The Most Underrated Vacation Spot In Each State

DallasSteve wrote:

Thom02099 wrote:
As stated above, "Underrated" versus "Unknown"...big difference.

This list crops up every so often, and one wonders who makes such a list. Were the locations actually visited? What's the criteria for making the list?

Some would point out that quite a few on the list, by some other standards, would be overrated. Case in point: Estes Park, CO. Now, I love the Estes Park area and am up there frequently from my home base about 45 minutes away. But at the height of the tourist season, it's a zoo up there. Too many people, with RMNP being loved to death. Traffic frequently bumper-to-bumper, and not just in town. Downtown sometimes looking like mid-town or lower Manhattan, what with all the pedestrians. There are certainly other contenders in Colorado. But any list such as this is always subjective.

I'm sure others would point out glaring errors in other states. Branson, MO underrated? Reno, NV underrated? Detroit, MI underrated? For the folks who frequent forums such as this, I think there are likely other suggestions in those (and other) states.

When is a good time to visit Estes Park or Colorado in general?

For Estes Park, the height of the season runs from Memorial Day through October. Their season goes beyond Labour Day due to the elk bugling/mating in Sept/Oct. And it starts Memorial Day weekend, the traditional opening of Trail Ridge Rd in RMNP. But I've been up there in April and camped inside the park at Moraine Park in April. Cool? Yes it can be. but if you want to see the stark beauty of the park as it transitions from winter to spring, this is a good time to visit EP. Still a lot of snow up high, as well as in the good hiking areas, but there's things to see/do at lower elevations. And in town is easier to get around, many of the shops and restaurants are open.

For the rest of Colorado, depends on the area you want to visit. Camping/RV season varies depending on elevation. The higher you go, the shorter the season, generally speaking. If you're into USFS camping, it can be a south to north thing...locations south may open sooner than locations north. In my area of northern Colorado, USFS season runs from late May to late September or sometimes early October. Fortunately, many of the Colorado State Parks stay open year round, albeit with limited facilities. Golden Gate Canyon, between Golden and Black Hawk, for example, has a loop that's open all year and becomes first come/first served.

For others, any time is a good time to see Colorado, and there are a lot of UNDERRATED places to visit any time of year. I would submit that Denver and Colorado Springs are both underrated places to visit for many of the folks who frequent this forum, simply because they are urban. But they have a lot to offer. Colorado is not just mountains.