The possibilities to elope in Colorado are endless! Whether you choose to elope in the Summer with glorious mountain views or in the Winter in a white wonderland, you are going to have an epic and adventurous elopement. There are several destinations to choose from all year round, but the best times for an elopement will be Summer and Fall. Colorado has so many options for your elopement, so here are my top favorite destinations. Learn how to elope in Colorado and figure the best destination!

Breckenridge

• Location
  • Breckenridge – 2 hours drive from Denver International Airport
• Permitting
  • $30 marriage license, which can be purchased and process at any Colorado county; marriage license is only valid for 35 days after purchase and both parties must arrive in-person
• Accessibility
  • Breckenridge is an easy drive from the Denver International Airport and there are shuttles that are also available
  • Lodges in Breckenridge offers easy parking
• Nearby Activities
  • Skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, commercial tours, picnicking, biking, and stargazing
• Crowd Levels
  • There are several shooting locations at Breckinridge that can either be intimate or overly crowded. Thankfully there are many options for intimate shooting locations that offer rocky mountain views and alpine lakes. You can also book a space for small private ceremonies. If you’re worried about the hike, then don’t! There are trails that are great for both newbies and avid hikers. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

• Location
  • Rocky Mountain National Park – 1.5 hours drive from Denver International Airport
• Permitting
  • $30 marriage license, which can be purchased and process at any Colorado county; marriage license is only valid for 35 days after purchase and both parties must arrive in-person
  • $300 permit fee to reserve a location at the national park; reservations are required and can be reserved up to a year in advance
  • $25/car entrance fee
• Accessibility
  • Parking lots offer easy parking and has many accessible facilities for visitors, including visitor centers, scenic overlooks, self-guided trails, campgrounds, and picnic areas
• Nearby Activities
  • Hiking, scenic drives, wildlife watching, picnicking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and guided tours
• Crowd Levels
  • Rocky Mountain National Park is a very popular destination! Even though the elopement locations at this national park are based on reservation only, you will still likely have other tourist or hikers nearby. Recommended times to elope are from Summer to Fall, however you can elope at this destination all year long. You’ll have the options of stunning alpine lakes, wondrous forest and trails, majestic mountain views, and more.

San Juan Mountains

• Location
  • San Juan Mountains  – 4 hours drive from Denver International Airport
• Permitting
  • $30 marriage license, which can be purchased and process at any Colorado county; marriage license is only valid for 35 days after purchase and both parties must arrive in-person
• Accessibility
  • Recommended to have a Jeep to easily access all locations and to have the best adventures
• Nearby Activities
  • Hiking, scenic drives, camping, fishing, horseback riding, rafting, jeep tours, ATV riding, and guided tours
• Crowd Levels
  • San Juan Mountains is a popular destination but has so many options for your elopement that you can have an intimate experience for your elopement. Some options to consider at San Juan Mountains are Telluride, Ouray, Ridgway, and Silverton. There are lakes as blue as the sky, glorious waterfalls, tall mountains, and meadows with wildflowers. 

Great San Dunes National Park

• Location
  • Great San Dunes National Park – 45 minutes from San Luis Valley Regional Airport (this is a connecting flight from Denver Interional Airport); 4 hours drive from Denver International Airport
• Permitting
  • $30 marriage license, which can be purchased and process at any Colorado county; marriage license is only valid for 35 days after purchase and both parties must arrive in-person
  • $25 entrance fee
  • $50 special use permit for $50/day for 1-10 people
• Accessibility
  • Dunes Parking Area is located 1 mile north of the Visitor Center. 
  • There are very limited sand wheelchairs available
• Nearby Activities
  • Hiking, backpacking, sandboarding, sand sledding, stargazing, photography, horseback riding, hunting, biking, fishing, and commercial tours
• Crowd Levels
  • If you don’t want mountain views, alpine lakes, and waterfalls for your elopement, then the Great San Dunes National Park will offer you magical sand dunes. There are so many areas for private shooting locations and this destination has fantastic open desert spaces that feel like you went out of the country for this photoshoot. 

Garden of the Gods

• Location
  • Garden of the Gods – 1.5 hours drive from Denver International Airport
• Permitting
  • $30 marriage license, which can be purchased and process at any Colorado county; marriage license is only valid for 35 days after purchase and both parties must arrive in-person
  • Free entrance and parking
  • If you do decide to hold a ceremony, then know that you can only do it at one of the 6 designated areas with restrictions to time and items you can bring
• Accessibility
  • Easily accessible by car
• Nearby Activities
  • Biking, commercial tours, guided nature walks, photography, rock climbing, and hiking
• Crowd Levels
  • Garden of the Gods is a unique destination for your elopement that offers beautiful mountain views and red rocks, however it is a very public place and can easily get crowded. Recommended to elope during off-season, weekdays, and early mornings. 

These are my top destinations to elope in Colorado, but there are a plethora of options to make your Colorado elopement dreams come true. Choose a backdrop of mountains, red rocks, sand dunes, lakes, forests, meadows, or forests, Colorado will have it for you! Want more elopements? See more on the blog and my Instagram!

Cheers!

Allison