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Colorado
is one of the most diverse states in our great nation. From the tremendous
variance of ecosystems due to the wide range of elevation, to the other
physical attributes of the state like the high planes to the east, the
mountainous region in the center and the plateau and desert canyon country
in the western regions. I guess one could say that the only thing we're
missing is an ocean. That's alright, I like the size of our waves
just fine!
Hopefully,
this section will prove to be a valuable resource for a few locals and
out-of-state tourists alike. While my thoughts are relatively brief on
the areas I have chosen to describe, I have links to many other great
web sites that go further in depth. Also, while the areas I cover are
limited to just a handful, I will add futer articles on when I have enough
material and information gathered. The following pages cover the both
the areas I usually venture to whenever the road is calling my name and
some just some neat parts of the state in general, but first, some fun
facts:
• 8th largest state
• Colorado's population: 4.4 million
• Denver metro population: 2.1 million
• Highest peak: Mt. Elbert, 14,433' near Leadville
• Tallest peak (base to peak relief): Pikes Peak, ~7,400' near Colorado
Springs
• Best peak: Mt. Sneffels near Telluride. Yep, I'm biased!
• 14,000'+ peaks: 54 of the US' 86 are located here (Alaska—16;
California—15; Washington has Ranier)
• 13,000'+ peaks: ~740
• Lowest point: 3,350' on the Arkansas River at the Kansas border
• Average elevation: 6,800'
• Colorado has 75% of the US land over 10,000'; Truly, a Rocky Mountain
High
• 300 sunny days a year 
There are three resources which I highly recommend for your Colorado explorations. The first is John Fielder's Best of Colorado. This is the best complete guide for Colorado which is also geared towards the photographer, or just one who wants to see some of the great sites this state has to offer. The second book I would suggest is Laurent Martrès' Photographing the Southwest: Volume 3, which covers Colorado and New Mexico. It is, without question, the best photographer's guide for Colorado. The final piece of literature I recommend is The Roads of Colorado road atlas. I find this to be far better than the more popular Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer in that it has far greater topo detail and is much easier to read in general. This is my most used resource in my Colorado library, and here is a picture to prove it!
Where do you want to go today?
Black
Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Great
Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
