Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Photo Gallery

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Butch Cassidy and his Hole in the Wall Gang wanted to hide out in a place with some scenery, so they came to Colorado. A century later, John Denver hiked its mountain passes, forests of aspen and pine, and wrote his feelings down in a song. Indeed, a mighty long stretch of the West's history, majesty, and mystery seem to converge in Colorado's distilled mountain air.

Some think of Colorado as the soul of the Rocky Mountain West. One thing's for sure: It's a big-as-all-get-out landscape that has long bolstered the American spirit. Alluring and uplifting, its Old West heritage has the power to evict the bats from the belfry. But you gotta go therelive for awhile among snowcapped peaks, aspen groves, and trout-filled rivers. It's sure to put a strut in your stride. And there's no better way to experience Colorado's cowboy past—or present—than on a dude ranch vacation. Rub elbows with real live wranglers, negotiate mighty whitewater by raft, and angle for that trophy rainbow. Loosen up. At the end of the day, it's all crackling fires and star-filled skies. . . .