Colorado is the icon for mountainous terrain in the United States. This fame has provided Colorado with an interesting contrast in mountain lifestyle: from the grunge-fest of the mountain bums, to the elite-style of the rich and famous. Early development flourished quickly throughout the mountain terrain of Colorado, prompting the creation of one of the largest mountain sanctuaries in the United States—the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding Wilderness Areas protect a tremendous variety of mountain terrain, including 54 mountain summits that rise above 14,000 feet. These 54 peaks are littered throughout seven major mountain ranges: Front, Tenmile, Mosquito, Sawatch, Elk, San Juan, and Sangre de Cristo.

Another unique mountain development in Colorado is the Ouray Ice Park. Situated in the San Juan Mountains, along the Uncompahgre Gorge, Ouray Ice Park is two miles of sensational, man-made ice climbing. Local volunteers have built an irrigation system that carries water over the gorge's edge, creating big ice throughout the entire winter.