Instagram-Worthy Colorado Views

Grab your camera and hit the road to see these 3 sites this winter

The reason road trips rock is because car travel affords scenic views that flying cannot. Not to mention there are no lines, no TSA and no bag check. Plus, you can bring your own snacks.

As I travel around Colorado, I take a lot of photos out of the car window. So many, in fact, that I’ve toyed with the idea of having a “Colorado Out the Window” gallery show with my photog friend, Lisa Kral.

I shared some of these "Out the Window" photos from our Christmas road trip on HeidiTown’s Facebook page, and it turns out a lot of people take photos out the window during car trips, and a lot of those photos end up on Instagram. Here are some of my favorite winter sites in Colorado that are Instagram-worthy.

This ends up on every “scenic list” I compile because I never go by without stopping to take in the view on Wolf Creek Pass. Between Del Norte and Pagosa Springs, on the south side of Wolf Creek Pass, there is an overlook with one of the prettiest views in Colorado, if not the world.

The expansive view sparkles emerald green and is dotted by azure lakes in the summer, and it’s a winter wonderland during the colder months.

Coming into Buena Vista on Hwy 285. Photo by Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer.

It’s no coincidence that Buena Vista means “good view” in Spanish. Driving into the Arkansas River Valley westbound on Hwy 285 is a route I’ve taken dozens of times, and each time it takes my breath away.

As the road winds down into the valley, the Collegiate Peaks are as pretty as a postcard. This section of the Sawatch Range boasts some of the highest mountains in Colorado, so it’s little wonder that they are so awe-inspiring.  

I like these mountains best when they are cloaked in snow, which is often.

Pikes Peak Highway, Ragged Edge Road views. Photo courtesy of Visit Colorado Springs.

Pikes Peak Highway, above the clouds. Photo courtesy of Visit Colorado Springs.

Pikes Peak wildlife. Photo courtesy of Visit Colorado Springs.

It’s cliche because I think every list of great views in Colorado includes Pikes Peak, but the fact remains that this mountain provides fantastic vistas, and visitors can get up this peak in a car. During a visit to Colorado Springs, we headed up during a windy winter day. We couldn’t make it to the top because the road was closed due to snow, but the views were magnificent nonetheless. I’m glad so many tourists get to see this view of Colorado.