Follow This Colorado Road Trip For Castles, Secret Stops, And Major Wow Moments

Colorado hides some of the most unexpected and breathtaking stops you can imagine, and this road trip connects them all in one unforgettable journey.

You’ll wind through landscapes that shift dramatically, visiting real castles perched on hillsides, geological wonders that look like they belong on another planet, and natural formations that will have you reaching for your camera every few miles.

This route takes you beyond the usual tourist trails and into the heart of what makes Colorado so special, blending history, adventure, and scenery that genuinely earns those wow moments.

Get ready to explore a side of Colorado that feels like a secret you’re lucky enough to discover.

Cherokee Ranch & Castle, Sedalia

Perched above the rolling plains south of Denver, Cherokee Ranch & Castle feels like stepping into a Scottish highland estate that somehow landed in Colorado.

The castle sits at 6113 N Daniels Park Rd, Sedalia, CO 80135, a location that offers sweeping views stretching all the way to Pikes Peak on clear days.

Built in the 1920s, the stone structure features turrets, grand halls, and architecture that channels European nobility while overlooking quintessentially Colorado landscapes.

I wandered through rooms filled with original furnishings and artwork during a guided tour, each space revealing stories about the families who called this castle home.

The estate spans thousands of acres, and the grounds alone are worth the visit, with trails winding through meadows where bison and other wildlife roam freely.

Spring and fall bring particularly stunning views when wildflowers bloom or aspens turn gold against the castle’s stone walls.

Photography restrictions apply inside, but the exterior and surrounding property offer endless opportunities to capture that perfect shot.

Tours book up quickly during peak season, so reserving your spot ahead of time saves disappointment.

The combination of history, architecture, and natural beauty makes this stop feel like you’ve discovered Colorado’s best-kept secret.

Walking back to my car, I kept turning around for one more look at those turrets silhouetted against the mountains.

Dunafon Castle, Idledale

Tucked into the mountains west of Denver, Dunafon Castle clings to a clifftop like it’s been guarding the valley for centuries instead of decades.

You’ll find this remarkable structure at 24020 CO-74, Idledale, CO 80453, visible from the highway but feeling worlds away once you approach it.

The castle was hand-built starting in the 1940s by one determined man who hauled stones up the mountainside and constructed his medieval dream piece by piece.

Unlike larger tourist castles, Dunafon maintains an intimate, almost mysterious quality, with its towers and battlements seeming to grow naturally from the rock face.

The property isn’t always open for public tours, which only adds to its allure as you drive past and catch glimpses through the pines.

When tours are available, you’ll climb narrow staircases and explore rooms that showcase both the builder’s vision and the challenges of mountain construction.

The views from the castle’s heights span the valley below, with Clear Creek winding through the canyon and rock formations creating dramatic backdrops.

I’ve driven past Dunafon countless times, and it never fails to make me slow down and stare at how perfectly it blends into the cliffside.

The surrounding area offers hiking trails and creek access if you want to stretch your legs and see the castle from different angles.

Something about this smaller, more personal castle feels even more magical than the grand estates.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park, Calhan

East of Colorado Springs, the landscape suddenly transforms into something that looks like it belongs in a fantasy novel or on Mars.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park sits at 29950 Paint Mines Rd, Calhan, CO 80808, where wind and water have carved the earth into towering spires and hoodoos striped with impossible colors.

The formations get their name from the clay deposits that Native Americans once used to create pigments, and those same minerals now paint the rocks in bands of orange, pink, lavender, and cream.

Walking the trails here feels otherworldly as you wind between formations that rise like ancient monuments from the prairie.

I’ve visited during different seasons, and each time the light hits those colors differently, creating new shadows and highlights across the sculpted landscape.

The park remains relatively uncrowded compared to Colorado’s headline attractions, giving you space to explore and photograph without fighting crowds.

Trails range from easy walks to longer loops that take you deeper into the formations and up to viewpoints overlooking the painted valley.

Sunrise and sunset turn the already-vibrant colors into something almost unreal, with the low light making every ridge and crevice pop.

The fragile formations mean staying on marked trails is crucial, but you’ll still get close enough to see the intricate layering and textures.

After a few hours scrambling around these alien-looking spires, I always leave wondering why more people don’t know about this place.

Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, Colorado Springs

Red sandstone towers erupt from the earth like ancient giants frozen mid-stride, creating one of Colorado’s most photographed and visited landscapes.

Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center anchors your exploration at 1805 N 30th St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, providing context for the geological drama unfolding outside.

The rock formations here tell a story millions of years in the making, with layers tilted and thrust upward by the same forces that built the Rockies visible just beyond.

I’ve walked the paved paths dozens of times, and the view of Balanced Rock with Pikes Peak rising behind it never gets old, especially when fresh snow caps the mountain.

The visitor center itself deserves more than a quick stop, with exhibits explaining how these formations came to be and what makes this geology so special.

Free admission means you can come back multiple times to catch different light conditions, and trust me, the golden hour here is absolutely worth planning around.

Rock climbers scale the vertical faces while you watch from below, their colorful gear standing out against the deep red stone.

The park offers everything from wheelchair-accessible paved paths to more challenging dirt trails that take you deeper into the formations.

I always recommend starting at the visitor center to grab maps and get oriented before heading out to explore.

Something about standing beneath those massive fins of rock makes you feel both tiny and connected to something much larger than yourself.

Glen Eyrie Castle, Colorado Springs

Nestled against the red rocks on the edge of Garden of the Gods, Glen Eyrie Castle looks like it was transplanted directly from the English countryside.

The castle stands at 3820 N 30th St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, built by General William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, as his family home.

Twenty-four rooms, stone towers, and Tudor-style architecture create a genuine castle experience, complete with the history and stories you’d expect from such a grand estate.

I took a guided tour that wound through rooms still furnished with original pieces, each space revealing details about Victorian-era life and the Palmer family’s influence on Colorado.

The castle now operates as a retreat center, but tours are regularly available for those who want to explore this piece of Colorado history.

Tea service in the castle’s dining areas lets you experience the elegance of the setting while enjoying views of the surrounding rock formations through leaded glass windows.

The grounds sprawl across 800 acres, with hiking trails leading into the red rock canyons that frame the property.

During my visit, I kept noticing small architectural details like carved wood, stained glass, and stone work that showcase the craftsmanship of the era.

The juxtaposition of English castle architecture against Colorado’s dramatic red rocks creates a visual combination you won’t find anywhere else.

Walking through those heavy wooden doors and into the grand hall, I half expected to see knights in armor rather than modern-day visitors.

Bishop Castle, Rye

Rising from the Wet Mountains south of Pueblo, Bishop Castle defies every expectation of what a castle should be, and that’s exactly what makes it extraordinary.

The structure sits at 12705 State Highway 165, Rye, CO 81069, built entirely by one man, Jim Bishop, who started construction in 1969 and continues working on it today.

This isn’t some carefully planned replica but rather a living, evolving work of art and determination, with towers, bridges, and metal dragons that seem to grow organically from the stone base.

I climbed the narrow spiral staircases to dizzying heights, where platforms offer views across the mountains and valleys that stretch for miles in every direction.

The ironwork alone would take most people a lifetime to create, but Bishop has welded intricate railings, sculptures, and decorative elements throughout the castle’s multiple levels.

Free to visit and open year-round, the castle operates on donations and the sheer will of its creator, who you might encounter working on the next addition during your visit.

Some areas feel precarious, with steep stairs and open platforms that aren’t for those with height fears, but the adventure is part of the appeal.

I’ve never seen anything quite like the combination of medieval inspiration and individual artistic vision that defines every corner of this place.

The castle’s isolated mountain location adds to the sense of discovering something truly unique and unexpected.

Watching the metal dragon breathe actual fire from the highest tower remains one of my favorite Colorado memories.

Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, Cañon City

Suspended 956 feet above the Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Bridge still holds the title of one of America’s highest bridges, and standing on it makes your stomach do interesting things.

Royal Gorge Bridge & Park sprawls across 4218 Co Rd 3A, Cañon City, CO 81212, turning the bridge into just one element of a full adventure park experience.

The gorge itself was carved over millions of years by the river that still rushes through the narrow canyon far below, creating walls that rise dramatically on both sides.

I’ve walked across that bridge multiple times, and every time I reach the middle and look down through the wooden planks to the river below, I get that same thrill.

The park added ziplines, an aerial gondola, and other attractions over the years, but the bridge and the gorge itself remain the undeniable stars.

Riding the aerial tram across the gorge provides a different perspective, gliding above the canyon while the bridge stretches across the gap below you.

The incline railway, one of the steepest in the world, drops you down to the canyon bottom where you can see the bridge from below and feel the scale of the engineering.

I recommend visiting during weekdays if possible, as weekends and holidays can get crowded, making that bridge crossing feel more like a traffic jam than an adventure.

The combination of natural wonder and human engineering creates an experience that genuinely earns those wow moments promised at the start of this journey.

Every time I leave the Royal Gorge, I’m already planning when I can come back and experience that view all over again.