25 January 2024
Every year, The New York Times publishes a list titled “52 Places to Go,” and it makes for great reading and even better daydreaming. But most of those far-flung locales are bucket-listers, the kinds of destinations that make for a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a special adventure.
So we decided to come up with our own list of places to go in 2024, but with more manageable goals — and with a nod toward Colorado connections. We also leaned heavily on road trips or nonstop flights from Denver International Airport, because travel is already difficult these days — prices, crowds, cancellations. Why make it any harder?
Here are 24 places for Coloradans to travel this year, broken down into destinations in Colorado, elsewhere in the United States, and other countries or overseas.
Bon voyage.
IN COLORADO
A view from the Curecanti Creek Trail at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on July 29, 2020. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado’s fourth and least-visited member of the nation’s most prestigious open-space club. Named for the depths of the steep and narrow canyon that splits it, Black Canyon can be tackled in a variety of ways, from scenic drives and rim-side hiking to challenging treks to the bottom. And you will find far fewer people than at Rocky Mountain National Park or the Great Sand Dunes. Montrose, about five hours from Denver, is a popular kickoff point.
Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument
Designating the 84,500 acres where Colorado’s famed 10th Mountain Division trained for its role in World War II as a national monument in 2022 didn’t change it much. The area southwest of Vail is still used for camping and fishing, snowmobiling and ATV riding. But it’s gorgeous country, and worth a stay at the campground. Want to learn more about it? There is a new exhibit at History Colorado in Denver that delves into the story of the 10th and the legacy it left behind.
Plein air painter Remington Robinson works on a painting on the Pearl Street Mall on April 28, 2023, in Boulder. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Boulder
Boulder doesn’t really need the attention, but it got plenty in 2023 with the arrival of Coach Prime at the University of Colorado. But the city is more than football and cliches. In fact, in November Fodor’s named it as one of 24 places to visit in the entire world in 2024 (only one other U.S. destination was included). The travel guide honed in on Boulder’s scenery, open space and accessibility to recreation and nature, as well as the Pearl Street Mall’s dining options. We would add that there are plenty of awesome breweries, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant (Frasca).
Craft beer highway
The origins of Colorado’s craft beer culture date back to 1979, when Boulder Beer Co. was founded in a goatshed in Hygiene (about 10 minutes west of U.S. Highway 287 in Longmont). There are now more than 420 craft breweries in the state, a surprising number of which are located just a mile or two on either side of 287, between Broomfield and Fort Collins. In fact, you could call this 50-mile stretch the Colorado Craft Beer Highway. Wanna get a taste? Find a designated drive and hit up a couple of dozen of these treasures, some of which — like Liquid Mechanics, Cellar West, Verboten and Zwei — are among the best small breweries in the state.
Mount Blue Sky
It’s not the tallest mountain in Colorado, but it’s the closest fourteener to Denver and one of the best-known peaks in the state. And last September, Mount Evans (at 14,130 feet) was renamed as Mount Blue Sky after years of campaigning by Native American groups. With the change, it’s a good time to remember that this is one of the few Colorado fourteeners that motorists can drive to the top of (although not in winter). The views up there are gorgeous, and there is a good chance you’ll see mountain goats and wildflowers along the way.
Iron Mountain Hot Springs. (Photo provided by Iron Mountain Hot Springs)
Glenwood Springs
There’s nothing quite like boarding Amtrak’s California Zephyr at Union Station and riding it to Glenwood Springs, peering out at not just the stunning expanses of Glenwood Canyon, but also the less-often-seen backside of Denver and its suburbs. Glenwood itself has evolved quite a bit in the past few years, with big changes (already completed or still on their way) to some of its hot springs, like Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and Iron Mountain Hot Springs, among others. The little downtown strip beneath the overpass is also a charming spot for a bite, a stroll, some entertainment and a beer, perhaps from Casey Brewing & Blending’s lively taproom.
Amache National Historic Site
Wanna get away? You don’t need Southwest Airlines. Just drive east from the Front Range — at any time of year, really — in the opposite direction of where most people are headed. One fascinating destination is the Granada Relocation Center at the Amache National Historic Site, which became part of the National Park System in 2022. Amache was one of 10 forced relocation centers in the United States where tens of thousands of Japanese citizens and people of Japanese descent were imprisoned during World War II. Today, there is a cemetery, a monument and landscaping to explore — and to remember.
Mountain Plover Festival, Karval
Speaking of eastern Colorado, one of the most unusual birding festivals in the world takes place every April (it’s April 26-28 this year) in Karval. What makes the Mountain Plover Festival different? There are no motels or restaurants in Karval, so reservations are required and attendees stay with local ranching families (meals and entertainment are provided). So, in addition to bird-watching tours (mountain plovers are a rare breed and difficult to see), you learn about the history and community of the area. Karval is about 2 hours southeast of Denver in Lincoln County.
IN THE UNITED STATES
Fans watch the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training Cactus League game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 25, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Spring training in Arizona
No matter how you feel about baseball or the Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball’s Cactus League Spring Training in the Phoenix/Tempe/Scottsdale area can be a magical experience. And, as we wrote in our recent travel guide on Scottsdale, it’s also “a nice excuse to slip away to the Sonoran Desert,” where springtime temperatures are in the mid-70s — a nice break from cold Colorado weather — and there are pools aplenty.
Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park is the second most visited park in the system, with nearly 5 million visitors per year, but the land around it received a special designation in 2023 when President Biden banned mining on nearly 1 million acres in order to protect the ecosystem and preserve Native American sacred sites. The national monument isn’t that easy to “visit,” since it consists mostly of open space, but there are a few historic and cultural highlights of interest.
A large bowl of roasted green chile at a market in Hatch, N.M. in 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)
Hatch, N.M.
The great chile debate rages on between Colorado and New Mexico about which state produces the biggest and best peppers. Why not find out for yourself on a road trip to the area around Hatch, N.M., an agricultural community that many consider to be the Napa Valley of chiles. Other things to see in the area: White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains national parks, along with the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and plenty of historic sites featured in the recent movie (and Oscar nominee) “Oppenheimer.” (Make sure to stop in Pueblo, Colo., on your way back up Interstate 25, though; that’s the heart of Colorado’s own green chile country, so youi can settle the debate for yourself.)
Asheville, N.C.
DIA added a new nonstop flight to Asheville, N.C., in September, and 2024 is a great time to visit since Denver’s TRVE Brewing plans to open a second location there in the next few months. (Fort Collins-founded New Belgium also has a taproom there.) But Asheville, set along the dreamy Blue Ridge Parkway, should be on any Coloradan’s list anyway, because in addition to its incredible craft brewery scene, it’s an outdoor lovers mountain playground.
Vice President Kamala Harris, right, greets National Parks Service Superintendent Shirley MaKinney during a visit to the Stonewall Inn and National Monument, on June 26, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
New York City
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There’s never a bad time to visit the Big Apple, but 2024 will offer a couple of enticing draws, including a game between the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium (the date is still TBA); the June 28 opening of the brand new visitors center at Stonewall National Monument; and a highly touted exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism” (Feb. 25–June 28). Plus, you can get your fill of ramen, pizza, bagels and dumplings — which is always a reason for joy.
Cleveland
Ah, the Land. A city on the comeback, Cleveland is a shortish trip by air, and in 2024, it happens to be in the path of a full eclipse (or the path of “totality”), which will cut northeast from Texas to New England on April 8. Why Cleveland? Well, there is a small and lesser-known national park just 30 minutes away, called Cuyahoga Valley, which will be celebrating. And while you’re in the vicinity, take in a Cleveland Guardians game at beautiful Progressive Field, as it opens the baseball season against the Chicago White Sox on the same day.
The Big Island
The mountains here are stunning, certainly, but let’s face it: Sometimes we need the smell of coconut oil, the sound of waves and the expanse of the ocean. Airlines offer direct flights from DIA to all four of Hawaii’s major islands, but The Big Island — and Hapuna Beach — might be the most beautiful of them all. Expansive, warm and a great place to snorkel, Hapuna is truly mesmerizing. But don’t stop there. In addition to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and gorgeous shorelines, the Big Island also boasts white sand, green sand and black sand beaches. Set against the backdrop of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, a visit here is the cure to cabin fever.
OVERSEAS
The Olympic Games are coming to Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Paris
Maybe it doesn’t sound appealing to fly to Paris at the hottest, busiest, most congested time of the year. Or maybe seeing the Olympic games while sipping cafe au lait and eating baguettes is exactly what you need. Either way, there will be plenty of athletes with Colorado connections in the City of Light when the games start on July 26. Air France has been flying direct from DIA in recent years, and if the Olympics aren’t your thing, then consider this: Notre Dame Cathedral, which nearly burned down in 2019, is set to reopen in December 2024.
Dublin
For being the sixth-busiest airport in the entire world, DIA doesn’t have many direct nonstop international flights. So it’s worth celebrating each and every new one. In May, Irish airline Aer Lingus will begin connecting Denver with Dublin, Ireland’s lively capital city. The historic sites here go back more than 1,000 years — and you can (and should) tour the Guinness beer and Jameson whiskey plants. Dublin is also the kickoff point to the famed Irish countryside, including the Cliffs of Moher, Giant’s Causeway and Killarney National Park.
Visitors to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon spa swim in pools of milky-blue, 99-degree geothermal waters.
Iceland
Also on the slim list of international destinations accessible by a nonstop flight from DIA is Iceland, with its waterfalls, blue lagoons and adorable puffins. The island national has been on a lot of bucket lists for at least a decade now. But 2024 and 2025 hold particular appeal since they are expected to be the best years in a while to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, which appear more colorfully on a cyclical basis — and which are fairly easy to catch in Iceland.
Tokyo
Japan’s capital may be the only destination in Asia to which you can fly nonstop from Denver, and it’s worth the trip. The city is like no other place in the world, and you could spend months just getting to know a single neighborhood. It’s also full of just about any kind of activity you could want, from visits to spectacular cultural and historical sites to dining, recreation, or just people-watching. There’s also craft beer, whiskey, manga and a magical group of rockabilly street performers.
Morning at Jakes in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. (Provided by Jakes hotel)
Jamaica
Last February, Frontier Airlines began flying direct from Denver to Montego Bay, Jamaica, “cutting down to around five hours a trip that used to take all day, with a stopover,” as we wrote in a travel guide to the country’s tourist capital. So, for laid-back beach bars, sizzling jerk chicken, swimming holes and, of course, music, this might be the year for a trip to the Caribbean.
Puerto Rico
Not to be outdone, United introduced a daily direct flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in October, slashing travel time to the island by several hours. Even better, you don’t need a passport to visit this U.S. territory. You will need to bring an appetite for spicy codfish fritters, plantains and tropical rum drinks, however. Read more about this sunny destination — along with its beaches, rainforests, history and culture — in our recent travel guide.
Mexico City
Mexico City has always been one of the most complex and richly dynamic cities in the Americas, but it has also become a hot travel destination in the past decade, with several neighborhoods teeming with art, culture and cuisine. Some of the most rewarding activities include Wandering the Roma Norte neighborhood in search of blue corn tortillas, churros or cute coffee shops; catching the spectacle of lucha libre; visiting the Frida Kahlo Museum or the Museo Nacional de Antropologia; and trying chapuline with your mezcal. Oh, and at 7,200 feet in altitude, it’s one of the few capital cities that is higher than Denver, so you should feel right at home.
A vendor sells coconut drinks at a beach at Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica. (Evelyne Horovitz, The Washington Post)
Costa Rica
The “pura vida” never goes out of style, but Costa Rica has been particularly popular recently as more and more people discover this lush, friendly country where adventure and easy living seem to blend perfectly. The airlines only fly nonstop from Denver to four countries in Central America, but this is one of them. Whether you want wildlife, scenery, great coffee, rainforests, beaches or culture, Costa Rica offers one of the easiest, most beautiful ways to take a tropical vacation.
Banff National Park
To get some perspective on Colorado’s rocky peaks, take a bucket-list trip to Canada’s Banff National Park, where “the mountains have rock faces at a scale you just don’t see in Colorado. And every lake is a different hue of vibrant blue or green,” according to The Denver Post’s extensive travel guide on how to travel to, and camp in, the park. A two-hour flight to Calgary, followed by a 90-minute drive, will land you in stunning beauty that you have to see to believe.