Colorado's Underrated State Park For Hiking With Mountain Views

Colorado is famous for its national parks, most notably Rocky Mountain National Park, home to the popular "highway to the sky," the highest continuous paved road in the United States. However, there are dozens of state parks worth a visit, too, like the lesser-known-but-stunningly-beautiful Vega State Park (elevation 8,000 feet). Featuring a high-mountain lake and peaceful meadows on Colorado's Western Slope, the underrated escape is a paradise for hikers.

In addition to a 2-mile-long reservoir popular for boating and fishing, Vega State Park offers 7 miles of trails. These offer views of the aspen-covered highlands of the Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-top mountain. It stays open year-round, ideal for hiking in warmer weather, and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter. The 2.4-mile Vega Trail is a scenic out-and-back hike along the northern lakeshore, while the 2-mile Aspen Nature Trail follows the southern edge of the reservoir, cutting through an aspen grove that's especially lovely to explore in fall when the colors change. Both trails are considered easy. Visitors will want to be aware that bikes are allowed in the park, but they are forbidden on any trail that's labeled a nature trail, including Aspen.

"The trail is a real treat," wrote one past hiker on Go Hike Colorado who explored the Aspen Nature Trail. "This trail is short but very sweet, and although it would best be hiked in late September or early October, it should be beautiful in any season." Those lucky enough to visit in spring or early summer will enjoy another natural display. In June and July, the park's mountainous hiking trails are lined with colorful wildflowers. If you love the trails in Vega State Park, don't miss the easy, accessible Bear Lake and Nymph Lake trail in Rocky Mountain National Park — it's considered among the world's most beautiful hikes. 

Apart from views of the mountains, lake, and meadows, be sure to keep your eyes open for birds, including ravens, black-billed magpies, mountain bluebirds, and spotted sandpipers. However, birds aren't the only wildlife that hikers are likely to spot in this high-elevation refuge. The highland setting serves as a natural habitat for moose, deer, and elk, and visitors regularly see yellow-bellied marmots, Northern American porcupines, golden-mantled ground squirrels, and mountain cottontails.

Vega State Park is an especially lovely spot for hiking and wildlife viewing, because the place rarely gets crowded. The park's remote location, near the town of Collbran on the northwestern edge of Grand Mesa National Forest, helps keep it relatively under-the-radar. "Such a hidden gem!" wrote one past visitor on Only in Colorado. "This state park is one that not many know about, but it has everything that you'll want and need to enjoy some time in the great outdoors."

Vega State Park opens daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The day-use fee is $10 per vehicle or $4 per person without a vehicle (at the time of writing). You can pitch a tent at one of the park's campgrounds (from $20 per night) or rent one of its cozy cabins ($90 per night), each of which accommodates six people. Staying overnight in the park also makes it possible to see unforgettable sunset views when the mountains are silhouetted against a vibrant sky and reflected on the surface of the lake. Vega State Park is just over an hour's drive from Grand Junction, Western Colorado's largest city, located in the heart of wine country with lots of red rock trails to discover. Denver is about a 4-hour drive in the opposite direction.