In Depth

The Rocky Mountains are the backbone of North America, and Colorado is their heart, with more than 50 peaks that soar above 14,000 feet. The Rockies -- with their evergreen and aspen forests, racing streams and rivers, and wealth of wildlife -- are perfect for recreation year-round, from summer hiking, mountain biking, and rafting, to winter skiing through deep powder snow.

But Colorado isn't just mountains. It's also the wheat and cornfields of the vast eastern prairies, the high plateau country of the west, numerous historic towns and American Indian communities, and the modern, sophisticated cities of the Front Range.