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Top 10 Facts about Colorado state

Colorado is located on the western half of the United States. Its most populated city is Denver and people from and in Colorado refer to themselves as Coloradoans.

Colorado has two large Native American reservations located in the southwest region. Colorado is the 8^th most extensive state. It was admitted to the Union in 1876 as the 38th state.

This state has stunning landscapes, wildlife, lush forests, hot springs and activities like hiking, mountain biking, horse-riding, and skiing.

According to recent reports, Colorado is one of the best places to live in. Three cities from Colorado were ranked among the top 17 in the world.

The State’s nickname is Centennial State; this is because it was founded 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Colorado has a lot of history and you can learn them in the top 10 facts about Colorado State below.

1. Colorado has the highest suspension bridge in the United States

Photo by Bkthomson – Wikimedia

The Royal Gorge Bridge is found in Canon City. It is one of the highest suspension bridges in the world with a height of 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River.

This bridge was built in 1929 and took 7 months to complete. The bridge is currently used as a footbridge.

Today, the area around the bridge has been developed into a theme park with rides and a camping site. Other fun activities to do here include taking a train or partaking in white water rafting.

This incredible engineering achievement is a wonder to behold. The Royal Gorge Bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

2. Rocky Mountain National Park is found in Colorado

Photo by Daniel Mayer – Wikimedia

This is one of the best and most beautiful national parks in Colorado. The Rocky Mountain National Park spans over 415 miles. The national park is surrounded by a granite mountain top.  

The park is home to elks that you will find peacefully grazing and drinking water from the lakes in the park. Other animals found here are black bears. There are 156 lakes here with Bear lake being the most popular.

Summer is one of the busiest seasons at the park. Tourists and locals visit the park for adventure and other leisure activities.

It is also during summer when the alpine meadows bloom with several wildflowers.  

Other popular fun activities at this national park are hiking, climbing boulders and camping.  

3. The Front Range is the most populated in Colorado

Fort Range is an urban corridor found between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Pueblo. It is home to about 70% of the population in Colorado.

The corridor got its name from the mountain range that describes the western boundary of the corridor.

Actually, the 10 largest cities in Colorado are found in the Fort Range. These cities are Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Loveland, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Greeley.

The location is partly protected from storms coming from the Pacific Ocean.

4. Colorado State is home to the highest sand dune in the US

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado dates back millions of years. Before there were sand dunes, there were tectonic activities leading to the creation of a lake.

The lake dried up and created smaller lakes, which in turn dried up and created the sand dunes. Its highest dune is 750 feet tall.

One interesting feature of the dunes is the shape that is formed by the wind. These shapes shift every time.  

Surrounding the dunes are mountain peaks, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes and wetlands.

One of the best times to visit this location is during sunset.

5. You can be in four different states at the same time in Colorado

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

There is a landmark in Colorado that makes it possible for you to be in other states at the same time.

The location is in the southwest corner of Colorado, where three states, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah border Colorado.

You can only get to witness this while in Colorado and not any other state. So when you visit this state, head over to the Four Corners Monument.

The same monument also marks the boundary between two semi-autonomous Native American governments: the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Reservation.

6. The name Colorado means red

The name Colorado has its origin in the Spanish language which means red. Spanish explorers named the muddy red river they found Rio Colorado

Congress chose the name when designating it as a territory in 1861. It later became a state in 1876.

Colorado had been part of the statehood for more than a century now before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Hence the nickname Centennial State.

This state is quite colourful, from the mountains, rivers, and plains.

7. Colorado is known for its craft beer

Colorado boasts as the State of Craft Beer. One famous brand is Boulder which has 14 breweries for 50,000 people.

There are 360 registered breweries in Colorado out of the 5,000 registered in the entire country. Popular local brands include Avery, Left Hand, Odell, Oskar Blues, and Great Divide.

In addition, five of its brews were nominated for best beer.

To enjoy some of these beers, take a tour of any of the breweries and sample them while relaxing on fancy patios.

8. Colorado is home to the largest natural hot spring pool

Photo by Amy Hamerly on Unsplash

Glenwood Springs is home to the largest and hottest mineral pool in the world.

The source of Hot Springs’ mineral water is the Yampah spring which produces over 3.5 million gallons of water per day at a temperature of 122°F.

This historic thermal spring has attracted tourists from all over the country and globally too. It has been a tourist attraction since 1888.

Soaking in the water is regarded as therapeutic and as a remedy for different ailments.

In the past, members of the nomadic Ute tribe soaked in the healing waters. They named the hot springs Yampah meaning big medicine.

9. The World’s Deepest hot spring is found in Colorado

Apart from the hottest and largest hot spring being found in Colorado; the deepest hot spring, about 1002 feet deep, is found here.

Named the Mother Spring aquifer, it was entered into the Guinness World Record Certified as, “The World’s Deepest.”

Water from this spring is used for baths at The Springs Resort and Spa, the Healing Waters Resort and Spa and The Overlook Hot Springs.

The Ute tribe called the springs Pah gosah meaning healing water with a bad smell (the pungent smell of hydrogen sulphide).  

10. Grand Mesa in Colorado is the world’s largest flat-top mountain

Photo by DrunkDriver – Wikimedia

The Grand Mesa is a large plateau in western Colorado. It is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.

The mountain has an area of about 500 square miles and stretches for about 40 miles.

There are beautiful mountain views on the horizon and the city of Grand Junction below the Grand Mesa National Forest. This forest rises to about 6,000 feet above Grand Junction and 11,000 feet above sea level.

The mountain is home to porcupines, coyotes, and the red fox.