In Depth

The Rocky Mountains are the backbone of North America, and with more than 50 peaks that soar above 14,000 feet -- more mountains of such a magnitude than are present in the rest of the lower 48 states combined -- Colorado is their heart. This dazzling constellation of high points, with its evergreen and aspen forests, racing streams and rivers, and wealth of wildlife, is perfect for recreation year-round -- from summer hiking, mountain-biking, and rafting to superlative winter skiing and snowboarding through deep and dry 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 Western Slope, the numerous historic towns and American Indian communities, and the increasingly sophisticated cities of the Front Range.