In my years of traveling, Colorado has been my favorite state to visit for the food, the beer, and the outdoors/hiking. I still have barely scrapped the surface. On my third visit this spring, I drove over 1000 miles and visited 7 cities. My prior trips did not consist of too much donut research. Hence, there were many donut shop visits along the way on this trip. This is not a best of list by any means. There are lots of donut shops in Colorado. In this post, I will be sharing my experiences of the donut shops I visited during my trip. SPOILER ALERT, Colorado has some great donuts shops.

Voodoo Donuts Denver, CO

The first stop off the plane was Voodoo Donuts. The popularity of this donut shop makes it a must try. Once you walk in, you see and feel how different this is than a standard donut shop. There is a hip and fun vibe going on. There’s a big selection of unique flavors and types of donuts. They are known for a raspberry filled donut shaped and decorated like a Voodoo Doll and their wittiness. The crazy options I chose were the Chuckles, chocolate frosting dipped in hot chocolate cocoa powder with peanuts and caramel and chocolate drizzle, and the ODB, chocolate frosting with Oreo cookies and peanut butter. In addition, I had to the get the Voodoo Doll, Plain Glazed, Double Chocolate Cake, and Maple Bar.

City Donuts, Denver, CO

City Donuts has a few locations spread out through Colorado near the Denver area. This was your standard old school donut shop. The customer service was fantastic. The person working went into detail on how their donuts were made and the history of the company. Appreciated it because it gave me time to decide what I wanted. Unfortunately, I was pretty full from breakfast but I settled on the Maple Glaze and Chocolate Frosted with sprinkles. Super fluffy and tasted homemade. Pretty big sized donut as well. And, they hooked me up with some free donut holes. The bag the donuts came in was a great touch.

Amy’s Donuts, Colorado Springs, CO

The stand out donut shop in Colorado Springs has to be Amy’s Donuts. This shop had my head on a swivel. Not even over exaggerating, there were over 50 different flavor combinations. To narrow it down was a tough task. They covered the basics but then went over the top with wild toppings and flavor combinations like Almond Banana Caramel, Butterfinger, and Maple Bacon Fudge. The final decision was the Maple Turtle, Reese’s Pieces, Nutella Crumb, Bizmallow Caramel, and S’mores. And, a Raspberry filled glazed bar to complete the spectrum of donuts. They will pipe in the jelly fresh when you order. Big fan of that. The verdict, the Maple Turtle was amazing as it sounds.

Montrose Donuts and Deli, Montrose, CO

The perfect hiking for donuts location. Located 15 minutes outside of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, you must visit Montrose Donuts and Deli. When I walked in, I was delighted to see all the options. They had bear claws, old fashion, cake, yeast, cinnamon bun, bow tie, cruller, French cruller, fritter, bars, and filled donuts along with muffins and more baked goods. And, a glazed buttermilk bar. What?!? I had to try this. Best donut of the trip. Tasted like a delicious and sugary glazed biscuit. Along with the glazed buttermilk bar, I also tried the chocolate cake sprinkle, bow tie glazed, blueberry glaze cake, cinnamon crumb, old fashion maple, and cinnamon crumb glaze fritter. The donuts were all pretty delicious. Highly recommend for your hiking for donut needs.

OMG Donuts, Arvada, CO

Located in a small plaza driving through Arvada, I found myself at OMG Donuts. This is another small business, old school shop cranking out the classics. Very friendly. I got there late afternoon and they still had some good options. I went with the Plain Glazed, Double Chocolate Cake, Maple Bar, Chocolate Frosted and Red Velvet. The red velvet cake stood out to me for some reason and that was the best decision I made. One of the best cake donuts I have EVER had. Wow, super moist and the flavor was on point. The chocolate cake was good also, super chocolaty almost like eating a chocolate cake. The yeast donuts were fluffy and light. This was a great donut shop find.

HIKING FOR DONUTS

Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every change I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.

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The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of the least known national parks and that is a travesty. I admit, I wasn’t too familiar with this park myself. Located in western Colorado, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison did not gain National Park status until 1999, making it the second youngest national park in the U.S. The Black Canyon is named so because the walls are often covered in shadows making them appear black. These steep walls were formed over 1.7 billion years ago. Another awesome note on this park is that it contains 12 out of the 48 mile-long canyon of the Gunnison River.

For most national park or outdoors enthusiast, you want to experience as much as possible in your travels. Planning trips can be difficult and offer time restraints. Exploring most national parks you need anywhere from 3 days to two weeks. On my recent Colorado road trip, I planned for one day at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. There is a North and South Rim. This guide will be for the South Rim only. This rim is more developed and accessible. Can you explore the entire South Rim in 24 hours? The answer is yes. The best time to visit is April to November. We stayed in Montrose, which is about 15 minutes from the park. The downtown is pretty cool. Oh, and there is an amazing donut shop, Montrose Donut and Deli Shop. The best donuts I had in Colorado. Get the biscuit donut. I digress…..

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado

The South Rim is comprised of a modest 7 mile loop with 12 spectacular overlooks. I suggest to stop at each overlook. A lot of the overlooks do require walking a short trail but nothing strenuous. I would not miss out on Painted Wall, Cedar Point and Sunset View. There are multiple hikes on the South Rim. I went out of my way to do them all and to be honest, if you are stressing for time, skip the hikes. If camping is your thing, there are campgrounds here. Lastly, do NOT leave the park without driving down East Portal Road. I cannot recommend that enough. There is no crowd concern at this park. I counted maybe 30 people on a Friday in mid-May. I read the peak of the visitors stroll through in July. There are even less visitors on the North Rim, which is a 3 hour drive from the South Rim. However, the views are even more dramatic from the North Rim. The scenic driving was amazing. This park should be way more popular. The views were ridiculous. One of the best experiences I had in a national park. Here’s my guide to the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

How to get there

Black Canyon’s South Rim is about 14 miles from Montrose and 63 miles from Gunnison. To get there from Montrose, travel 7 miles north on CO Highway 347 from the intersection with U.S. Highway 50 east of the city.

Viewpoints (South Rim)

The first viewpoint that visitors will see entering the park is Tomichi Point. This is right off the side of the road, no hiking needed. The second viewpoint, Gunnison Point, is located right behind the visitor center. A short path down some steps leads views of the canyon facing northwards. The view is more vivid than Tomichi Point and there is sneak peak of the ravine.

Tomichi Point

Gunnison Point

The next viewpoint is about two miles down the road at Pulpit Rock Overlook. There is a 134 yard trail leading to this area. The canyon really opens here with the river in view as it curves around a 90 degree bend. Cross Fissure View offers a different a unique look at the canyon. The river is not visible and most of the canyon is hidden. There is a view of overlapping ridges and crevasses from multiple angles. This viewpoint is a 357 yard walk.

Pulpit Rock

Cross Fissures

Rock Point is a less traveled path at 294 yards. The longer the path the less visitors you will see. Devils Lookout is the longest path at 607 yards. This path goes right the edge of the rims for great views including the river and the valley. Both this and Rock Point lie above the narrowest part of the entire canyon.

Rock Point

Devil's Lookout

Chasm View is one of those jaw dropping views. This is a very short path off the road above the steepest part of the whole canyon. Painted Wall View is almost adjacent to Chasm View. This may be the most well-known viewpoint. Painted Wall is the highest cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet and a half mile across.

Chasm View

Painted Wall

Every viewpoint from here on is a must see. Cedar Point is a 303 yard path overlooking the lower canyon. This is a spectacular view as you can see 1.5 miles of the river, flowing rapids, and some greenery below. Next up, Dragon Point offers very similar views. The widening ravine enclosing colorful waters of the river. This can be reached by a path of 300 yards.

Cedar Point

Dragon Point

Sunset View was one of my favorites. This is the westernmost viewpoint along the South Rim road. There is large parking area along with restrooms and picnic tables. This a great place to soak in amazing views of the canyon. This is the longest stretch of V shaped canyon. The last viewpoint is another mile down the road, High Point. There’s not much to this but you have to pass this in order to turn around and head back.

Sunset View

High Point

The Hikes (South Rim)

At the end of South Rim road, there is a parking lot where the Warner Point Trail begins. This a 1.5 mile out and back that takes you to the furthest overlook on the South Rim. The trail starts flat with views of green fields 1,000 feet above Bostwick Park. The trail begins to climb slowly then drops and ascends again before reaching the final viewpoint. This overlook offers stunning views of the San Juan Mountains, West Elk Mountains, Uncompahgre Valley, and the canyon. If you choose a hike in the South Rim, this would be the one I suggest.

The Oak Flat Loop begins by the visit center. The trail is narrow and traverses down a steep slope. This offers a peek at the landscape below the canyon’s rim. This is the most challenging hike in the South Rim with steep uphill and downhill portions. In total, the loop is 2 miles.

Rim Rock Nature Trail starts at the visit center or the Campground Loop C entrance. You can even hop on this trail from Tomichi Point. This relatively flat hike takes you along the rim of the canyon for views of the Gunnison River and sheer walls of the gorge below. This can be between 1-2 miles.

Oak Flat Loop

Rim Rock Trail

East Portal Road River Access

Located right at the entrance/exit to the park, you will see the access for East Portal Road. This is a 5 mile road with a significant decline (16% grade) with hairpin turns taking your car to the base of Black Canyon. This is the only way to get down into the canyon. Once arriving at the bottom, the views from down below are gorgeous. The picturesque surroundings of the beautiful lake and the cliff walls of the canyon from up above are majestic. By far the coolest experience I had in the park. I was just in awe. I read a lot of things online and it made it sound dramatic and dangerous to drive down. Any car/van can handle it. Vehicles with an overall length (including trailer) greater than 22 feet are prohibited. Trailers may be left unhitched and left at a parking area at the campground entrance. This road is closed in the winter. Just be smart about driving down. It took us about 30 minutes. This is a bucket list type event. Don’t chicken out!