Two-minute guide to the other side of Colorado

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are not one of tourism’s big secrets; these beautiful, towering peaks, and the small towns they overshadow, are a mecca for millions of skiers each year.

_{Matt Inden/Miles: Colorado Tourism Office}

However, less known are the vineyards which sprawl out across the state’s sunny valleys, the ranches where tourists can partake in authentic cowboy culture, the hiking and cycling trails, Native American culture and the all-pervading ethos of connecting life with landscape and living it to the full.

For a state best known for its mountains and snow, Colorado’s wine scene can come as a surprise. The producers are small, so you won’t find it on European menus, but the grapes being grown in the sunny Grand Valley in the northwest of the state are one of Coloardo’s most delicious secrets.

An average 300 days of sunshine and exceptionally dry conditions has led to grapes being grown since 1890, with over 120 wineries now thriving. Palisade has the highest concentration, and fantastic cycling trails link tasting sessions with a myriad of small vineyards.

For a taste of true Coloradan culture, take a ride down the Colorado River from the De Beque Canyon to Palisade wine country in a traditional wooden ‘dory’ boat. Rondo Buecheler of Palisade River Trip’s (one of the experienced oarsmen on the water) passion for life on the river is addictive, and there’s plenty of time to hear stories that bring the river and valley to life.

The river isn’t the only way to get out and about into the Colorado wilderness. The real Wild West, working ranches across the state offer opportunities to saddle up and explore in authentic cowboy style.

Horse treks allow you to head out across the prairies and delve deep into the swathes of dunes, one of Colorado’s most unique and surprising landscapes, while in November tourists can get involved in the annual herding of the wild conservation bison. It’s like Lawrence of Arabia meets John Wayne.

Colorado’s National Parks are some of its most inspiring assets, but to really connect with the landscape don’t just drive along the myriad of scenic byways, do what the Coloradans do and hike, bike and raft the valleys, mountains and rivers.

_{Cycling through Palisade Vineyards – Denise Chambers/Miles: Colorado Tourism Office}

The Rocky Mountain National Park is iconic, and for keen walkers offers the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), a 50km route along well-maintained trails through stunning scenery. Good maps can surprisingly be hard to come by, but local Coloradans suggest mapper and hiker Jonathan Ley’s annually updated ones to be the best.

Look them up online and print them out before heading into the mountains, and as with all high-altitude treks, make sure your body and equipment has been adequately prepared for your journey.

Colorado is also home to the only National Park in the USA protected under UNESCOs World Heritage Site listings for ‘works made by man’. Less known outside the country, the jaw-dropping scenery of Mesa Verde National Park is famous for its cliff-side dwellings, telling the story of the ancient Ancestral Puebloans from AD.550 through the next seven hundred years.

To really appreciate the park, and to avoid the crowds, staying overnight gives access to longer hiking trails, and the spectacular dawn, which lights up the red sandstone.

For a more personal experience, the Ute Mountain Tribal Park just an hour away gives you the opportunity to hike with a Ute Indian guide, climbing down Indian Ladders for a more intimate experience of the cave dwellings and to hear the stories of the Ute Indian culture passed down from generation to generation. These trips help preserve and support Native American culture and economy.

For more ideas on authentic and alternative things to do in Colorado take a look at http://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/colorado