Socially distanced attractions and activities for a road trip through Colorado that are actually worth the stop
Joey Hadden
Visit these socially-distanced attractions id you're road-tripping through Colorado this summer.Shutterstock/Kris Wiktor
- International travel is on hold for most in light of the coronavirus pandemic, making road trips the vacation trend of the summer, travel experts previously told Business Insider.
- We surfed Trip Advisor for the highest-rated attractions in Colorado within recommended social distancing guidelines.
- Travelers should consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines before embarking on any summer travel.
International travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are making road trips the vacation of choice this summer. Travel experts previously told BI that they expect to see vacation trends shift from traveling by plane to that by car and RV.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Sources: Business Insider, Business Insider
These are the top-rated attractions through Colorado that are worth a socially distanced visit.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs through a hiking trail at a park and preserve in Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver.
Google Maps
Sources: Trip Advisor Dinosaur Ridge
At Dinosaur Ridge, visitors can hike a trail full of 250 preserved dinosaur tracks from three dinosaurs and one crocodilian, per the company's website.
Geologist T. Caneer volunteers with the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. He is darkening the dinosaur tracks with charcoal to make them more visible to visitors to the dinosaur trove north of Morrison. The tracks were made by an iguandon, a plant eater, that walked across a beach. (Photo By Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Sources:Dinosaur Ridge
The site reopened on May 9 with coronavirus-era procedures in place, like having all workers wear masks and enforcing social distancing. Patrons are only required to wear masks inside facilities like the gift shop.
Marisella Rodriguez, 12, from left, Christopher Rodriguez, 10, and Aaron Rodriguez, 7, pose for a photo with dinosaur footprints at the Dinosaur Ridge near Morrison on Saturday, June 6, 2009.
Mara Auster/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images
Sources: Trip Advisor Dinosaur Ridge
North of Denver, catch a movie at Holiday Twin Drive-in.
Google Maps
Sources: Trip Advisor, Holiday Twin Drive-In
For up to $9 a person, depending on your age, watch two films on the big screen from the comfort of your car. Tune in to the movie's audio on the radio.
Speakers and screen 1 at the Holiday Twin Drive-in, in Fort Collins, CO, Friday October 12, 2011. Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post.
Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Sources: Trip Advisor, Holiday Twin Drive-In
The drive-in is operating with restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All tickets and food must be bought online, and cars have to park at least 10 feet apart. Additionally, restrooms are being cleaned every 15 minutes.
Screen 2 at the Holiday Twin Drive-in, in Fort Collins, CO, Friday October 12, 2011. Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post.
Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Sources: Trip Advisor, Holiday Twin Drive-In
West of Denver, explore an outdoor concert venue among red rocks without the usual crowd.
Google Maps
Source: Trip Advisor, Red Rocks
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is an outdoor theater that hosts live music. But during the day, people use its 193 steps for exercising and enjoying the view.
Shutterstock
Source: Trip Advisor, Red Rocks
During the coronavirus pandemic, dozens of concerts have been canceled or postponed, but the space is open. The venue's fitness classes are limited to 175 people, and people outside the class can't access the steps during class times.
Adrian Marcial, who comes every weekend to work out, runs the lengths of the stairs back and forth as he make his way up the entire amphitheatre at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on March 31, 2019 in Morrison, Colorado. Red Rocks has become a popular destination not only for rock concerts but workouts. Hundreds up people show up every day to take part in a variety of personalized exercises that include running the stairs, jumping up and down the stairs or the planter boxes, calisthenics such as push ups, dips, lunges and squats and a variety of other creative workouts.
Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Source: Trip Advisor, Red Rocks
In Southern Colorado, get lost at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Google Maps
Source: National Parks Service, Trip Advisor
This park holds the tallest sand dunes in North America, per the National Parks Service. It's not like beach sand — Trip Advisor reviews say it's much softer.
Hikers in the sand dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, United States of America.
DEA / G. COZZI / Contributor/Getty Images
Source: National Parks Service, Trip Advisor
The park began a phased reopening in June. The inside of the Visitor's Center remains closed to adhere to CDC guidelines, but park rangers will be available outside the center to answer questions. The park encourages patrons to avoid crowds and wear a face covering when social distancing isn't possible.
Hiker in the sand dunes and in the background the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, United States of America.
DEA / G. COZZI / Contributor/Getty Images
Source: National Parks Service, Trip Advisor
Take a stroll through the Denver Botanic Gardens. The garden's York Street and Chatfield Farms locations have reopened.
Google Maps
Sources: Botanic Gardens, Trip Advisor
At the York Street location, explore 24 acres of gardens filled with plants from around the world. Conversely, the Chatfield Farms location is a 700-acre refuge for native plants.
A visitor wears a mask while passing by a pond at the Denver Botanic Gardens late Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in Denver.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Sources: Botanic Gardens, Trip Advisor
Both locations have limited the number of people allowed in the gardens at a time, using a timed ticket system. Tickets must be bought online and patrons have to wear face-covering throughout their visit, aside from when they're eating or drinking.
A social distancing reminder sign stands inside the gate to the Denver Botanic Gardens on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in Denver.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Sources: Botanic Gardens, Trip Advisor
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