Colorado is one of the most beautiful locations for a romantic proposal, and there are so many incredible options! In this article, I’ll discuss the best places to propose in Colorado.
Whether you want to get engaged off the beaten path, have an adventurous proposal experience, or pop the question in the city, there’s something for all couples below. I’ll also share helpful planning tips for a special and stress-free proposal and Colorado proposal packages.
Garden of the Gods
Best for: A laid-back adventure with unique scenery
Location: Colorado Springs
Entry: Open year-round; free entry
Pet friendly: Yes
Garden of the Gods spans over 1,000 acres and is a National Natural Landmark because of its unique and beautiful geological features. It’s absolutely stunning, with magical red rock formations and some of Colorado’s best views – making it one of my favorite places for proposal and engagement photos.
The park is easily accessible for a quick proposal and photo shoot, or you can spend a few hours exploring the park before getting down on one knee.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Best for: An adventurous proposal experience
Location: Northern Colorado
Entry: Open year-round, weather permitting; $30 entry per vehicle
Pet friendly: Only on paved roads and parking lots
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most epic mountain environments in Colorado. The park covers 415 square miles with meadows, alpine lakes, mountain peaks, and hiking trails.
This is one of the best places to propose in Colorado for adventurous couples. Spend a few hours exploring the park, stopping at one of its gorgeous lakes or overlooks to propose.
Chautauqua Park
Best for: A relaxing and beautiful proposal
Location: Boulder
Entry: Open year-round; $2.50/hour for parking on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day
Pet friendly: Yes
Chautauqua Park sits at the base of the Flatiron Mountains, offering a picture-perfect backdrop for your proposal. There are gardens and trails you can explore and grassy areas – ideal for a proposal day picnic.
I love taking photos at Chautauqua Park year-round! The wildflowers during summer and snow-capped mountains during spring and winter are beautiful.
Larimer Square
Best for: A proposal in the city
Location: Denver
Pet friendly: Yes
Larimer Square is a buzzing area in Downtown Denver, perfect for couples who enjoy city life. The area is filled with beautiful buildings with Victorian architecture and city lights. There are also fun restaurants and bars to celebrate your engagement after the proposal.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Best for: A unique location with massive sand dunes
Location: Southern Colorado
Entry: Open year-round; $25 entry per vehicle
Pet friendly: Yes, in some areas
Not only is Great Sand Dunes National Park one of my favorite Colorado elopement locations, but it’s also perfect for a magical proposal. The park has the tallest dunes in North America, and it’s surrounded by hiking trails that take you to forests, wetlands, and alpine lakes. You can also go sand sledding for a fun proposal day memory.
Mount Falcon West Trailhead
Best for: A secluded hike near Denver
Location: Indian Hills
Entry: Closes seasonally; photo permit required
Pet friendly: Yes
Mount Falcon is a beautiful park near Denver with several hiking trails, and it’s one of the best places for proposal or engagement photos in Colorado. West Trailhead is my favorite in the park because it’s perfect for an easy, secluded hike surrounded by mountain scenery. You can also stroll past cool castle ruins, which makes for a unique photo op.
Gothic Road
Best for: A fun adventure and stunning scenery
Location: Crested Butte
Entry: Easily accessible during summer and fall; free entry
Pet friendly: Yes
Gothic Road is a stunning 30-mile loop that starts and ends in downtown Crested Butte, a peaceful mountain town. One of my favorite parts about this area is that it’s more secluded than more popular mountain towns, perfect for a more intimate proposal experience. You can explore Gothic Road with your love while appreciating beautiful mountain and alpine forest scenery.
There are so many amazing places to stop and propose and even a cool ghost town to visit. While every season is beautiful, some areas aren’t accessible when it’s snowing, so I recommend Gothic Road for a summer or fall proposal.
Loveland Pass
Best for: A fun adventure in the mountains
Location: Northcentral Colorado
Entry: May close during inclement weather; free entry
Pet friendly: Yes
Loveland Pass sits nearly 12,000 feet above sea level and is the highest mountain pass in Colorado. It’s one of the best places to propose in Colorado if you enjoy fun road trips. You can drive along the pass, stopping along the way to enjoy the scenery and pop the question. There are also hiking trails for more exploration along the pass.
Every season is beautiful along the pass, with snowcapped mountains in winter and spring, wildflowers during summer, and colorful aspen leaves during fall.
How to Propose in Colorado
When proposing in Colorado, I recommend finding a photographer, choosing a date, finding a location, and then making your plan. And of course, don’t forget to enjoy your proposal day – that’s the best part!
Find a Photographer
Of course, you’ll want to document your special day and the start of a new chapter with your love – and a photographer can help with that! As a Colorado-based photographer, I love capturing proposals. Not only that, but I can also help with the rest of the planning details.
Choose a Date
When choosing the date of your proposal, you’ll want to think about the experience you’re hoping for. For example, consider if your partner loves hiking during fall or if you want to get married within a year, you might propose sooner rather than later. Some of the best places to propose in Colorado are often inaccessible during winter due to snow, so consider that as well if you already have a location in mind.
Find a Location
Are you thinking of an adventurous outdoor area, somewhere pet-friendly, or the city? Maybe you have a specific part of Colorado in mind. There are so many incredible places to get engaged in Colorado! When I work with couples, I offer location suggestions and scouting to help you find the perfect location.
Make a Plan
When planning your proposal, think about the experience that would be most meaningful for your partner. What do you like to do together? Is there a specific place that’s special to you and your soon-to-be fiance? Fun ideas include a hiking proposal, a photo shoot that leads into a proposal, or a romantic dinner. You can also celebrate afterward with drinks or dinner.
Enjoy Your Proposal Day
Before proposal day, let your partner know you want to go on a date, whether that’s visiting a park, going on a hike, or having dinner. This might bring up some excited nerves, but your photographer can work with you on how to best execute your plans for a fun and stress-free experience. When it’s time, your photographer will hide in the background to be ready to take pictures!
Colorado Proposal Packages
I love working with couples getting engaged and married! My Colorado proposal packages are typically a one or two-hour adventure session and include the following:
- A personalized location guide
- All edited high-resolution images
- Online gallery for viewing, downloading, and rights to printing
- Travel within one or two hours of Denver, depending on the package
If you’re hoping to propose farther than two hours from Denver, I’m more than happy to offer customizable session pricing.
Let’s Plan Your Proposal!
I hope you found this guide to the best places to propose in Colorado helpful! There are so many stunning places to get engaged in Colorado, whether you want to pop the question in the city, on a secluded hike, or in a scenic park.
I enjoy capturing authentic and candid love stories and would love to help you plan the perfect proposal!
kinsley + caden
“Brooke was the perfect choice for our wedding day! We had a micro wedding at Sapphire Point in August. I had never been to Sapphire Point and Brooke was so helpful suggesting vendors, picture locations, parking, marriage license info etc. She was so kind and helpful before and during the whole process and was a large part of why the day went so smooth. She does so much more than just show up and take pictures, Brooke will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect! The photos are gorgeous and I keep getting so many compliments! I truly cannot recommend her enough!”
"Brooke was a large part of why our day went so smooth and will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect!"
We chose Brooke to capture our Colorado elopement and she did exactly that and more. She made it easy to plan our day out with locations and timelines so that we could focus on ourselves. We decided last minute to change our afternoon/evening elopement to a 6am sunrise one so beat the heat of the day. Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise. She was kind and understood what we wanted in terms of our elopement and we are so grateful to have her capture the day. Our photos turned out beautiful and truly helped us relive the day. I would recommend Brooke to anyone wanting their special day photographed.
"Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise."
erica + stacy
kirstie + colin
Brooke not only photographed our mountain elopement beautifully, but she put so much thought into the details and knew all of the answers the questions I didn’t even know to ask. She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had. She even helped pick the perfect spot for us and advised us on the logistical details like securing a reservation at the mountain lake where we wanted our ceremony. She is SO easy to work with and very friendly and chill. My husband and I are super awkward in front of a camera but she made it so natural and easy - and the shots came out better than we could have imagined.
"She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had."
amanda + jace
Brooke is many things; talented, calm, flexible, experienced/ knowledgeable, patient, incredibly responsive, organized, resourceful in a pinch, supportive, creative, professional yet a blast to work with, and goes above & beyond w her clients. Our wedding was a spectacular dream and we couldn't be more grateful that she made that single day last forever. Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be. We couldn't recommend her more and we look forward to booking with her for all of our vow renewals, seasonal and family pictures for as long as she'll have us.
"Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be."
linden + brent
Working with Brooke was a dream come true! Before we even met, my husband Brent and I were impressed by her portfolio. After meeting, we were even more convinced that her photography skills and knowledge, and her fun and easygoing personality were exactly what we were looking for in an elopement photographer. Brooke was able to take our vision and facilitate everything so that it worked out beautifully, especially when it came to finding the perfect location (the incredible mountains surrounding Ouray). Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible, and made it clear that her goal was for us to be 100% happy. In the end, her creativity and our happiness totally shine through in every single photo.
"Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible."
lauren + branden
I can't begin to express my gratitude for the intimacy and beauty behind Brooke's photographs. In capturing our wedding day, she went above and beyond to document our story, our families, and the depths of our love in ways that I'll forever be grateful for. Brooke has an eye for not only capturing the adventure and magic of your love, but deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way. She is truly an artist and tells your story in an authentic and creative way for you to look back on for years to come. We are forever grateful to Brooke for spending the time to get to know us, our story, and capturing the memories that we'll relive for years to come.
"Brooke deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way."
heather + jedd
“If you're contemplating which photographer to go with, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO CHOOSE BROOKE!!!! She is so so so talented and was able to capture our elopement exactly how I pictured and wanted! We eloped in Ridgway, CO this past September and she was so helpful figuring out picture locations, recommendations of timeline for the day, and just made the whole day feel so smooth. She schedules multiple check ins, phone calls, etc., leading up to the big day to ensure everything is as you want it. Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever after just the first time of meeting."
"Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever."
christy + austin
Brooke is the absolute best. She truly went above and beyond for my fiancé and I to be able to get our engagement photos taken with the fall colors. Brooke is so sweet, fun, personable and incredibly talented. We could not be more in love with our engagement photos! Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever.
"Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever."
