Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park is a spectacular wilderness area with dozens of majestic peaks over 13,000 feet. Elk, moose, deer and coyotes are abundant, and several glaciers exist in the park. Towering granite walls, snowfields and deep blue lakes make it one of the most beautiful places in the country. Rocky Mountain National Park is located 50 miles northwest of Boulder.

Snowy Range, Wyoming
The Snowy Range, named after the striking white granite that forms its high peaks, is a well-protected secret of the Rocky Mountains. Elevations range from 9,000 feet to 12,000 feet, with Medicine Bow Peak rising to 12,013 feet above steep rocky walls and dozens of high alpine lakes. Much of the area is above timberline, with rolling alpine tundra, silvery granite boulders and beautiful wildflowers. Summer is typically warm during the days and cool at night, with brief afternoon thunderstorms. The Snowy Range is located fifty miles west of Laramie in southern Wyoming, approximately a 3-hour drive from Boulder.

Vedauwoo, Wyoming
Vedauwoo (pronounced vay-da-voo) lies in southern Wyoming at 8,000 feet, between Laramie and Cheyenne. The area’s famous Precambrian granite domes have been luring climbers for decades, and the jumbled rock formations interspersed with dense pine forests and aspen groves make it a uniquely beautiful location. Classic cracks, delicate face climbs and a multitude of one-pitch routes make this an excellent area to work on climbing technique. From the tops of the crags one can frequently see the Snowy Range to the west, all the way down to Longs Peak on the continental divide. Vedauwoo is a 2 ½ hour drive from Boulder.

Utah Desert Canyons
The canyon country of Utah is a landscape of beautiful red and orange slickrock, tall sandstone spires and arches, and vast blue skies. The canyons you will explore have running streams year-round, tall sandstone walls, and a side canyon with the sixth largest arch in the country. Views from the mesa tops stretch to the snowcapped LaSal mountains to the south, and the Colorado River basin to the north. The desert course involves less elevation gain than the mountain course, but terrain can be rough and involves scrambling in spots. Weather in April, May, September and October can range from warm to hot in the days and cool to cold at night. The area is approximately a 6 ½ hour drive from Boulder.

Fruita, Colorado
A “Top-Ten Cycling Town” rating by Bicycling Magazine and year-round riding combine to make Fruita, an international destination for mountain biking. Among the area’s many attractions is the Kokopelli Trail, a 142-mile network of beautiful trails that hugs the Colorado River from Colorado to Utah. Fruita is also home to Colorado National Monument, one of the grand landscapes of the American West complete with sheer-walled canyons, towering monoliths and colorful formations. Fruita is approximately a 5-hour drive from Boulder.

Green River, Utah
The Green River runs from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area near Vernal, Utah through some of Utah's most rugged and remote landscape to its confluence with the Colorado River at Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. With 100 miles of calm water winding peacefully through red rock canyons, the stretch through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons are popular among canoeists. The Green River is an approximately 6 ½ hour drive from Boulder.

Gunnison River
Just south of Grand Junction, Colo., this 28-mile stretch of the Gunnison River flows through Escalante Canyon. Most of the river is gentle Class I with a few Class II ripples. In Dominguez Canyon, a deep red sandstone side canyon, a short hike takes you to three petroglyph/pictograph sites and a secluded, warm natural swimming hole fed by a 40-foot waterfall. The river corridor is populated by desert bighorn sheep, hawks, deer, and brightly colored geckos. The Gunnison River is a 5-hour drive from Boulder.

Ruby Horsethief Canyon, Colorado
Ruby Horsethief Canyon runs along the northern boundary of the recently designated Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, just west of Grand Junction, Colo. This 25-mile stretch of gentle, Class I and II water offers glimpses of beautiful red rock canyons, 1.5 billion year-old uplifted metamorphic rock known as the "Black Rocks", and an abundance of wildlife including bald eagles, peregrine falcons and desert bighorn sheep. Ruby Horsethief Canyon is a 5 ½ hour drive from Boulder.

Blue Moon Ranch
Blue Moon Ranch is a privately owned piece of land covering 150 acres near Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, approximately 50 miles northwest of Fort Collins. Rock outcrops, wildflowers, meadows, and forests cover the area, offering plenty of terrain for scrambling and exploring. A covered cooking shelter, propane stoves, and a “Sunny Jane” composting toilet provide a comfortable camping environment.