As college basketball players vie for one shining moment, we imagine an impossible challenge between some of Colorado’s natural treasures:
SOUTH REGION
First round
(1) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve def. (16) Pueblo Mountain Park: The park near Beulah is a hidden gem, but it’ll be tough for any opponent to beat the stunning site of North America’s tallest dunes.
(9) Red Rock Canyon Open Space def. (8) Paint Mines Interpretive Park: Red Rocks, as locals simply call it, is caught off guard by the colorful preserve on the plains — who isn’t? — but pleases an adoring fan base.
(5) North Cheyenne Cañon Park def. (12) Castlewood Canyon State Park: Like the Paint Mines, Castlewood Canyon surprises as a rocky expanse on the plains. And like Red Rocks, North Cheyenne Cañon prevails with a much bigger fan base.
(4) Browns Canyon National Monument def. (13) Royal Gorge Mountain Park: No matter the majesty of the trails overlooking the Royal Gorge, it’s hard to overcome the rugged expanse of Browns Canyon, home to hiking, camping and world-class rafting.
(6) Cheyenne Mountain State Park def. (11) Fishers Peak State Park: Two postcard mountains clash, and the one with more experience wins (the park around Cheyenne Mountain was established 14 years sooner). But look out: Since 2020, trails have been fast growing around Fishers Peak.
(14) Eleven Mile State Park def. (3) Lake Pueblo State Park: Perhaps Colorado’s most popular state park got too cocky; Eleven Mile pulls off the upset with high-quality fishing, views and overlooked trails.
(10) Mueller State Park def. (7) Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument: Another upset comes in a match between Teller County neighbors. No doubt those massive, fossilized tree stumps amaze, but the variety around Mueller overwhelms.
(2) Garden of the Gods Park def. (15) Spruce Mountain Open Space: Spruce Mountain is a much more quiet escape — and indeed this was a quiet affair against a National Natural Landmark on another level.
Second round
(1) Great Sand Dunes def. (9) Red Rock Canyon: Sandboarding? Red Rock Canyon can’t compete with that.
(5) North Cheyenne Cañon def. (4) Browns Canyon: Another surprise on paper — but not to North Cheyenne Cañon devotees who know how special it is to experience such remote-feeling wilds just 10 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs.
(6) Cheyenne Mountain State Park def. (14) Eleven Mile: The Pikes Peak region’s second-most recognizable mountain is no pushover. Bonus: no crowds.
(10) Mueller State Park def. (2) Garden of the Gods: This bracket’s Cinderella is born, as the summertime masses at Garden of the Gods learn about the solitude and year-round possibilities at Mueller.
Third round
(1) Great Sand Dunes def. (5) North Cheyenne Cañon: Just when we thought the sand dunes were out of surprises, the springtime Medano Creek comes surging through.
(10) Mueller State Park def. (6) Cheyenne Mountain State Park: Tall forests and meadows with Pikes Peak views, hikes short and long, glowing aspen in the fall and ski tracks in the winter — Mueller shows off again.
Region final
(1) Great Sand Dunes def. (10) Mueller State Park: Great Sand Dunes has plenty of variety of its own, such as farflung adventure off Mosca Pass and nearby Zapata Falls.
NORTH REGION
(1) Rocky Mountain National Park def. (16) Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park: The Loveland-area, Big Thompson River-carved park earned a spot in the dance — the adjacent Round Mountain Trail helped — but is no match for Colorado’s most popular national park.
(8) Mount Sanitas def. (9) Gregory Canyon: In Boulder, many would call the Gregory Canyon Trail to the top of Green Mountain a local rite of passage — but even more would call Mount Sanitas that.
(5) Eldorado Canyon State Park def. (12) Soapstone Prairie Natural Area: Credit to the bison that roam the Larimer County natural area. A little more credit to the rock climbing mecca outside Boulder.
(4) Horsetooth Mountain Open Space def. (13) Devil’s Backbone Open Space: The striking, craggy spine beyond Loveland almost pulls off the upset, but Fort Collins’ signature open space gets it done.
(11) Pawnee Buttes def. (6) Horsetooth Reservoir: The element of surprise proves powerful again in this matchup between a major aquatic destination and an immensely different destination on the northeast plains: hulking formations that arise out of nowhere.
(3) State Forest State Park def. (14) Caribou Ranch Open Space: The open space north of Nederland gets bonus points for fall colors — but not nearly enough points to compare with Colorado’s biggest state park, near Walden.
(10) Lory State Park def. (7) Boyd Lake State Park: Boyd Lake’s annual visitation is typically double that of Lory, but the state park closer to Fort Collins gets the win for a stunning view atop Arthur’s Rock.
(2) Chautauqua Park def. (15) Betasso Preserve: Boulder County’s humble Betasso Preserve provides a solitary time in nature, but Chautauqua provides something Coloradans can’t get anywhere else: the Flatirons.
Second round
(1) Rocky Mountain National Park def. (8) Mount Sanitas: Sanitas offers a quick challenge up to 6,800 feet. The national park offers Longs Peak above 14,000 feet.
(5) Eldorado Canyon def. (4) Horsetooth Mountain: Eldo’s vertical landscape is too mighty — awe-inspiring for generations of climbers and also for hikers thanks to friendly, carefully crafted trails over the years.
(3) State Forest def. (11) Pawnee Buttes: The Pawnee Buttes learn why State Forest has been called “the mini Rocky Mountain National Park.”
(2) Chautauqua Park def. (10) Lory State Park: Arthur’s Rock is strong, but the combination of Chautauqua’s rock is stronger: five Flatirons plus Royal Arch deeper in the park.
Third round
(1) Rocky Mountain National Park def. (5) Eldorado Canyon: Rocky Mountain National Park continues to dominate with a seemingly unbeatable array of waterfalls, high-alpine lakes and summits above treeline.
(3) State Forest def. (2) Chautauqua Park: Those very components of Rocky Mountain National Park win out here — plus moose and overnight yurts.
Region final
(1) Rocky Mountain National Park def. (3) State Forest: The national park doesn’t have quite the moose reputation of State Forest — though sightings are common on the park’s west side, from Grand Lake. The elk put on a show on the Estes Park side. And Rocky Mountain has one thing no other contender has: Trail Ridge Road.
CENTRAL REGION
(1) Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre def. (16) Virginia Canyon Mountain Park: Above Idaho Springs, Virginia Canyon had a breakout year with the debut of top-notch mountain bike trails. The mountain park is no famed destination like Red Rocks, but it’s aiming to be with a gondola and mountaintop development coming soon.
(9) Roxborough State Park def. (8) North Table Mountain: North Table Mountain can’t be called one-of-a-kind; it’s only a little busier than South Table Mountain. Roxborough, however, is quite unique — the Denver metro’s closest thing to Garden of the Gods.
(12) Staunton State Park def. (5) Cherry Creek State Park: Denver’s boating and fishing enthusiasts are stunned. But they’ve got to hand it to Staunton: There’s something for just about everyone else in the wilds near Pine.
(4) Golden Gate Canyon State Park def. (13) Mount Falcon Park: Golden Gate Canyon does not have the ruins of “a summer White House,” reached at the end of Castle Trail. But it has about 35 miles of trail compared to Mount Falcon’s 12.
(6) Clear Creek Canyon Park def. (11) William F. Hayden Park: Comprising Green Mountain, the losing park is no loser in the hearts of Lakewood and Morrison residents. But Clear Creek Canyon Park moves on with urban floating and regional connections.
(3) St. Mary’s Glacier vs. (14) Genesee Park: Off Interstate 70, these two commonly introduce new Denverites to the great outdoors. St. Mary’s Glacier is a much more wild introduction.
(10) Echo Lake Park def. (7) Chatfield State Park: However cherished by boaters, Chatfield can’t claim the view of Mount Blue Sky here above 10,500 feet.
(15) Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area def. (2) Lookout Mountain Park: The round sees one more upset, courtesy the fun that has steadily expanded around Dillon Reservoir. Down goes the super popular drive in Golden; Buffalo Bill is rolling in his mountaintop grave.
Second round
(9) Roxborough State Park def. (1) Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: Another surprise in the battle of two red rock destinations — one better known for concerts, the other boasting more hikes.
(12) Staunton State Park def. (4) Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Staunton has an ace in the hole: Elk Falls, considered the tallest waterfall closest to Denver.
(3) St. Mary’s Glacier def. (6) Clear Creek Canyon Park: In the end, a wilderness setting above 11,000 feet defeats an urban amenity.
(15) Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area def. (10) Echo Lake Park: The Peninsula delivers with Tenmile Range views admired from varied trail system or from a kayak.
Third round
(9) Roxborough State Park def. (12) Staunton State Park: Hard to believe it’s Roxborough, not Garden of the Gods, enjoying a deep run. Then again, Roxborough has something Garden of the Gods does not: a hike to the panoramic top of Carpenter Peak.
(3) St. Mary’s Glacier def. (15) Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area: Snow remains at the glacier year-round, another feather in St. Mary’s otherworldly cap.
Region final
(3) St. Mary’s Glacier def. (9) Roxborough State Park: Glaciers are fairly rare in Colorado, and none are so easily reached from the state’s biggest populations.
WESTERN REGION
First round
(1) Mesa Verde National Park def. (16) Navajo State Park: In a loaded region, Mesa Verde earns the top seed with its remarkable cliff dwellings — and earns the victory over this reservoir spanning the Colorado-New Mexico border.
(9) Bridal Veil Falls def. (8) Hanging Lake: We mentioned it was a loaded region, right? It seems unfair that Hanging Lake should exit this early, but that’s the power of Colorado’s tallest waterfall.
(5) Blue Mesa Reservoir def. (12) Steamboat Lake State Park: Both beloved, but there’s hardly any comparison: Colorado’s biggest body of water is about nine times the size of Steamboat’s 1,000-plus surface acres.
(4) Dinosaur National Monument def. (13) Box Cañon Falls Park: Ouray’s Box Cañon Falls is a treasure — just not the treasure Dinosaur is, with its Quarry Exhibit Hall displaying more than 1,000 bones of prehistoric beasts.
(6) Maroon Bells Scenic Area def. (11) Ridgway State Park: We like water we can play in — that’s Ridgway State Park — but more than that, we like water reflecting the Maroon Bells.
(3) Colorado National Monument def. (14) Hartman Rocks Recreation Area: Hartman Rocks came in a good sleeper pick — the singletrack sweeping the rocky countryside near Gunnison is spectacular — but Colorado National Monument shows why people should think twice before driving on to similar scenery in Moab.
(7) Wheeler Geologic Area def. (10) Rifle Falls State Park: After Hanging Lake, another multi-pronged cascade goes down. There’s a reason why Theodore Roosevelt initially designated Wheeler, outside Creede, as Colorado’s first national monument in 1908.
(2) Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park def. (15) McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area: How can you beat 75,000-plus acres of desert mountain biking, off-roading, camping and red rock sightseeing? With “Colorado’s own Grand Canyon.”
Second round
(1) Mesa Verde def. (9) Bridal Veil Falls: The 365-foot cascade amazes, but not in the way that dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people amaze.
(4) Dinosaur National Monument def. (5) Blue Mesa Reservoir: We might not all fish and boat, but between the fossils and vast, river-cut canyonlands, we can all delight in something at Dinosaur.
(3) Colorado National Monument def. (6) Maroon Bells: Colorado National Monument does not afford the alpine view and fall colors of Maroon Bells. But it affords more adventure along Rim Rock Drive and trails dropping to the valley floor decorated by red walls and towers.
(2) Black Canyon of the Gunnison def. (7) Wheeler Geologic Area: The seemingly sci-fi world of Wheeler presents itself after a long, hard venture by foot or rocky road, while the vertical world of the Black Canyon presents itself much sooner, asserting dominance.
Third round
(4) Dinosaur National Monument def. (1) Mesa Verde: Dinosaur pulls off the upset thanks to attractions beyond the main attraction of fossils, including coveted rafting on the Green and Yampa rivers.
(2) Black Canyon of the Gunnison def. (3) Colorado National Monument: The only downside of Colorado National Monument: western Colorado’s summer heat.
Region final
(4) Dinosaur National Monument def. (2) Black Canyon of the Gunnison: In this bracket’s most competitive region, it’s only fitting the victor showcases so much Colorado splendor: colorful backcountry, rolling rivers, starry skies and surprises around every corner.
Final Four
(1) Rocky Mountain National Park def. (3) St. Mary’s Glacier: It takes more than one glacier to overcome a vast dreamscape so beautifully sculpted by glaciers long ago.
(1) Great Sand Dunes def. (4) Dinosaur National Monument: The match breaker? Great Sand Dunes’ accessibility, compared with Dinosaur’s remote place toward the state’s far northwest corner.
Championship
(1) Rocky Mountain National Park def. (1) Great Sand Dunes: The words of early park champion Enos Mills ring out as confetti falls: “In years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines, thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park.”
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