Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park isn't the country's largest national park, nor is it the most visited, with just approximately 4 million tourists each year. But there's something truly wonderful about RMNP, which, at its highest point, Pikes Peak, soars 14,259 feet into the Colorado sky. Hiking the park's 350-plus miles of trails, which snake through pine and spruce woods, glistening alpine lakes, expanses of wildflowers, and, if you're lucky, elk and bighorn sheep, is the major draw. And, perhaps it's the thinner air that gets to people's heads, but even the most jaded tourists report emotions of amazement and wonder after a day or two of breathing in that pure mountain air.

When it's time to return to earth, or at least to an elevation of around 7,500 feet, tourists may indulge in some handcrafted ice cream, take a creepy tour of the Stanley Hotel, or simply stroll through Estes Park's charming hamlet. In addition, the nearby Colorado hotspots of Boulder and Denver are also only a short drive away.