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A “true love” is the present-provider of a carol we chant every festive season. The offerings of Colorado, however, are a year-long affair — and the gifts surpass just a dozen.
Nonetheless, we shall refer to it as “The 12 Days of Colorado.” Additionally, we will synchronize with the cadence and rhymes of the classic song.
We’ll guide you through each verse, delving deeper into the state’s natural splendor along the way. Finally, we will join in song at the conclusion.
On the first day of Christmas,
Colorado gifted to me
A mountain towering at 14,000 feet
While it is improbable that Colorado will present you with a partridge in a pear tree, it certainly offers more fourteeners (54) than any other state.
Every year, hundreds of sandhill cranes congregate in the San Luis Valley.
On the second day of Christmas,
Colorado gifted to me
Two sandhill cranes
What an offering, these majestic migrators that visit the San Luis Valley each year in February and March.
On the third day of Christmas,
Colorado gifted to me
Three buntings
Continuing with the avian theme of the original tune, the state’s bird makes its appearance: the lark bunting.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
Colorado gifted to me
Four rushing rivers
We express our immense appreciation for the river sources of this state, which encompass four significant ones: the Colorado, Arkansas, Platte, and Rio Grande rivers.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
Colorado presented to me
Five shimmering trees
Even more splendid than radiant rings: Colorado showcases a magnificent golden aspen display each autumn.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
Colorado presented to me
Six lakes relaxing
A multitude of additional high-alpine lakes exists in Colorado — including what is dubbed America’s highest, Pacific Tarn, located above 13,400 feet near Breckenridge.
Eric Klepac from Louisville casts a fly for rainbow trout on the South Platte River up Eleven Mile Canyon on July 20, 2022.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
Colorado presented to me
Seven fish a-swimming
Anglers are familiar with the Grand Slam of trout: rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat. Colorado contributes an additional three for beloved dining: Kokanee salmon, walleye, and yellow perch.
A bull elk produces a bugle in open meadows at Moraine Park on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2021.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
Colorado gifted to me
Eight elk a-bugling
Colorado’s elk populace is reported to be the most significant worldwide. We look forward to the rut each autumn — that commanding vocalization of the majestic creature in search of companionship.
A duo of adventurers ascend the dune field at Fantastic Sand Dunes National Park close to Mosca on a breezy afternoon Wednesday, April 7, 2021.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
Colorado bestowed on me
Nine sprawling parks
Enumerate Colorado’s four national parks — Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Mesa Verde — together with five of our cherished national monuments: Colorado, Dinosaur, Browns Canyon, Florissant Fossil Beds, and Canyons of the Ancients.
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Tourists enjoy the panorama from the viewpoint atop 12,095-foot Independence Pass located outside of Aspen on June 19.
On the 10th day of Christmas,
Colorado gifted to me
Ten roads a-leaping
The highways of Colorado that leap over the Continental Divide are numerous and splendid. These include: Berthoud, Boreas, Cottonwood, Hoosier, Independence, Loveland, Monarch, Rabbit Ears, and Wolf Creek passes, in addition to Trail Ridge Road.
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Lisa McGinn from Boulder consumes powder while skiing on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, at Monarch Mountain.
On the 11th day of Christmas,
Colorado presented to me
Eleven skiers skiing
Free-spirited “pipers” may also be frolicking across this state’s abundant powder. No state equals the vastness, altitudes, and rebellious legacy of Colorado’s ski destinations.
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Maria Leech navigates a banked curve on the fresh Beavers Loop Trail, with the Black Mountain as a backdrop at Arapahoe Basin on July 13, 2023. This path begins at an elevation of 12,500 feet, adjacent to the Beavers chairlift, and descends 1,600 feet over more than 3 miles to the base region below.
On the 12th day of Christmas,
Colorado bestowed upon me
Twelve cyclists cycling
Drummers’ origins can be linked back to Crested Butte. Mountain cyclists have indeed followed the rhythm of that alleged birthplace of the sport.
And now together:
On the 12th day of Christmas,
Colorado bestowed upon me
Twelve cyclists cycling
Eleven skiers skiing
Ten roads a-leaping
Nine parks a-sprawling
Eight elk a-bugling
Seven fish a-swimming
Six lakes a-laying
Five golden trees
Four running rivers
Three buntings
Two sandhill cranes
And a mountain at 14,000 feet
