Colorado, Experts believe North America’s largest dinosaurs roamed Colorado’s mesas and mountains some 140 million years ago. Perhaps they had an appreciation for spectacular scenery: Four hours from Denver, Grand Junction’s deep red rock canyons and tall sandstone monoliths inspire awe among visitors to Colorado National Monuments.

Located within “Dinosaur Diamond,” Grand Junction’s excavation sites, fossil trails, Dinosaur Valley Museum exhibits, and hands-on archeological activities appeal to paleontologists of all ages.

Prehistoric people left their mark at Mesa Verde National Park outside of Durango. One of world’s most famous archaeological sites, it contains hundreds of cliff dwellings, evidence of the Anasazi Indian culture.

Fourteen centuries of history remain on display there at the country’s largest archeological preserve, which contains more than 4,000 sites built by ancestral Puebloans between 450 AD and 1300 AD. Mesa-top villages have been stabilized so that today’s visitors can walk, drive, or take a bus tour through the park to view them. They’re also welcome to hike and climb ladders in and out of the dwellings or embark on less rigorous but equally fascinating self-guided tours as they wander through the past. The park also features a museum and three wilderness areas.

Officially founded in 1880, the town of Durango was originally a mining center. Its railroad depot is now a National Historic Landmark, and a ride on the turn-of-the-century Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Train reveals the beauty of the area’s remote wilderness from the tracks of an authentic steam-operated railroad.

Prospectors poured into Grand County following the discovery of gold along the Colorado River, building and then abandoning towns. Today, with six dude and guest ranches within its borders, the county lays claim to the title of Colorado’s Dude Ranch Capital.

Saddle up to recall the spirit of the American West at C Lazy U Ranch, the only five-star, five-diamond dude ranch. Extraordinary high-mountain scenery, like the 78 peaks 12,000 feet or taller in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park, helps riders appreciate the horsepower.

More than a century ago, Gunnison County was cowboy territory, and the region’s rough-and-tumble past comes alive again at July’s Annual Cattlemen’s Days. Guests who bunk at Waunita Hot Springs Ranch get their own horse for a week, and the high point of a stay is the high-country ride to snow-ridged peaks overlooking the Continental Divide.

To sample the best of the old West in style, check into one of the state’s historic hotels. The Strater Hotel in Durango, Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, and the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park are all lovingly preserved properties that combine the glories of bygone days with first-class accommodations and modern amenities.