Exploring Colorado’s national parks

Belgian-born photographer Johan Lolos has always dreamed of visiting Colorado, and having the opportunity to travel with his girlfriend, Delphine, was a “dream come true.” On their journey through the state, they toured Colorado’s four national parks and one of its national monuments, snapping pictures the entire way.

They started in the mountains between Estes Park and Grand Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park. The park is surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks and is thick with evergreens, wildlife, rivers, and streams. Next, they visited the deep canyons and the surreal starry skies of Colorado National Monument. They toured the 53-mile stretch of Black Canyon National Park by plane, and the ancient cliff-dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park on foot. They ended their journey in southern Colorado at Great Sand Dunes National Park, which contains a 30-square-mile dune field with the tallest sand dunes in the United States.

Amazed by the diverse landscapes, Johan says, “Colorado will stay in my mind for a long time.”