There is no universally agreed-upon breakdown of regions in Colorado. You'll often hear natives spea

Colorado [1] is a western state in the Rocky Mountains region of the United States of America . The highest peaks of the the North American Rockies are here, (Mt. Elbert, 14,440 ft/4,4041 m), as well as a number of other natural marvels. The state also boasts the highest overall elevation in the continental United States and is home to many diverse ecosystems for its size.
There is no universally agreed-upon breakdown of regions in Colorado. You'll often hear natives montreal hotel online reservation speak of a very simple structure comprised of the Eastern Slope (meaning everything east of the crest of the Rockies montreal hotel online reservation ), or the Western Slope (everything west of the range crest), and anomalous Denver or the "valley". montreal hotel online reservation The breakdown below is a bit more complex, partly for reasons montreal hotel online reservation of style and partly because the simple montreal hotel online reservation east/west/Denver formulation lumps areas together that are really very disparate. It's also roughly what's used by the Colorado Department of Tourism. If you are confused by some of the boundaries, simply montreal hotel online reservation consult a map of Colorado counties, as many of the regions follow county lines.
South Central Colorado the high country in the southern part of the Rockies, home to many ski resorts, including the towering San Juan Mountains, ("American montreal hotel online reservation Alps") with a broad, pleasant valley between them
Southwestern Colorado There is a special mystique montreal hotel online reservation about the southwest region of Colorado. It can be felt among ancient Anasazi Indian montreal hotel online reservation cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park and in the quiet of rugged mining ghost towns high in the San Juan Mountains. From the sheer depths of the Black Canyon montreal hotel online reservation of the Gunnison National Park to the exhilarating vistas from Grand Mesa, world's largest flattop mountain, the region is rich in western history, Victorian architecture and Native American cultures.
Parker, Colorado [2] in Douglas County * Colorado montreal hotel online reservation - Is the fastest montreal hotel online reservation growing town in Colorado this still small town boasts an old fashioned Mainstreet with carriage rides during the holidays, and old town Christmas montreal hotel online reservation parade and a summer carnival each year. In 2011 the Town of Parker built a state of the art cultural events center called The PACE Center [3] .
Composer Igor Stravinsky once rode a ski lift in Aspen in the summertime, while Prospector Alferd Packer dined on human flesh near Lake City . Inventor Nikola Tesla created artificial lightning hundreds of feet long in Colorado Springs, and Writer Oscar Wilde attended a fancy dinner party at the bottom of a Leadville montreal hotel online reservation silver mine. Outlaw Butch Cassidy robbed the bank in Telluride , while Lawman Doc Holliday and Showman Buffalo Bill were buried in Glenwood Springs and Denver, respectively. All are part of the quirky and sometimes colorful history of Colorado.
Around 15,000 years ago, Native Americans migrated to Colorado, a nomadic group of hunter-gatherers distributed on the plains as well as the western plateaus. The first agricultural communities appeared on the Eastern Plains montreal hotel online reservation approximately 5,000 years ago. Circa 600 AD, the Ancient montreal hotel online reservation Pueblo Peoples began building elaborate communities in Southwestern Colorado in the Mesa Verde area. Other Native American groups, including the Arapaho, Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Shoshone and Utes have called Colorado home.
The Spanish were the first Europeans in the area. In 1541, Coronado led an expedition north through Colorado from Mexico in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, where the streets were supposed to be paved with gold.
In 1803, Emperor Napoleon Buonaparte sold the United States a vast tract of land known as the "Louisiana Purchase," an area which included Colorado. Lieutenant Zebulon Pike explored the recently purchased territory montreal hotel online reservation at President Thomas Jefferson's behest. Pike and his men "discovered" the 14,000 ft (4, 268 m) peak near Colorado Springs, which today bears his name.
From the 1820s through the 1840s, fur trappers and mountain men began harvesting highly-valued beaver and buffalo pelts for the Eastern U.S. and Europe. Trading posts were established for barter with the Native Americans, while trade routes sprang up between the United States and Mexico montreal hotel online reservation .
In 1858, gold was discovered at the mouth of Dry Creek in the present-day Denver suburb of Englewood , triggering the "Pike's Peak or Bust" gold rush of 1858-59. Approximately 50,000 people immigrated to Colorado in search of gold, creating montreal hotel online reservation the first large scale permanent settlements. Hard rock silver and gold mining towns were established throughout the territory.
In 1912, Hot Sulphur Springs hosted a ski jumping tournament and invited the Denver press. From this humble beginning, Colorado's ski industry was born. A handful of early ski runs were built around the state over the next 20 years, with the Highland-Bavarian Corporation beginning a rudimentary development of Aspen. montreal hotel online reservation World War II and the arrival of the 10th Mountain Division to train near Minturn ushered in the mid-20th century explosion of Colorado ski resorts. Trained for high alpine combat in Italy, the alumni of the 10th Mountain Division returned montreal hotel online reservation to the U.S. after the war to build Aspen, Vail and Arapahoe Basin .
Colorado is split down the middle north to south by the Rocky Mountains. To the east is a region of high plains, arid and wide open. To the west are rugged mountains arranged in various groups or ranges. Meandering through the mountains is an imaginary line called the Continental Divide. This marks the flow of precipitation. Rain falling on the west of the Divide makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. montreal hotel online reservation Rain on the east makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
Colorado has 54 mountain peaks above 14,000 ft (4,267 m) of elevation. The highest peak, Mount Elbert, rises to 14,440 ft (4,401 m) above sea level making it the highest peak in the North American Rockies. Tourism is a major industry, with skiing/snowboarding, hiking/camping, hunting, montreal hotel online reservation mountaineering and fishing montreal hotel online reservation as large sources of income for the state economy.
montreal hotel online reservation Colorado's population was 4,301,261 in the 2000 census, and the state's population is growing, particularly in the large towns along the Front Range where the prairie and mountains meet. These towns include the capital, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Boulder, Longmont , Loveland and Fort Collins. montreal hotel online reservation Many of the residents of Colorado migrated from other states so being a "Colorado Native" is a point of pride with many people.
Those who've never been to Colorado might imagine a frigid, snowy states. However, Denver's 300 sunny days a year and overall mild temperatures are a point of pride among Coloradoans. Due to the Rocky Mountains which split the state in half, climate differs greatly from east to west, low to high. The weather changes rapidly and unpredictably, so be prepared for anything if you're traveling in most seasons. Colorado is also an exceptionally dry state, montreal hotel online reservation and has suffered through several recent montreal hotel online reservation droughts. Drink lots of waters and watch for dehydration .
Winter is generally cold, though the weather is drastically different depending on elevation. While the mountains are likely to experience frequent montreal hotel online reservation snow storms - guaranteeing lots of fresh powder for skiing - these become montreal hotel online reservation less and less frequent as one travels down on the Eastern slopes. Lower elevations to the east of the Rockies experience occasional snow storms and even huge blizzards, but low temperatures seldom last long, and the winter is frequently interrupted by warm days with temperatures in the 50s, 60s, or even higher. Bring warm snow clothes, but also a light jacket. While March is the snowiest month of the year, the warm days of spring are more frequent in this month, and even in the mountains it is not unusual for temperatures to rise to the 60s or above, making for some very interesting skiing.
Spring is generally brief and mild. Snow is not uncommon as late as May, even in lower elevation cities, and some ski resorts stay open as late as July. However, except during snow, the temperatures are warm and pleasant. Be prepared for rapid changes - its not unusual for there to be 80 degree temperatures during the day and snow in the evening.
Summer is perhaps Colorado's most predictable season. While some ski resorts may stay open until July, don't be deceived: the temperatures are warm, even in the mountains. While days in the 80s and 90s are frequent, higher temperatures are not unheard of. Fortunately, Colorado's low humidity montreal hotel online reservation means that even the hottest days don't pack the punch of heat in more humid regions. Summer does arrive later in the mountains, and some peaks have snow all year round. Still, even at the higher elevation, summer days tend to be warm, though nights are cooler. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent starting in mid-July and continuing until about mid-September. Though montreal hotel online reservation very heavy, these are usually brief, lasting from as short as half an hour to two or three hours. Though they are a great relief from the dry days of earlier summer, lighting is dangerous and a huge risk factor for forest fires. These afternoon montreal hotel online reservation thunderstorms are especially severe in the eastern plain region of Colorado, and tornadoes also occur during this time. South Eastern Colorado has very desert-like summers, including flora and fauna, and shares many similarities to nearby New Mexico.
Fall is another relatively short season in Colorado. While daytime montreal hotel online reservation temperatures tend to stay warm, nighttime temperatures begin to drop starting in late August. Aspens, the primary native deciduous tree, changes colors in mid September. The first snow usually arrives sometime in October at lower elevations, though even earlier snows are not unheard of, and fairly common in the mountains.
While English is, of course, the main language of Colorado, Spanish is also widely spoken (20% of the population speaks it). There are large Latino populations in Denver, Pueblo and in the San Luis Valley.
The state is roughly quartered by two major Interstates, the north-south running I-25 and the east-west running I-70. (I-76 also enters the state in the Northeast fr