This Off-The-Radar Colorado Park Is A Hidden Gem With A Breathtaking Mountain Backdrop

Colorado is filled with places that will widen your eyes with wonder. This is the land of majestic Pikes Peak, hidden deep in the Rockies. It's home to the jagged hoodoos of the Garden of the Gods, and the rugged mountain scenery of the Ice Lake Trail soaring high on the roof of America. With all that up its proverbial sleeve, the Centennial State draws more than 90 million visitors annually, but there are still places you can go to escape the crowds and feel the call of the wild. Cue Harvey Gap State Park.

Located a little over an hour up the road from ever-popular Aspen, Harvey Gap promises a whole different barrel of fish than that town and the manicured boutiques of what is now one of the world's leading jet-setter winter resorts. Here, the flocks of skiers and designer-clad fashionistas drop away, leaving a realm of meadows and wild sagebrush, fishing spots, hiking trails, and relaxed picnic locations. The centerpiece of the whole reserve is the teal-tinged Grass Valley Reservoir, which boasts fine boating and swimming opportunities.

The park is almost equidistant from the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport and the Grand Junction Regional Airport, both of which offer short-haul links to and from cities right across the U.S. The nearest major international airport (which also happens to be America's largest airport) is a 3.5-hour drive to the eastern side of the Rockies, in Denver. From there, you can drive westbound on Interstate 70, which will whisk you across the Continental Divide and through the iconic resort town of Vail on the way to Harvey Gap itself.

The nearly 200-acre Grass Valley Reservoir cuts through the middle of Harvey Gap State Park, and it's a standout. One past visitor took to Tripadvisor to wax lyrical about the spot, saying, "It's nothing pompous, but this is my all time favorite place to spend a sunny day on my paddleboard. It's a no-wake lake, which makes it perfect for kayakers and paddlers."

Naturally, fishing is big in these parts, too. The lake is replete with largemouth and smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and catfish. Plus, there are some excellent ice-fishing opportunities available in the colder months. You'll also find spots for lazing around on the lake's banks beneath leafy stands of cottonwood trees, not to mention a designated swimming beach on the southeastern shoreline that's home to barbecue grills and open-air picnic tables.

The backdrop to all that is provided by the Grand Hogback, one of the longest mountain ridges of its kind on the continent. It actually marks the spot where the mighty Rockies rise up, and it's riddled with an 18-mile trail network that's perfect for mountain bikers seeking a thrill and hikers looking for tranquility.