Local National Weather Sports Shop Scripps Watch Now
NewsLocal

Actions

5 unique Colorado attractions to see before summer is over

From a UFO watchtower to a giant fork in the road, Colorado has some truly offbeat destinations to explore before summer ends.
UFO Watchtower
Visit Alamosa
UFO Watchtower
Posted
and last updated

COLORADO — Summer isn’t over yet!

If you’re still looking for a summer Colorado adventure why not explore some of Colorado’s weirdest attractions. According to RoadsideAmerica.com Colorado has hundreds of unique and must-see locations. Here are five locations to add to your bucket list.

The UFO Watchtower

UFO Watchtower

This destination is for skywatchers, believers and more. Located right in the heart of the San Luis Valley, this is a hot spot for the unexplained. According to Visit Alamosa, The UFO Watchtower was founded in 2000 by Judy Messoline as a judgement-free zone. You can explore the Watchtower’s museum, the famous healing garden and a gift shop.

UFO Watchtower

Located off HWY 17, 2 miles N. of Hooper, CO.
The UFO Watchtower is open 7 days a week.
The gift shop is Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

World’s Longest Fork

Creede Fork

You can visit the longest fork in the road. This aluminum sculpture will take you to Mineral County. The fork is 40 feet long and weighs over 800 pounds. It rests against a building on a 45-degree angle, making it the longest fork in the United States. You can learn more about the creating of the fork and how it was installed on the Fork Creede website.
Located at 981 La Garita Ave., Creede, CO.

The Sasquatch Outpost

The Sasquatch Outpost

This roadside attraction will help you discover more about Bigfoot in Bailey. Here you can explore the museum and gift shop full of Bigfoot gifts. You can find more about prices and hours on their website.

The Sasquatch Outpost

The museum is open daily with varying hours
Located at 149 Main Street, Bailey CO.

Herkimer: World’s Largest Beetle

World's Largest beetle

This big Hercules beetle nicknamed “Herkimer” draws traffic to the John May Natural History Museum in Colorado Springs. The May Museum is the premier bug museum with 7,000 insects. According to the museum, the statue was trademarked in 1952. He’s been at the current location at the entrance of Rocky Creek Canyon for more than 60 years. You can learn more about the history on the museum’s website.

World's largest beetle

Located along Highway 115, 710 Rock Canyon Rd, Colorado Springs, CO.

Petrified Wood gas station

Petrified Wood gas station
A portion of what some call "the oldest building in the world" in Lamar, the county seat of Prowers County, Colorado. What's left of the old gas station gets its name because it is made of petrified wood -- in effect, wood turned to stone -- dating back 175 million years or so. Hoping to sidetrack tourists traveling along US 287 on their way through Lamar, Colorado to the Rocky Mountains, lumber dealer W. G. Brown built the one-of-a-kind structure in 1932. The largest piece of wood used in the station weighed 3,200 hundred pounds. The building walls and floors are constructed of large pieces of petrified wood too. The station became a tire store in 1962 and as of this image (in 2015) was part of a used-car lot. In fact, the owner kindly moved several vehicles that were obscuring what would otherwise have been a big tourist attraction.

This unique building was constructed back in 1932 out of local petrified wood. The unusual site attracted many visitors and even earned a feature on “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”.
Located at 501 N Main St., Lamar, CO