Glenwood Springs sits at a crossroads of some of the best scenery in Colorado, and the surrounding country rewards a day's drive in almost any direction.
Aspen is the most obvious excursion — 60 km south on Highway 82, about an hour's drive or a comfortable RFTA bus ride. The town itself is worth seeing even outside ski season: the historic core is intact, the art museums and music festival venues are active from June through August, and the Maroon Bells — two fourteeners reflected in an alpine lake — are among the most photographed mountains in North America. The Maroon Bells are about 15 km beyond Aspen and require a shuttle in summer (no private vehicles from late June to October).
Vail is 70 km east on I-70, around 45 minutes through some of the most dramatic canyon scenery in Colorado. In summer, Vail's mountain opens for hiking, mountain biking, and gondola rides. The town is more purposefully a resort than Aspen but the surrounding mountains are just as impressive.
Grand Mesa rises to the west — a vast, flat-topped mountain that is one of the largest flat-topped mountains in the world, blanketed with spruce forest, wildflower meadows, and more than 300 small lakes. The mesa is accessible via Highway 65 from the I-70 town of Palisade or from Highway 330 near Collbran. In summer it offers hiking, fishing, and mountain biking with almost no crowds; in winter it is a quiet snowshoeing and cross-country skiing destination.
Palisade and the Grand Valley wine country lie about 80 km west of Glenwood Springs — a warm, sheltered valley that produces some of the best wine in Colorado, particularly Syrah, Merlot, and Riesling. Over 25 wineries cluster around the town of Palisade, most open for tastings without advance booking. The fruit orchards in the same valley produce exceptional peaches in August.
Rifle Falls State Park, about 50 km north on Highway 325, is a triple waterfall tumbling over travertine cliffs into a lush canyon — an improbable oasis in high-desert country. It is small enough to see in a couple of hours and pairs well with a drive up to Rifle Gap reservoir.