You can find the charming city of Trinidad, Colorado, in an area where majestic landscapes surround you.
Apart from having a welcoming ambiance, this city in Las Animas county has become popular among tourists for the cliffs and mesas that surround it.
Within Trinidad, you can find a variety of attractions – from state parks to art galleries.
Ready to discover all of them?
Here are some of the best things to do in Trinidad, Colorado:
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Fishers Peak State Park only opened in October 2020, making it one of Colorado’s newest parks.
Here, you have the opportunity to appreciate nature by discovering nature within this 20,000-acre area.
The namesake of this park, Fishers Peak, stands at 9,633 feet, and in the area surrounding it, you can find several trails that you can follow.
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Many tourists have tried the First Look Trail on their bikes.
It’s a short trail spanning one-fourth of a mile.
At the end of this trail, you can reach a picnic area where you can eat with your companions.
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If you want more of a challenge, head over to the area aptly named the Challenge Trail.
At the end of this 3-mile trek, you will reach a viewpoint where you can witness panoramic views of Fishers Peak.
Colorado has a long and rich historical past that many deem important in how the American West Developed.
If you want to learn more about this, visit the Trinidad History Museum.
This attraction is made up of several different sites dotting a single block of Trinidad’s Historic District.
All of the sites feature exhibits that give visitors background on how the region developed through the years.
Some sites, particularly those set in historical buildings, also showcase original and replica furnishings and items used in the homes.
Stroll along the historic district, and learn more about Trinidad by visiting this attraction.
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When you visit an area blessed with breathtaking natural landscapes, you must go out and discover the best it has to offer.
Explore the outdoors and head to Trinidad Lake State Park.
Given the area’s excellent climate, visiting this fabulous lake is a worthwhile task.
Here, you can take part in a myriad of water sports on the lake.
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Meanwhile, fishing enthusiasts can cast their line in the water and catch different pieces of fish.
Meanwhile, those who prefer to stay on dry land can follow the trails.
There, you can discover walkways followed by the people of eld, along with the beautiful natural scenery surrounding you.
Set aside some time to discover Trinidad Lake State Park.
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After a great and busy day, visiting one attraction after the other satiate your hunger by visiting Rino’s Italian Restaurant.
This establishment offers dishes cooked while keeping tradition in mind.
Apart from the delicious food, history buffs also flock to this place as an old Christian church houses the restaurant today.
The said historical landmark was constructed in 1887, and today, the city itself preserves and maintains it.
Another attractive draw of this establishment is that its staff offers excellent service and even more excellent performance.
Here, you’ll have the chance to be waited by Rino’s musical staff.
What’s not to love?
Given the abundance of accommodating outdoor areas, consider spending the night camping while on holiday in Trinidad.
A great place to do so is South Shore Campground.
This place features ten sites where you can spend the night camping.
It has amenities like toilets and fresh-water sources for your convenience.
You won’t have access to electricity when you camp here, but you can have an excellent time around the campfire when it gets dark.
You can locate the campgrounds near the lake, so you have access to water-based recreational activities here.
These include fishing, sailing, and swimming.
Discover nature in Trinidad, Colorado, by spending the night under the stars at South Shore Campground.
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Elevate your trip to Trinidad by going around in style.
A great way to explore the area is by riding the Trinidad Trolley.
Apart from having a convenient way to reach your destinations, you can also discover more about the city by riding this trolley through the tours offered here.
Some stops you can go to when you ride this attraction include multiple architectural buildings, shrines, and museums.
When you’re in Trinidad, don’t hesitate to go onboard the trolley.
Apart from awe-inspiring nature, a lot of areas surrounding Trinidad are filled with interesting archeological sites.
You can find many of these sites showing human activity dating back thousands of years.
Many of them reflect the cultures of Native Americans who roamed and lived in the area for a long time.
If you want to learn more about these and see fantastic archaeological finds, visit Louden-Henritze Archaeology Museum.
It showcases a vast collection of artifacts, showcasing the remnants proving the habitation of both people and animals in a particular area.
You can find many interesting items here, including pottery and even dinosaur bones.
Are you interested in learning more about the area’s ancient history?
You can find this museum in the Freudenthal Library.
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Another interesting site to visit in Trinidad is Steam Engine 683.
You can check out this fantastic historical railroad artifact peculiarly stationed behind a grocery chain store’s parking area.
This steam engine is significant because it’s the last coal-powered steam engine the Colorado and Southern Railroad used.
Put together in 1906, this special train ran to deliver supplies and goods across Colorado.
The said engine ran its last trip in 1963 after many years of service.
And now, you can visit it yourself and learn more about the state’s locomotive history as well.
Hundreds of miners have had a significant contribution to the development of the state.
As a commission by local coal miner groups, Ben Johnson made the Southern Colorado Coal Miners Memorial.
The memorial commemorates these hard-working individuals and their role in the mining industry.
Johnson made the said memorial statue by casting it in bronze.
It contains the names of coal miners – active, former, and deceased – to recognize them for their service in the industry.
It aims to preserve their memories even beyond the time they spent in the industry.
If you want to check this place out, head to the city’s historic district at West Main St.
Apart from static visual arts, Trinidad also offers visitors a chance to enjoy performance art as to how it’s done in this part of Colorado.
While in the city, check out the Southern Colorado Repertory Theater and catch one of their many outstanding programs.
Try to check out and watch one of their seasonal productions that you and your travel companions can enjoy.
Apart from these, take part in one of the many learning opportunities and workshop it offers if you have the chance.
Enjoy the beauty of theater and performance art at the Southern Colorado Repertory Theater.
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For those who love and appreciate art, many attractions that would pique your interest stand in Trinidad.
One notable place is the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art.
The said museum first opened its doors in 1981.
Since then, it has displayed an impressive number of artifacts, artworks, and collectibles that many visitors can appreciate.
The gallery features art created by Native Americans.
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It also showcases traditional Hispanic and religious pieces.
Throughout the years, this place has grown to become a significant art venue in Colorado.
The main works of art you can find here are those created by Arthur Roy Mitchell, as the gallery’s name suggests.
However, several other artists have their works displayed here as well.
Every work of art in this museum provides you with a glimpse of how life goes in the American West.
Another artsy venue in Trinidad is the Corazon gallery.
You can find this attraction on East Main Street.
It serves as a cooperative of Trinidad artists who make masterpieces using different media.
When you visit and view the works for yourself, you can see that every piece here focuses on the aspect of Western culture.
Not only will you find works of art here, but you also have a chance to see the artists at work.
You can even talk to them while they do their magic.
When in Trinidad, don’t forget to check out Corazon gallery.
One of the many unique museums in the United States stands in Trinidad, Colorado.
At Art Cartopia, you can find a myriad of cars designed with excellent exteriors.
All in all, this place features 25 cars, and you can learn more about each of them while you’re here.
A guide can give you the lowdown of each car masterpiece displayed here.
Apart from viewing each car’s quirky but impressive designs, you can also grab a souvenir at the museum’s gift shop.
Art Cartopia is an attraction you must visit at least once in your life.
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Did you know that, similar to Hollywood, you can also find a sign situated on a mountain in Trinidad?
Located high on top of a sandstone bluff in the city’s residential area, you can find the Trinidad sign at an attraction called Simpson’s Rest.
The place got its name from Geoge S. Simpson, a frontiersman.
If you want to reach this sign, you can do so.
Just follow an unpaved road to the top of the bluff and reach the sign.
You don’t have to go far away from the city’s central area to witness fantastic views.
A close friend of the existing owner of Curly’s Bead Emporium, Audrey Forcier, founded the business in 2005.
You can choose between registering for group lessons or private instruction.
In addition to basic and advanced teaching in topics like stringing, wire wrapping, kumohimo, and various other beading and accessory-related topics, Curly’s Bead Emporium also provides workshops in many other elements of beadwork.
One-of-a-kind beads crafted from Czech glass, crystal, pearls, silver, copper, shell, and stones, including ruby, jasper, agates, turquoise, and more, make up their ever-evolving unique collection.
Moreover, various findings, beading tools, and supplies are available on-site.
Holy Trinity Parish, a Catholic congregation in Trinidad, constructed the Ave Maria Shrine as a memorial to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
For devoted Catholics in the area, it is essentially a spiritual destination; many come to the Ave Maria Shrine in pursuit of tranquility, healing, and the experience of a profound spiritual environment.
It is a powerful testament to the faith and passion of many people, not just Catholic Christians.
The shrine extends a cordial welcome to all visitors, regardless of their religious beliefs, and offers to extend grace and solace to those who want it.
Thanks to the kindness of locals and tourists from various areas and other countries, this memorial is still being built and maintained.
The historic community of Trinidad in southern Colorado is where you can find Main Street LIVE.
Harriet and Fred Vaugeois established the first company, Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre, in 2002.
Over nearly 17 years, it expanded to include summer repertory shows, all-year community theater, youth performances, and summer programs.
The new purpose and objectives for the organization—named MAIN STREET LIVE—emerged during the summer of 2020.
Their goal is to offer Trinidad and the areas around it year-round, diversified, high-quality theatrical performances for entertainment and cultural development.
It also strives to provide individuals of any age and culture the chance to perform in educational settings.
Purgatoire River Trading Company is housed in Trinidad, Colorado’s iconic McCormack Building, and offers an incredible selection of silversmith work, ceramics, carpets, handmade baskets, and leather crafts.
It is a contemporary trading center with display cabinets stuffed to the gills with crafted genuine Native American wares from the beginning of the century.
The owner has connections with several Indian artists living throughout the Southwest.
Purgatoire River Trading Company represents several of the best Indian jewelers now in business.
To find some of the greatest work available, she travels to Pueblos and a few of the most isolated areas on the reservations.
It also boasts one of the greatest collections of “old pawns,” or high-demand vintage items.
All of the jewelry is handcrafted using only the best components.
Mexican food and seafood have never been more plentiful than at Trinidad, Colorado’s Tequila’s Family Mexican Restaurant.
Your flavors are in for a feast at this hotspot, which is the ideal place to appease your desires for Mexican food.
This vibrantly designed Mexican restaurant serves traditional cuisine along with glasses of margaritas.
In addition to appetizers, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, mariscos, and many more dishes, their extensive menu provides morning, lunchtime, and evening combos.
They provide catering services, where you can select from options like the Enchiladas Party Pack, the Tequila Taco Bar, and the Fajitas for Everyone, each of which can accommodate 8–10 people.
The hours of operation for Tequila’s Family Mexican Restaurant are daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Perkatory Coffee House has been in the coffee industry for over thirteen years and has extensive knowledge of it.
Their customers enjoy unique local Colorado adventures and some of the finest coffee in the area, thanks to their partnerships with several businesses.
They cater to all tastes with a large and expanding selection of delectable baked goods, savory morning pastries, soups, sandwiches, burritos, and more.
Most of their menu items are freshly baked and cooked on-site, all produced locally using high-quality ingredients.
Perkatory Coffee House supply unique teas in addition to coffee, and their range is constantly expanding.
On their “Tea Wall,” there are a ton of selections, whether you like a decaffeinated herbal mix or crave a mild earl grey to softly start your day.
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Temple Aaron, which has served as a synagogue for more than 130 years, is among fewer than twenty original structures that have served as synagogues periodically in the United States since the 19th century.
It has experienced a rebirth of popularity and is accessible for various religious and cultural activities.
The Rapp brothers, renowned architects in the area, created the structure.
It has multiple exquisite stained-glass windows featuring a red, blue, and yellow color palette, a sanctuary with seating for 200 people on the second story and a raised wooden bimah, and a massive pipe organ on a terrace just above the sanctuary.
Two of Colorado’s top historical preservation groups have acknowledged the structure’s enormous historical significance for the state.
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If you’re seeking to escape the masses, southeast Colorado is an excellent choice since it offers solitude and serenity.
The southeastern plains’ Comanche National Grassland spans over 440,000 rural acres.
Attractions include prehistoric rock art, old footprints, deserted settlements, and the Sante Fe Trail.
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Being one of North America’s biggest recorded dinosaur trackways, the scenic Picketwire Canyon has over 1300 visible footprints.
Another lure of Comanche National Grassland is its natural beauty, which includes short grass, mountainous valleys, and sweeping cliffs.
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The Trinidad State College Prator Shooting Range, approximately six miles southeast of Trinidad, has stunning scenery and cutting-edge technology.
In 2012, a five-station trapping shooting facility and a skeet shooting range were constructed.
Shooting trap and skeeting at night is made possible by lights and the range has a rifle and pistol practice with a 100-yard maximum range.
There are four shooting lanes at 100 yards, and eight at 50 yards plus, moving targets are available for different distances on the pistol course.
On-site amenities include a restroom, a classroom, and a workbench.
At 7000 feet above sea level and ideally tucked away among beautiful mountains, the amazingly-chic hotel provides a tranquil escape from the rush of daily life.
Their main goal has been to provide decent lodging at a fair price and establish themselves as Trinidad, Colorado’s top hotel.
Well-maintained wide areas with pull-through spaces are available at Tower 64 Hotel and RV Park.
They are the sole RV park in Trinidad, Colorado, that provides high-speed internet and pull-through RV spots, in addition to more than 20 complete hookups that are either 30 AMP or 50 AMP.
Tower 64 Hotel and RV Park is among Trinidad, Colorado’s finest hotel establishments.
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Another nearby attraction in Raton is its local history museum.
At Raton History Museum, you can learn more about this charming city’s past and how this part of New Mexico grew and developed.
Given the area’s proximity to Trinidad, many cultural notions have overlapped, and it would be interesting to learn about Raton’s interactions with its Colorado neighbor throughout the years.
Here, you can discover a collection of artworks and historical artifacts that all played huge roles in the city and the region’s history.
Established in 1939, it’s an amazing place to visit near Trinidad, Colorado.
Given how beautiful Trinidad’s landscape is, you can spend countless hours exploring multiple trails just to discover more of its beauty.
Outside of the national parks, you can find in town, you can also head over to Wormhole Loop Trail for an exciting outdoor adventure.
The trail itself provides you with the way to quickly go across the high desert right outside town.
It features a short and loose climb while also having flatter areas.
Here, you can also find breathtaking cliffs, with views of the city and the plains nearby.
When you reach the end of its southern edge, you can witness a majestic view of the nearby Simpson’s Rest.
If you’re looking for adventures near Trinidad, start with Wormhole Loop Trail.
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From Trinidad, you can go south and cross the state border to New Mexico and discover the amazing Climax Canyon Nature Trail.
Located in Raton, New Mexico, you can reach this place in 30 minutes via car.
Many consider this as one of the best trails to go through in Colorado, and with good reason.
Apart from being well-kept, the trail provides you with excellent views of canyons filled with impressive nature.
Additionally, the entire family can go through this as it’s an easy hike.
This 2.7-mile trail is perfect for beginner and experienced hikers alike.
If you want to visit Trinidad, make sure to prepare for jaw-dropping landscapes surrounding you.
Partnered with an interesting history and amazing sources of entertainment and culture, you likely won’t get enough of this city in just one trip.
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