is an Eclipse Hot Spot (for 2045)

The Mountain West helped put American science on the map during the 1878 total solar eclipse, and it's the place to be for the next big American eclipse.
by Rebecca Boyle
The eclipse of 1878 as observed from Wyoming.

How the 1878 Eclipse Almost Killed the Father of American Meteorology

Today’s National Weather Service might be very different if Cleveland Abbe had died on Pikes Peak.
by Eric Grundhauser

Lists Featuring Colorado

Shrine of the Stations of the Cross
Fresh snow accentuates a warm ancient Puebloan city.

18 Places in Colorado to Discover Local Culture–From Past to Present

Sponsored by Colorado Tourism Office
18

Including Chimney Rock , Tabor Opera House, and Shrine of the Stations of the Cross

Star trails trace the night sky above snow-covered mountains and sand dunes.
Unaweep Divide, west.
Wheeler Geologic Area

18 Colorado Adventures That Will Take Your Breath Away (Literally)

Sponsored by Colorado Tourism Office
18

Including Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve , Unaweep Canyon, and La Ventana Arch

5-8-22
The last coal-burning steam engine.
The Sasquatch Outpost

15 Quirky Places to Visit on Your Next Colorado Family Road Trip

Sponsored by Colorado Tourism Office
15

Including Swetsville Zoo, Breckenridge Troll, and Steam Engine 638

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