July 15, 2024

Best Places to Visit in Colorado for Travel Nurses

Are you ready to explore somewhere new on your next healthcare travel assignment? With stunning landscapes and vibrant cities, Colorado offers a fantastic mix of urban excitement and outdoor recreation, making it an ideal destination for your next assignment.

Colorado’s abundance of outdoor activities and culture of wellness can help you maintain a healthy work-life balance while on assignment. Spend your days off exploring nature, attending local events, and discovering new hobbies. Discover the top Colorado destinations that will make your travel nursing experience unforgettable.

Top Colorado Destinations for Travel Nurses

Denver

Denver is a bustling city with a strong demand for healthcare professionals. The Mile-High City offers everything travelers love about a big city – from great food and nightlife to professional sports teams and music venues – with friendly neighborhoods that give it a small-town vibe. Travelers can enjoy a high standard of living with plenty of things to do in their off time, making it an excellent place to call home for 13 weeks.

Healthcare travelers should check out the city’s many cultural attractions, like the Denver Art Museum and Museum of Science and Nature, and catch a show at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. With over 850 miles of paved trails, there are plenty of places to get outside on a bike ride or jog, helping travelers maintain a healthy life while on the road. For a more adventurous outing, Rocky Mountain National Park is close by, a great place to see Colorado nature at its finest.

Boulder

Known for its stunning scenery and outdoor activities, Boulder is the outdoor enthusiast’s haven. The city’s health-conscious community and top-notch medical facilities make it an excellent spot for healthcare travelers. Nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, healthcare travelers will find an abundance of yoga studios, health food stores, and wellness centers, plus plenty of gorgeous scenery to explore. The Boulder Farmer’s Market is a great spot to pick up local produce and goods and get to know the community.

For can’t-miss, Instagram-worthy snapshots, the nearby Flatirons or Colorado Chautauqua Park provide plenty of hiking spots with panoramic views, plus plenty of opportunities for camping and other recreation.

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs offers a mix of urban and outdoor experiences. The city’s scenic beauty and cultural attractions make it a great place to unwind during your time off. Healthcare travelers will enjoy visiting local attractions like the Cheyanne Mountain Zoo or the North Cheyanne Cañon Park. Other things to do in Colorado Springs include the Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the Manitou Springs Incline, all of which are some of the best places to visit in Colorado.

Fort Collins

Fort Collins combines a charming small-town atmosphere and welcoming community with numerous recreational activities for an enjoyable place to spend your assignment. This midsize college town is known for being one of the most bike-friendly towns, and clusters of bikes line up outside local shops and destinations. For beer enthusiasts, it doesn’t get any better than sampling local brews at one of the many craft breweries, including the famous New Belgium Brewing Company. A favorite local activity is floating down the Cache La Poudre River Canyon.

Aspen

For travel nurses looking for a more laid-back and scenic destination, Aspen is a perfect choice. Known for its ski resorts and beautiful landscapes, Aspen offers a peaceful retreat for hardworking travelers. This scenic getaway offers hiking, camping, and mountain biking from spring to fall and, of course, plenty of world-class skiing in the winter. Travelers can enjoy a day of recreation followed by a relaxing evening at one of the many restaurants or spas in town.

Pagosa Springs

This small town in southwest Colorado is famous for its hot springs and stunning natural surroundings. Pagosa Springs offers a tranquil retreat with plenty of opportunities for adventure.

Travel nurses work long shifts, so what better way to unwind than to soak in the mineral-rich waters at a hot springs resort? Travelers can also explore the area on a hike through the Weminuche Wilderness or ski in the winter at the nearby Wolf Creek Ski Area.

Paonia

Nestled in the North Fork Valley, Paonia is a cozy agricultural haven known for its organic farms, vineyards, and friendly community. It’s a great destination for those who love farm-to-table dining, wine tasting, and scenic countryside. Local wineries, such as Azura Cellars and Stone Cottage Cellars, are fun places for healthcare travelers to relax and sample unique wines, and organic farms like Delicious Orchards and Big B’s Delicious Orchards are fun places to pick local, organic fruit to take for a mid-shift snack. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a must-explore outdoor spot, and healthcare travelers into hiking will want to head to the West Elk Mountains.

Ouray

Ouray is a picturesque mountain town often referred to as the “Switzerland of America” due to its stunning alpine scenery. It offers a peaceful and scenic escape with a range of outdoor activities. This is another spot for healthcare travelers to enjoy relaxing hot springs at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool and Box Canyon Lodge. Adventurous travelers can try ice climbing at the Ouray Ice Park in the winter months or take a 4×4 vehicle to explore the rugged, off-road trails in Box Canyon Falls.

Great Sand Dunes National Park: A Unique Natural Wonder

Great Sand Dunes National Park offers a unique landscape with the tallest sand dunes in North America set against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This remarkable spot is one of the top Colorado destinations and offers a great place to escape the daily hustle and explore one of Colorado’s natural wonders. Travel nurses can climb and sandboard down the massive dunes, hike the diverse trails around Medano Creek, and camp under the starry night sky. The park’s distinctive beauty and variety of outdoor activities make it a must-visit spot for travel nurses seeking adventure and tranquility during their Colorado assignment.

TNAA Traveler Sarah Kim, ER RN is on assignment in Colorado in summer 2024. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @theplaneandlight

Explore Colorado With TNAA

Whether you take an assignment in one of these destinations or add them to a weekend getaway, these Colorado gems will add unique and memorable experiences to your travel nursing journey. Colorado offers travelers the perfect mix of professional growth and personal exploration.

When you travel with TNAA, you’re traveling with an agency that has your back every step of the way. Housing, credentialing, benefits, sick leave – we’ve got you covered. All you have to do is pack your bags and decide where you’re going.

Ready to make Colorado your next travel healthcare destination? Check out our travel nursing jobs in Colorado and apply today!