Things to Do in Colorado in Summer: Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen, Glenwood Springs

By Teresa Plowright, About.com Guide

Here's a cool new trend in Colorado: several towns have engineered artificial waves on their rivers, and created public river parks where locals and visitors can enjoy the whitewater. These artificial waves stay constant in their position on the river, and are a popular place for watersports normally found at the beach.

Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park is the first man-made feature on the Colorado River, and is a fun place for boogie boarding, surfing, stand up paddleboarding, and kayaking. Surfing in Colorado? Yes indeed. This whitewater park is even a venue for a Rocky Mountain Surf Festival.

Because the wave created at the park is constant, it's a great place to learn to surf-- not to mention that beginners don't need to exhaust themselves paddling out to catch a wave.

In the photo above, the river is high due to an extraordinary snow melt. At calmer times of the year, even young kids can enjoy boogie boarding in the man-made wave at this free river park.

- continue to Stand Up Paddleboard Surfing at the Whitewater River Park