Enjoy a summer concert in Aspen, bicycling trails in Durango and stunning vistas in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Southwestern Colorado has plenty to see and do, especially during spring and summer, when the Anasazi cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde can be enjoyed in their full splendor and historic towns throughout the region host an array of festivals that run the gamut from hang gliding to film and blue grass.

TWO WHEELS, FOUR CORNERS: The largest town in the Four Corners region of Colorado, Durango is one of the world’s top mountain-biking areas. Discover hundreds of miles of beautiful backcountry trails, including moderate rides like the 12-mile Lime Creek Road and more challenging excursions like the two-day trip through the San Juan National Forest. The summer season kicks off with the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic on Memorial Day Weekend, a 47-mile road race against the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Train, and continues full steam ahead with an array of events. In June, whitewater rafters converge for the Animas River Days, and from mid-June to late August the Durango Pro Rodeo hosts saddle bronc riding, roping and a real western barbecue.

ASPEN HITS A HIGH NOTE: Located 200 miles west of Denver, celebrity-studded Aspen hits a high note in summer when an array of top-flight festivals fill the surrounding hills with the sound of music. Beginning in late June, the 2-month long Aspen Music Festival hosts outdoor concerts varying from chamber music to jazz. In mid-June, sip champagne while hot-air balloonists take to the skies at the Snowmass Balloon Festival; and over Labor Day, take a seat in the grassy meadow below Snowmass Village for Janus Jazz Aspen/Snowmass, an annual event that has seen the likes of Lyle Lovett, Joe Cocker and other great performers.

A TASTE OF BLACK CANYON COUNTRY: Recently designated a National Park, the Black Canyon of Gunnison is home to one of the most stunning canyons in the nation, an extreme landscape of rolling hills and sheer vertical walls that are not for the faint of heart. For hardcore rock climbers, kayakers, anglers and solitude seekers, this is God’s country, a place where peregrine falcons and golden eagles are serenaded by the roaring rapids of the Gunnison River below. In July, the Ute Indian Museum Cultural Day presents traditional Indian dances, while July, August, and October offer a variety of Harvest Celebrations with plenty of cherry pie and roasted corn to go around.