Fascinating Facts About The State Of Colorado!
September 8th, 2011
Did you know that Colorado is home to the highest continuous road in the USA? It is located in north central Colorado as part of Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail Ridge Road soars to 12,183 feet and is usually only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting. Some years the snowpack is so deep that the opening has to be delayed or the fall snows come before Labor Day and it is closed early for safety.
In addition to the highest continuous road, Colorado also has the highest road which goes to the visitor center on Mount Evans. This road climbs to a breathtaking 14,240 feet where the views are spectacular. The bristle cone pine living there are some of the oldest trees in the world.
Colorado’s lowest point is higher than the highest point in 18 other states. The lowest point is 3,315 feet above sea level at the Arikaree River in Yuma County located near the Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas border.
The quaking aspen trees create beautiful color on the mountain sides. These trees grow as part of a floating island of trees and have been known to shift their location slowly. This island method of growing helps protect them from high winds as their roots are shallow. In this case there is safety in numbers.
Colorado is a state that knows the value of layers of clothing year-around. Always have a warm jacket in the car when traveling, especially in the mountains. It can snow in the high country any month of the year.