The BEST places to elope in Colorado: A Native Coloradan’s Guide
So you’ve decided you want to elope, and you’ve landed on saying your vows in Colorado- or maybe you’re still looking around at different places, but you’re interested in learning more about where exactly would suit your vision. Well, lucky for you, I was born and raised in Colorado, so I’ve got all the insider info! I’ve been literally everywhere in Colorado, and I know what is going to look good in photos, where you can be alone with your love, and what the rules are for getting hitched on public land, so I’ll be your personal little guide for figuring out where to elope in Colorado.
Directory:
How to choose where to elope in Colorado
Natural beauty
Tourist crowds
Permitting and reservations
The Best places to elope in Colorado
Telluride
Ouray
Silverton
Crested Butte
Aspen
Great Sand Dunes
Elopement Venues
How to choose where to elope
Most people you’ll find living in Colorado haven’t lived here for more than 5 years or so, and, as a result, haven’t actually explored very much of the state. Most of the blogs you read about where to elope in Colorado will probably mention places like Denver, Garden of the Gods, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Breckenridge. I will never recommend these places to people. Don’t get me wrong, these places are fine, and if you’ve never been to Colorado, you might really enjoy visiting some of them for the first time! I just personally feel that these are where EVERYBODY goes when they visit Colorado, and honestly, I just don’t think they live up to some other areas of the state. The places I mentioned above are usually pretty crowded with tourists, and in terms of the natural beauty of the mountains, I just personally feel like there’s so much more out there that really lives up to the hype about the beautiful state of Colorado. So I’ve compiled a list of amazing places based on these criteria:
Natural Beauty
This one is subjective, of course, but I feel as though there are some parts of Colorado that really stand out in terms of natural beauty. I always look for dramatic landscapes, steep, craggy mountains, wildflower meadows, bright blue alpine lakes, sweeping mountain views, and generally just scenes that you just can’t find everywhere. After hiking, off-roading, camping, and living all over the mountains of Colorado, I just have some personal favs that I think really knock it out of the ball park in terms of beautiful scenery.
Tourist Crowds
I’ll just come out and say it: anywhere within a 3 hour radius of Denver is going to have people around- a LOT of people. Unfortunately, the outdoors in Colorado have become very crowded in the last decade or so. It used to be easy to find parking for any trail, hike to the top of a mountain alone, and to just enjoy the sounds of nature. Now, if you can even find parking at a popular trailhead, you can guarantee there will be someone blasting EDM out of the speaker on their backpack while leaving little bags of their dog’s poop next to the trail. It’s really unfortunate. BUT! There are still many parts of Colorado that remain pristine, largely because they are not close to Denver. Yes, if you want to avoid the crowds, you will have to do some driving. But trust me, it’s TOTALLY worth it (and if you’re flying into Colorado, keep in mind that there are other airports outside of DIA that will drop you off closer to your destination)
Permitting and Reservations
This one goes hand in hand with tourist crowds, but if you’re in a popular area, you’re going to need a permit or reservation- whether it’s for marrying in the area, reserving a space, or even just for parking for the day, almost everywhere within a 3 hour radius of Denver needs a permit (with a few notable exceptions). Having to acquire a permit is not the end of the world- usually you just have to reach out to whatever parks service oversees the area you want to marry in, and pay a fee somewhere between $50-$300. However, it does add an extra step to planning, and sometimes permits are limited, so if you’re not planning a full year or more in advance, you’ll miss the window to be able to obtain said permit. There are also other restrictions in more trafficked areas, like limits on how many people can attend, music restrictions, flower restrictions, number of cars allowed at a parking lot, restrictions on chairs or arches, etc. There’s certain Leave No Trace rules that you should be following anywhere in nature, but more restrictive rules might be places on areas that see more visitors.
The Best Places to Elope in Colorado
Telluride
The San Juan mountains are far and away the most beautiful part of Colorado, in my opinion. Telluride has MULTIPLE waterfalls that you can walk up to right in town, and has bright blue glacial lakes, sweeping mountain views right in town, and vast wilderness outside of town you can explore via hiking or Jeep trails.
Ouray
Also in the San Juans, Ouray is a cheaper option from Telluride, with similar mountain views, several hot springs, a waterfall right in town, and TONS of Jeeping trails that lead to amazing mountain scenes that you just can’t get anywhere else in Colorado. If you stay here, my favorite place to stay is The Western.
Silverton
Silverton is the underrated town in the San Juans that’s is my personal favorite. It’s less touristy and busy than Ouray, while still having access to the most breathtaking Jeeping trails and hikes. If you want to say your vows at a blue alpine lake, the most beautiful hike in the state is here as well as several lakes you can drive right up to (like this one!). If you stay in town, I highly recommend The Wyman.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte has a little less to offer in terms of extensive hiking trails, but there’s a couple off-roading trails with beautiful views and lakes to check out. The real draw to Crested Butte is the wildflowers. You can find wildflowers all over Colorado during summer, but Crested Butte is known for them, because there’s just fields of them everywhere, it’s truly magical. There’s even a wildflower festival in town every year in July, which is the best month to visit if you want to catch the flowers at their peak. Additionally, Crested Butte is probably the most charming little mountain town in all of Colorado. The Lofts at Public House are a great place to stay that’s right in town, or Scarp Ridge Lodge is perfect if you’ve got some family or friends staying with you as well or if you want someplace to gather later for a private dinner. For a more rustic experience, Pioneer Cabins is a beautiful spot.
Aspen
Just on the other side of the mountain range from Crested Butte is Aspen. Other than Crested Butte, Aspen probably has more wildflowers than anywhere else in the state. I will say, Aspen is going to be the most touristy town on this list by a long shot, but I still included it because the nature around the town is just stunning. The town itself is very expensive and not really my kinda vibe, personally, but there are many areas outside of town that are drop dead gorgeous. Maroon Bells is going to be the busiest area, and it’s a hassle to actually get up there, but if you’re able to snag a reservation at the amphitheater or willing to ride the shuttle to the lake, the views are worth it.
Great Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes National Park is a more underrated favorite in the state. The dunes aren’t the typical mountain views you’d expect to find in Colorado, but the landscape is totally massive and otherworldly. Since there’s no hiking trails or anything really to draw foot traffic to any one area, it’s very easy to walk off and be completely alone in the park, even on the busiest days. Unlike the rest of the mountains where the best times to visit are in July-September, it’s best to visit Great Sand Dunes in May-early June and September-early October as it gets so hot in the summer.
BONUS: Elopement Venues
If it’s just the two of you, you probably don’t want or need a venue, but if you have a few guests that might be attending, people with accessibility needs, or if your group size has exceeded 15 or so people, you might want to consider renting out these lower-cost options for your day. For a more comprehensive list of smaller venues for elopements or micro weddings, you can find that here.
Ready to Elope in Colorado?
Or do you still need help figuring out where you want to go? Ask me! I know Colorado like the back of my hand and I’d be happy to give you some ideas on what would fit you and your needs best. Whatever adventures your day entails, I’ll be there to help guide you through everything from start to finish, whether that means finding your dream location, info on permits, the best times of day to take photos, the most epic hikes in an area- whatever! I know it all (well I know most of it, anyway, and I can look up whatever I don’t know yet). Reach out and we can talk all about it.
