Beautiful Colorado: 50 postcard-perfect images

The southwestern portion of the state more closely resembles the American desert Southwest, particularly near Cimarron Ridge.

Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway passes through the farm country of Eastern Colorado, with a string of 14ers jutting up from the landscape in the distance.

Many of Colorado's dreamy mountain towns, including picturesque Breckenridge, started out as mining villages.

The aspen is the quintessential Colorado tree, and in autumn, they put on quite the colorful leaf-peeping show.

Buena Vista means "good view" in Spanish, and that couldn't be more true for this community at the base of the Continental Divide.

In springtime, Colorado's mountain trails put on a colorful show of wildflowers, including the state flower, the purple and white Columbine.

Denver International Airport, with its iconic white peaked architecture, is the fifth busiest in the United States and a gateway to the Rocky Mountain West.

Colorado's historic railroads, like the Durango & Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad, are an excellent and family-friendly way to experience the majestic scenery of Colorado.

With 180 craft breweries and counting, Colorado has more per capita than any other state. If beer's not your thing, you'll also find more than 40 craft distilleries.

Colorado is more than just mountain peaks. The Eastern Colorado plains burst into a riot of color during the summer sunflower season.

Colorado, a true four seasons destination, transforms into a sparkling winter wonderland once the snow begins to fall.

Just east of Steamboat Springs lies the town of Kremmling, a sportsman's paradise and host of an annual ice-fishing tournament.

An outdoorsman's dream, Colorado has 54 peaks that top out at over 14,000 feet.

Come winter, Colorado becomes a winter sports paradise with 25 ski resorts enjoying some of the country's most reliable snow conditions.

U.S. Air Force Academy graduates throw their hats in the air as the Thunderbirds fly overhead signaling the end of the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, Colorado Springs, Colo., May 30, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie A. Thurlby (released)

Known as "the city nestled between the mountains and reality," Boulder enjoys panoramic views of the Flatirons in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Ancestral Puebloans, Colorado's earliest residents, carved more than 150 rooms into the rock -- a structure known as Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.

The Browns Canyon portion of the Arkansas River takes white water rafters past five 14ers and beneath the Royal Gorge Bridge -- the world's highest suspension bridge.

Colorado, the 38th state in the Union, is a land dominated by the rugged beauty of the Rocky Mountains and a rich cultural heritage.

In the San Juan National Forest just west of Pagosa Springs, the towering pillar known as Chimney Rock juts into the Colorado sky.

Denver, Colorado's capital city, has the nation's largest park system, with over 200 parks in the city limits.

By population, Denver is the smallest city in the country with four pro sports teams: the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.

The Dallas Divide in Southwestern Colorado represents fall leaf-peeping at its best, when the band of aspens running along the base of Sneffels Range transform into a sea of yellows and reds.

Visiting Fairplay is like stepping back into Colorado's earliest days, when grizzled gold miners and ranchers began to populate the state.

Fly-fishers looking to fill their creels with trout love the rivers, lakes and reservoirs of Colorado.

Garden of the Gods, a collection of red rocks formations just outside of Colorado Springs, is one of Colorado's most-visited attractions.

Some of the ancient, twisted juniper trees found within Garden of the Gods are more than 1,000 years old.

The Colorado River and snowmelt from the Continental Divide carved out 16-mile-long Glenwood Canyon over the course of 3 million years. Today, it's a premier destination for hiking, rafting and biking.

Colorado's 100-plus golf courses offer some of the country's best variety and spectacular scenery. Few places in the world let you golf and ski in the same day.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, one of four national parks in the state, is home to the tallest dunes in North America. The tallest are over 8,000 feet.

Wispy waterfalls cascading from moss-covered rocks into pools of teal water make Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs one of Colorado's most surreal sights.

Discover Colorado's rich frontier herigate by taking a trip along Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway, where you'll find historic Beckwith Ranch.

450-foot-tall Independence Monument is the tallest red rock formation in Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction.

Lake San Cristobal, Colorado's second largest natural lake, is a favorite with fishers and boaters.

Crested Butte, a 19th century mining town and wildflower capital of Colorado, holds tightly to its Western roots.

In Rocky Mountain National Park, Loch Vale is a popular hike suitable for hikers of all abilities.

Colorado's Maroon Bells -- two sister 14er peaks -- are the most photographed of the state's mountains.

In Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Spanish for "mountain view," miles of wetlands give way to snowcapped peaks in an area popular with migratory birds, like sand hill cranes.

Mount Evans Scenic Byway -- the highest altitude paved road in North America -- leads to the stunning peak of the same name, as well as several alpine lakes.

Jagged Mount Sneffels just above the tree line, it's 14,150-foot peak looming over the surrounding aspen-covered landscape.

With 170 miles of trails, Colorado's Mount Zirkel Wilderness attracts backpackers to its rugged backcountry beauty, where you're almost guaranteed to see elk and moose.

Colorado is home to the best single-track mountain biking trails in the world.

Fed by clear spring water, the pools of Ouray Hot Springs maintain temperatures between 98 and 105 throughout the year.

Small town Pagosa Springs, located in Southwestern Colorado at the base of the Continental Divide, is famous for its own sulfurous hot springs.

The town of Palisade sits in the heart of Colorado's quickly expanding wine region. Currently, the state has more than 100 vineyards.

The iconic song "America the Beautiful" was inspired by Katherine Lee Bates's trip to the top of Pikes Peak in 1893. Millions of visitors have ridden the Pikes Peak Cog Railway since.

Steamboat Springs in Colorado's northwestern region has a distinctive cowboy culture. Come during July for the annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo.

Mother Nature played a part in the construction of one of the nation's most famous outdoor venues, the sandstone-surrounded Red Rocks Amphitheater just outside of Denver.

The 104-degree waters of Strawberry Hot Springs are the perfect place to warm up after a day on the slopes at Steamboat.