Wonderfully Wild Colorado & Beyond: Get Off-Grid

I work from home and go for days wearing only yoga pants and a sweatshirt. However, when I need social interaction, I head to the tea shop or bar. Coronavirus means that those businesses have been closed and I miss them, I mean, I really, really miss them. 

Sangre Cristo Mountains, San Luis Valley, Colorado. HeidiTown.com

At times like this, my inner rebel wants to come out. Just know, if Colorado’s governor issues a 7 p.m. curfew you can be sure that I’ll be the crazy person running down the street at 7:05 p.m. Kidding… I swear.

This week has been tough and I know it’s been tough for you too. Many are working from home while trying to figure out how to home school your children. Even worse, some of you have been laid off. Our dogs think they’ve won the lotto while our cats are trying to figure out how to kill us (mine usually opts for tripping me on the stairs). 

Wyoming, Lincoln Hwy, HeidiTown.com

Travel is the last thing on anyone’s mind unless you work for one of the ski resorts that has been shut down or work for a hotel in Summit County (or a hotel anywhere for that matter). 

When this passes, and it shall (we just don’t know when) we will want to move about. We will want to dance, sing, wiggle and travel. However, my guess is that most of us will hit the road instead of an airport. 

Colorado Road. HeidiTown.com

The idea of this post started with sharing my off-the-grid photos with my social media audiences on Facebook and Twitter. 

In order to have more photos to share I started going through my photo files, which are expansive. I wanted to find a few photos I’ve never used and this reminded me of all the wonderful, far-flung locales I’ve visited in Colorado (and beyond).

This sent me down the rabbit hole and I spent far too much time sending cute photos of our late dog Xena to my husband, Ryan. But, as you can see, I did find some photos and isolated places that we’ve traveled and they just happen to be some of my favorite spots in Colorado (and beyond).

Near Buena Vista, Colorado. HeidiTown.com

Here are some wonderfully wild areas (because if we can’t get away tomorrow, today we’ll escape in our minds). 

San Luis Valley 

Located in Southern Colorado, far from any large city, is the San Luis Valley. We have driven through multiple times and stayed in Moffat for our last anniversary. This valley is a magical place that has that special something and it’s not wifi. In fact, you’ll lose wifi in lots of areas throughout the San Luis Valley. How blissful does that sound right now?

San Luis Valley, Colorado. HeidiTown.com

There are dirt roads, mountain vistas and fresh air. And, if you like ghost towns and mining history, make this a destination. 

Old grave near Bonanza, San Luis Valley, Colorado. HeidiTown.com

Don’t Miss: Great Sand Dunes National Park

On HeidiTown read: Living History in the San Luis Valley of Colorado

Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail

The Santa Fe Trail runs through Lamar, La Junta and Trinidad, Colorado. This area is filled with prairie and blue skies. Sunflowers grow up around antique trucks in fields and abandoned farmsteads dot the horizon; it’s a photographer’s dream. 

Colorado's Santa Fe Trail, HeidiTown.com

Time seems to have forgotten about the towns along with the route. The quietness of Lamar and La Junta is a true blessing in this hectic world.

Bent's Old Fort. HeidiTown.com

Don’t Miss: Bent’s Old Fort 

On HeidiTown read: Southeast Colorado is for History & Nature Lovers

Colorado’s Northwest Corner

Moffat County and Rio Blanco County are remote. While the town of Craig now features a brewery,  the biggest town in the region is still way off the beaten path. Not only is this where wild horses roam, but petroglyphs and dinosaur bones call this corner of Colorado home.

Moffat County. Photo by Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer

In the spring, the grasses here turn a vivid shade of green and Sandhill Cranes can be heard along the Yampa River. Once, I laid in bed at the Candlewood Suites in Craig listening to the calls of the crane outside my window.

Dinosaur National Monument. HeidiTown.com

Don’t Miss: Dinosaur National Monument

On HeidiTown read: The Wild Horses of Northwest Colorado: Sand Wash Basin 

Wild Wyoming

I am giving the entire state of Wyoming its own section because every spot we’ve visited is desolate. We spent time with friends in Lander last spring and went on several hikes and saw no one else on the trail. To say that Lander feels remote is an understatement. We’d driven five hours to the middle of nowhere, Wyoming and it was wonderful.

Wyoming, HeidiTown.com

We’ve also spent time in Laramie, less than 30 minutes from the Colorado border. Head from Laramie towards the Snowy Range and you’ll leave all civilization behind. This is the wild west. 

The Sinks, Lander, Wyoming, HeidiTown.com

Don’t Miss: The Sinks

On HeidiTown read: Kick Back in Cowboy Boots at Vee Bar Guest Ranch in Wyoming

The truth is, this blog post could easily be 5,000 words long. I could include the isolated Million Dollar Highway or the secluded Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. 

Colorado may seem crowded, especially right now with a pandemic afoot, but you can still find wild places here and beyond. These enchanted spots exist, it’s just likely that you’ll need to access most of them by car, not plane. 

Hwy 285, HeidiTown.com

Until next time… stay well!

The Mayor

5 Comments


  1. Thank you for sharing with us I too love just getting away ! Nebraska is where I usually go ,

    Reply

  2. Thank you Heidi. It will be a new world on the other side of this mess and a fresh view of new places to visit is in order. You be well too!

    Reply

  3. Thanks for the blue skies! Looking forward to hitting the road. 🙂

    Reply

  4. Simply gorgeous. We are so lucky to live in a part of the world with remote beauty so close. Thanks for the reminder and the visual splurge.

    Reply

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