2016 Bucket List: Estes Park, Colorado

EDGE returns with our second annual "7 Gay Wonders of the World" travel bucket list. What defines a "gay wonder?" You do. We are no longer boxed into major metropolises with "gayborhoods," but if that's your thing -- go for it. LGBT travel has reached a tipping point, where we can define just how gay we want our vacation to be.

We offer you seven spectacular destinations that make up our 2016 bucket list. Step to the EDGE of your comfort zone . . . and jump! Our third installment celebrates 100 years of the National Park Service: Estes Park, Colorado - and a bit of mile-high gay Denver for good measure!

The National Park Service celebrates its centennial in 2016. More than 275 million visitors explore hundreds of natural and cultural resources across the country annually, but we've set our sights on Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, which celebrated its own 100-year anniversary this year.

Women have played a significant role in the park's development and preservation. Pioneers like Imogene Green MacPherson, who helped turn Estes Park into a tourist destination by opening the Moraine Park Lodge, and Margaret Fuller Boss, who became the first female ranger-naturalist in 1928, are among the many women who helped define the park's significance for generations to come.

The park is as impactful today as it was in 1879, when Isabella Bird wrote in her book, "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains," "I have dropped into the very place I have been seeking, but in everything it exceeds all my dreams...The scenery is the most glorious I have ever seen, and is above us, around us, at every door."

A Frightfully Good Time
Inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife Flora built the Stanley Hotel as a grand gesture of their sophisticated lifestyle, and when it opened in 1909 the property was one of the most luxurious destinations west of the Mississippi. Through the decades the hotel fell into disarray, and when Stephen King visited in the 1970s, he found inspiration for his best selling novel, "The Shining."

Since then the Stanley has embraced its haunted past and offers night ghost tours and paranormal investigations. If you need to loosen up for such ventures, consider a visit to the Stanley's whiskey bar at Cascades Restaurant, which features the largest whiskey collection in the state at more than 1,000 selections. For those who get easily spooked, consider staying at the adjacent Lodge, the Stanley's recently renovated sister property overseen by chef and innkeeper Midge Knerr.

Park It
The experts at Footpaths of the World enable occasional hikers to discover Rocky Mountain National Park at their own pace and without having to invest in expensive camping equipment. The Walter Tishma Way itinerary offers a five-night, inn-to-inn itinerary whereby hikers leave the heavy lifting to the experts: luggage is transferred each day to the next destination, while participants need only carry a daypack. Each day's hike is six to 10 miles and traverses scenic vistas that include Cow Creek, beautiful meadows, Tahosa Valley, Calypso Cascade and more -- culminating in a five-star culinary experience at the Fawn Brooke Inn to celebrate your accomplishment.

Hey, Neighbor
While Estes Park's gay scene might be a bit sleepy, add a few days onto your itinerary to check out the Mile High City, as you'll likely fly into Denver anyway. The South Broadway neighborhood is home to several gay bars, including the longstanding Compound Basix and Boyztown, if you're looking for go-go boys.

For a more casual vibe, check out the dog-friendly Barker Lounge, and for an all-nighter that might require a late hotel checkout, Tracks nightclub offers 22,000 feet of event space and themed events, including First Fridays, which claims to be the largest monthly women's party in the United States, attracting 1,500 attendees, and Drag Nation (the last Friday of each month), which hosts a revolving roster of the country's best drag superstars.