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.