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Local Attractions & Places of Interest
FLORISSANT, DIVIDE AND WOODLAND PARK
• Hike through 35 million-year-old fossils of leaves and insects preserved in thin layers of shale at the Florissant Fossil Bed National Monument. There are also giant petrified sequoia tree stumps and visitors center. 719-748-3253 or www.nps.gov/flfo/
• There is an extensive trail system and RV camping at Mueller State Park, just ½ an hour from TNP. 719-687-2366 or http://parks.state.co.us/Fall/Mueller.asp
• Visit Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park. There are exhibits, guest lectures, a fossil preparation lab and theater presentations. Seniors $10.50, Adults $11.50, Children $7.50 719-686-1820 or www.rmdrc.com/
• The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is dedicated to educating the public about wolves, wolf hybrids, and native Colorado wildlife. Adults start at $10 and children at $7, and go up for more exclusive interactions with the wolves. They are located just 20 minutes from TNP. 719-687-9742 or www.wolfeducation.org/
• Drive through Eleven Mile Canyon, just 20 minutes from TNP. See the spectacular cliffs formed by the South Platte River in this extremely scenic spot. Good fishing here too.
CRIPPLE CREEK
• Descend 1000 feet into the Molly Kathleen Mine, a real 19th century gold mine. Adults $15, children $7. 719-689-2465 or www.goldminetours.com
• Victorian Melodrama at the opera house during the summer season. www.cripplecreekplayers.com
• Take the steam train, Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, for a 45 minute ride through the once prosperous gold field. 719-689-2640.
• See local history close up and personally with Cripple Creek Ghost Walk Tours. Adults $10, children $5. 719-689-9113 or www.cripple-creek.co.us/ghost.html.
• There are also several good museums of local interest and numerous small-stake casinos.
ROYAL GORGE AND CAÑON CITY
• Visit the world’s highest suspension bridge, the Royal Gorge Bridge. It is 1,053 feet over the Arkansas River. 719-275-7507 or www.royalgorgebridge.com
• Take a train ride on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. This is a dramatic ride along the Arkansas River about 1,000 feet down from the gorge rim. 303-569-1000 or www.royalgorgeroute.com
• Watch Paleontologists at work on fossils at the Dinosaur Depot. See real Allosaurus and Stegosaurus fossils. 800-987-6379 or www.dinosaurdepot.com
• Step back in time to when justice was swift but not always just at the Colorado Territorial Prison and Museum. There are 32 cells filled with exhibits. 719-269-3015 or www.prisonmuseum.org
MANITOU SPRINGS (45 minutes from The Nature Place)
• Walk through a reproduction of 800 to 1,000 year old Anasazi buildings built into cliffs at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings Museum. 800-354-9971 or www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com
• Have fun at an amusement park that is suitable for pre-teens at the North Pole Santa’s Workshop. 719-684-9432 or www.santas-colo.com
• Explore the caves and the scenic canyon at the Cave of the Winds. 719-685-5444 or www.caveofthewinds.com
• Take the train from about 5,800 feet in elevation to the top of Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet in elevation aboard the historic Pikes Peak Cog Railway. 719-685-5401 or www.cograilway.com
• Enjoy a downhill mountain bike ride from the top of Pikes Peak with Pikes Peak by Bike, Challenge Unlimited. 800-798-5954 or www.bikithikit.com
COLORADO SPRINGS (1 hour from The Nature Place)
• Visit www.pikes-peak.com or www.coloradosprings-travel.com for comprehensive lists of attractions in the area.
• Walk or drive through red sandstone formations sculpted by erosion at Garden of the Gods and see their visitor’s center. Free. 719-634-6666 or www.gardenofgods.com
• See the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Hall of Champions with two multi-media presentations. 719-528-4764 or www.prorodeo.com
• View and hike up to the beautiful Seven Falls in South Cheyenne Canyon. There is also an elevator available to the Eagle’s Nest overlook. 719-632-0765 or www.sevenfalls.com
• Visit the U.S. Olympic Training Center to see up and coming hopefuls. 719-578-4618 or www.usoc.org
• The Cheyenne Mt. Zoo was founded in 1926 and seeks to serve over 50 endangered species. 719-633-9925 or www.cmzoo.org
• Learn about America’s mining heritage at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry. 719-488-0880 or www.wmmi.org
• Discover a 1800s old west town in an historic railroad complex at the Ghost Town Wild West Museum. 719-634-0696 or www.ghosttownmuseum.com
• Have a chuck-wagon supper and see a western stage show at the Flying W Ranch. 719-598-4000 or www.flyingw.com
SOUTH PARK & FAIRPLAY (1 hour from The Nature Place)
• South Park City has more than 30 old buildings that have been relocated from all over Colorado to create a 1987’s mining town. 719-836-2387.
• Fairplay Nordic Center has miles of groomed trails and cross-country ski rentals. 719-836-2658
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