Hit the hiking and biking trails in Vail Valley. Watch real cowboys saddle up at a weekly rodeo in Steamboat. And explore the dinosaurs’ old stomping grounds in the northwestern corner of the state. From steamy hot springs, chic shopping and luxurious resorts to rugged, rough n’ tumble excitement, northwestern Colorado has got something for everyone.

UNDER THE SPELL OF STEAMBOAT SPRINGS: Visit this old western town just once in summertime and you may fall victim to the "Yampa Valley Curse," a spell that locals say keeps visitors coming back to Steamboat year after year. In addition to the nation’s largest weekly pro-rodeo and a hot-air balloon event, you’ll discover bubbling hot springs, river floating, plenty of trails for hiking, biking and the popular Haymaker Golf Course, an award-winning Scottish-links-style course south of town. For the ultimate Steamboat experience, check into a guest ranch where you can horseback ride, fish, and toast marshmallows by a roaring campfire under the stars.

VAIL VALLEY IN FULL BLOOM: If you think Vail Valley is spectacular during ski season, check it out during the summer months when rodeos, music festivals and Fourth of July celebrations are in full swing. Where else do sophisticated shoppers peruse designer fashions while fly fishermen reel in rainbow trout just a few feet away? The rushing Gore Creek runs right through the village, and impromptu fly fishing lessons are as easy to come by as summer ski sales. Bicycling is also top-notch in the Vail Valley, and more than a half dozen 18-hole courses keep golfers challenged mid-May through October. If you get lucky here in springtime, you may get in 9 holes and some stellar skiing—all in one day!

DISCOVER DINASAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT: Take a first-hand look back in time at so-called "terrible lizards" in Dinosaur National Park in the northwestern corner of Colorado. Approximately 150 million years ago, a river flowed through this area, sweeping up dinosaur remains in its current. Today you can explore the 325 square miles of badlands and visit the Quarry Visitor Center, which was once the actual river channel. On one entire wall, paleontologists have carefully chipped away the rock to uncover authentic dinosaur bones for you to view in place. More than 1,500 fossil bones can now be seen in this unusual exhibit.