Views of the Milky Way Over Area National Parks + Monuments

The U.S. is home to 58 national parks and 128 national monuments. Lucky for us Coloradans, there are a number of these parks and monuments in our backyard.

How Many National Parks are in Colorado National Parks?

Colorado is home to four national parks and nine national monuments --we'll include national monuments because they're close enough.

👇🏻KEEP SCROLLING: To See Amazing Night Photos Over Colorado's National Parks👇🏻

The four national parks you can visit in Colorado are Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park near Alamosa.

Colorado's national monuments can be found all around the state:

The Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction and Fruita
The Dinosaur National Monument in Dinosaur
Hovenweep National Monument in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah
Browns Canyon National Monument in Salida
Canyon of the Ancients National Monument in Montezuma and Delores Counties
Yucca House National Monument near Cortez
Chimney Rock National Monument near Chimney Rock
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Florissant
Camp Hale Continental Divide National Monument near Leadville

What's the difference between a national park and a national monument?

National parks are special areas set up by Congress for everyone in the United States to enjoy. These parks are noted for their beautiful scenery and unique natural features.

National monuments are areas that the National Government protects because they have important historical, prehistoric, or scientific value.

Regardless of their designation, you'll see some of the darkest skies in the U.S. Just check out these photos:

Stunning Photos of the Milky Way Over Colorado and Utah National Parks + Monuments

Colorado is home to four national parks and eight national monuments. Our neighbors to the west, Utah, boasts five national parks and seven national monuments. Also within reach are the parks and monuments of New Mexico and Arizona.

If you're the road-trip type, they're all reachable in a day's drive from Colorado.

While the majority of tourists visiting these parks only witness the phenomenal views during the day, there's a sight to be seen under the stars.

Bonus: Utah National Parks

Photo by Robert Hill on Unsplash

Lucky for us Coloradans, Utah is just a short trip away --if you consider five to six hours from eastern Colorado a short trip.

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Utah is home to five national parks, they're known as the "Mighty Five." They consist of:

Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Zion National Park

Take a look through the ultimate Colorado national park trip:

The Ultimate Colorado National Parks and Monuments Road Trip

If you have a Colorado bucket list full of National Parks and Monuments then we have an ultimate road trip for you. We're taking a loop around the state to show off each destination. For each stop, we'll throw in a cool place to stay, and a great restaurant nearby.

Gallery Credit: Wes Adams

Colorado + Utah Parks Among Top 10 Most Dangerous National Parks

Check out the most dangerous National Parks located in Colorado and Utah. Find out the number of fatalities that have occurred in each park, and see which ones made the top 10. Have you been to any of these dangerous National Parks? Tell us about your experience with the chat feature on our station app.

Gallery Credit: Wes Adams